By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator
Homemade LED Flashlight
This year’s STEM Club started by welcoming guest educators Dr. Betty Lise Anderson and her college student STEM mentors from OSU’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). Dr. Anderson runs a popular ECE outreach program that helps K-12 students, and their teachers explore electrical and computer engineering concepts with a variety of hands-on electrical projects.
Dr. Anderson, OSU ECE, leading a simple circuit LED Flashlight build lesson.
Her program is specifically designed to encourage students toward STEM fields and to specifically increase the number of women and minorities in engineering. The program won Ohio State’s top university-wide Outreach Award.
Students building their LED Flashlights
Dr. Anderson led elementary students in exploring new electrical components concepts and how to read an electrical schematic. Students then were better able to understand how these components work together to create a circuit. After a brief learning lesson the students engaged in building a LED flashlight (take home project).
Judy Walley, Teays Valley High School Chemistry Teacher, supporting students in their LED Flashlight build challenge.
The challenge involved basic materials, an cardboard box, copper wire, a battery, a resister, a LED (light omitting diode), and a switch.
Inside the Flash Light
Teays Valley High School Student Mentor
Pictured above are two Teays Valley High School mentors helping elementary students through their challenge and support them in their learning careers; Kalya Marks (left center) and Taylor Strawswer (right).
The program also involves over a dozen high school mentor students that assist with club activities while themselves gaining both soft and technical skills, leadership, community service, and college/career exploration opportunities.
Student showing off completed LED Flashlight project. High school mentor, Kayla Marks, pictured above with elementary students.