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EpiSTEM Brings Hands-On STEM Learning to Kern County Schools

EpiSTEM hosted a STEAM night at Van Horn Elementary, engaging students in hands-on STEM activities.
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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — EpiSTEM, a nonprofit, hosted a STEAM night at Van Horn Elementary, engaging students in hands-on STEM activities to spark curiosity and excitement for learning.

  • EpiSTEM, a nonprofit, focuses to make STEM education accessible and engaging for young minds in Kern County.
  • Students engage in fun activities like making lava lamps, underwater candles, and "Sound Sandwiches".
  • EpiSTEM aims to foster a love for science from an early age, helping to increase STEM representation in Kern County.

EpiSTEM, a nonprofit organization, is on a mission to make STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education accessible and engaging for young minds across Kern County. At Van Horn Elementary, students are getting the unique opportunity to dive into hands-on STEM experiences that allow them to explore science in ways they can truly understand and enjoy.
"It's not as easy for kids to get their hands dirty with science to explore new things in a way they understand it, and that's kind of our goal with EpiSTEM, to give them that opportunity," says Nicholas Geronimo, Vice President of EpiSTEM. Through its monthly workshops, the nonprofit works to provide students with interactive and memorable science lessons that go beyond the classroom textbook.

EpiSTEM's workshops are held at several elementary schools, including Van Horn, McAuliffe, Laurelglen, and Whitley Elementary. These workshops give students a chance to experiment and learn about science firsthand in an environment that's designed to spark curiosity and creativity.

“Seeing them grow and become curious and want to learn more is something that really warms my heart,” Geronimo shares. It’s this excitement and curiosity that drives EpiSTEM’s dedication to providing these experiences for the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The hands-on approach to STEM education is not only fun, but it also builds a strong foundation for students' future learning. Jiya Jha, President of EpiSTEM, emphasizes the importance of making STEM both affordable and accessible. "We do try to keep our labs pretty cheap, one because we have a limited amount of money, and two so the kids can replicate them at home," she explains. "They can't go out and buy expensive equipment, but they can do these smaller labs that still have a big impact."

Jha walks through various experiments that the students participate in, including making a lava lamp, an underwater candle, and a "Sound Sandwich" fun, simple activities inspired by popular YouTube science videos. "We just really love it because the kids, they see these labs on YouTube too. They know they’re fun, they know they’re exciting, so I love being able to bring this to them," Jha says.

The impact of these workshops goes beyond just the fun experiments; it’s about sparking curiosity in young minds and fostering a love for science from an early age. "I really want to introduce it when they’re younger so that way they can see the fun parts of science and we can increase our STEM representation rate in Kern County," says Jha.

EpiSTEM's mission is clear through these monthly workshops, they aim to provide a rich, hands-on learning experience to all students, regardless of their background. The organization’s efforts to make STEM education both accessible and exciting could be key to inspiring the next generation of innovators.

EpiSTEM’s monthly workshops are open to the public, providing more opportunities for local students to engage with STEM in a meaningful way. By bringing science to life in a fun and affordable way, EpiSTEM is creating lasting impacts in the Kern County community, one experiment at a time.


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