The elementary and middle school-aged keiki residing at the Hope Shelter in Kalaeloa received a donation of nearly 100 science kits from Super Science Kids, Inc. Inside the kits were a range of activities incorporating aspects of science as well as engineering, math and art, all components of STEAM that Ka Paʻalana has included in its curriculum since 2014.

“The kids are getting an opportunity to explore science kits, play with them, and see what types of materials are in them,” says Kasey Galariada, a family education coordinator with Ka Paʻalana. She went on to explain the different ways the keiki interacted with the kits, following along the scientific method of experimenting.

Angela Krubeck, a young teen from Georgia, started the nonprofit Super Science Kids when she was 9 years old to spread the love of science through the kits she creates. She especially focuses on teaching and engaging at-risk youth, like our keiki of Ka Paʻalana.

“Any time we have someone invest in our families or in our children here at Ka Paʻalana or at [Hope Shelter], I think it says something about them being important and valued,” says Galariada. “It makes the children feel like theyʻre important.”

Besides the educational benefits, the kits allowed the kids to work with one another to complete some of the activities. Super Science Kid’s mission is to help children who have a lot of worry in their lives to briefly remove themselves from that situation, to explore science, and have fun.

“That’s what the kits did today. They really allowed our kids to sort of step away from some of their worries and their troubles that they’re going through, and just have fun and explore the kits together.”

In order for the students to better conceptualize the discussion on energy, they were given two hands-on projects to construct in class today. The students put together a solar oven and a solar car. The solar oven highlights the use of the sun’s heat to create convection current by trapping it inside a confined area. Doing this keeps the oven constantly heated. The solar car demonstrates how to harness the sun’s light energy using a photovoltaic panel, which was mounted on the vehicle.

Our Tech Together program is at the tail end of its two-week session with the 5th and 6th graders at this particular school. At the end of the week, the students will take an exam, which will cover the S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) curriculum they’ve learned about throughout the various sessions. Students have made note cards to help them study in preparation for the test.