When Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic Elementary School (PJP II) holds its community open house on Sunday, Jan. 26, visitors will be able to view a STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math) Expo in the school gymnasium. STREAM is unique to Catholic school because the "R" aspect has been added to incorporate faith-based learning in the curriculum.
At PJP II, fifth- through eighth-graders have completed projects for the expo in collaboration with ProjectEngin, a program that has students using STREAM to tackle real-world issues based on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (STGs). The projects focus on global issues like hunger and lack of access to clean water. The students' projects are designed to improve the lives of those who live in impoverished countries.
"Different grade levels are zoning in on different STGs. My kids are studying Earth science, so they are working on clean water, deforestation and sustainable cities and communities," explained sixth-grade science teacher Julie Bigelow. "The kids really have to think on their own. They have to do research. (They learn that) there are other people in the world that don't have what we have. We are so lucky. So, there is also a human kindness component."
Students work in teams to complete the projects. "They each have their own role within the group," Bigelow explained. "There is a project manager, a country expert, a design engineer and a marketing person. The kids choose three things that they want to do, and we try to (match their interests)."
One team developed a prototype that would address the deforestation caused by forest fires in the Amazon Rainforest or any forest. The team members designed a drone that will drop a pod that senses heat from the forest fire and alerts government authorities that there is a fire and provides the location of the fire. The name of their company is Vida Nova, which means "new life" in Portuguese, the Brazilian language.
"Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders create a prototype," Bigelow explained. "A prototype is their solution to a problem they are investigating, but on a smaller scale."
In addition to the students in the older grades, younger PJP II students take part in a school STREAM program. "For fifth-graders, it's more of a math component," Bigelow noted. "The younger grades do things as well, but their program is modified (to their age level)."
This is the second year that PJP II has held a STREAM Expo, which is organized by Jill Wentzel, PJP II STEM coordinator. Unlike a traditional science fair, STREAM projects are completed in school.
The projects will be judged prior to the expo on Friday, Jan. 24. "Each group is going to have three rounds of judging. The kids are actually presenting their projects, which includes a brochure, a prototype and a trifold board," said Bigelow. "On Sunday, parents (and other visitors) can check out how the kids did."
Last year, the top three teams visited Bentley Systems in Exton. "They presented their projects to Bentley colleagues, answered questions about their prototypes, toured their corporate campus, collaborated on whiteboards and learned more about Bentley's software development and engineering business," noted Maria Samson, PJP II development director. "(The students) are looking forward to a visit to Bentley Systems again this year."
PJP II is located at 2875 Manor Road (Route 82), Coatesville. The open house on Jan. 26 will be held from noon to 2 p.m.
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