Jane Addams Place Partnership
About Jane Addams Place: The Jane Addams Place is located in Philadelphia, PA and focuses on giving homeless mothers and their children a place to stay while they work on finding permanent housing.
What We Do: Students from the University of the Sciences visit the shelter monthly and encourage the children to pursue higher education and work to spur their interest in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. This is done by exposing the children to fun and interactive lessons and experiments in which they need to incorporate skill-sets from STEM to complete the activities.
What We Do: Students from the University of the Sciences visit the shelter monthly and encourage the children to pursue higher education and work to spur their interest in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. This is done by exposing the children to fun and interactive lessons and experiments in which they need to incorporate skill-sets from STEM to complete the activities.
See more pictures on our Facebook page!
Timeline:
- March 2014: The month of March was increasingly exciting for us as it marked the first ever Jane Addams Science Night. For this month, the slime experiment was chosen. The objectives covered were involved with the chemistry of making the slime, the physical properties, such as viscosity, of the slime, and the scientific method.
- April 2014: For this month, two experiments were chosen and the first was the classic baking soda volcano experiment. The objectives covered were involved with chemical reactions and pressure concepts related to physics. The second experiment was teaching the children the best way to fold paper airplanes, introducing them to the physics of flight and aerodynamics.
- May 2014: During this month, the lava lamp experiment was chosen, which proved to be immensely popular among the children. This experiment covered many objectives including how chemical makeup of substances is related to density, why hot substances rise and cooler substances sink, substance makeup at the molecular level, and problem solving strategies, which are vital to STEM fields.
- June 2014: The month of June featured a marshmallow and toothpick bridge experiment in which children were able to explore different designs and learn to modify them through trial and error, as well as with knowledge that certain structures, such as ones built with triangles, result in sturdier structures. This experiment explored objectives related to the basics principles of engineering and design and physics of weight distribution.
- July 2014: In this month, a water balloon experiment was featured. The water balloons were used to teach the children about the physical concepts of acceleration, velocity, dimensions, and projectile motion. The children were able to experiment with different velocities and mathematical paths.
- September 2014: The month of September dealt with the various senses. The experiments tested the sense of taste in correlation to the sense of smell using numerous fruits. The kids made and tested hypotheses and came to conclusions based on the data they collected.
- October 2014: The month of October was in full swing. The youth were engaged in a parachute experiment in which they were able to explore concepts of gravity, aerodynamics, speed, velocity and a variety of other physics concepts.
- November 2014: In this month two experiments were completed and in the first, the children dove into the world of genetics. They took part in various activities to determine their dominant and recessive traits and had a ton of fun along the way! The second experiment was the fizz inflator. The children learned about acid-base reactions with the help of plastic bottles, balloons, baking soda, and vinegar.