By Julie Euber, CEO, SARSEF
A child stands on their tiptoes, peering over the edge of the counter at their parent swiftly folding dough to make bread for dinner. The child holds on tight to a greased bowl, eagerly watching the parent place the dough inside. Then, right before their eyes, yeast transforms sugar into carbon dioxide, and the dough rises.
For many students, the kitchen is their first laboratory. It’s where, if they know it or not, they see the intersection between science, creativity, and their daily lives.
At SARSEF, we encourage students to notice and wonder about the world around them. We challenge them to ask testable questions and identify problems that relate to their daily lives. We show them how science and engineering can be used to investigate. Because of our approach to science and engineering that centers student experience, food is often the subject of curiosity.
This is evident in many of the projects entered in the SARSEF Regional Science and Engineering Fair (Click here to visit this year’s virtual project floor).
A first grader engineered a better way to serve butter.
An entire second grade class wanted to keep guacamole green for longer.
A third grader wanted to engineer a new flavor of gum – marshmallow!
A sixth grader wanted to find out if the lunch they packed for school every day stayed cool enough to be safe for consumption.
A high school student explored how to best test shrimp for freshness.
With your support this Arizona Gives Day, we can continue to inspire more students to make the connection between food and chemistry. Between nutrition and health. Between science and their own lives – maybe even their futures.
Please consider making a gift today! https://www.azgives.org/sarsef
Projects Referenced:
- The Beautiful Butter Engineering Project
- YUCK! Brown Guacamole!
- Marshmallow Flavored Gum
- Keeping your Food Cool at School
- Anthocyanin-Based Polymeric Matrices that can Detect Shrimp’s Freshness
About SARSEF:
SARSEF was formed in 1955 in an effort to increase student interest in the field of science. The mission of SARSEF is to engage Arizona’s Pre-K-12 grade students in critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they participate in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) through inquiry-based learning and research.
SARSEF accomplishes this mission through a variety of programming including a high school mentoring program, the STAR Lab, SARSEF Fair Week, educational outreach programs with an emphasis on underrepresented populations in the sciences, teacher professional development, ACES Camp for Middle School girls, Racing the Sun, and Arizona STEM Adventure.
To learn more about SARSEF programs and how students, teachers, and families can get involved, visit sarsef.org