SiE is Back at Schools!
We are thrilled back in school! Remotely, of course.
Providing hands-on science instruction during distance learning is one of the main challenges facing elementary schools these days.
At SiE, we remain true to our Science is For Everyone pillar as we continue working with schools that serve students who come from low-income families and who are underrepresented in STEM fields. Our work helps ensure equity in access and high achievement for all students.
Read more below about our programs that address this challenge: SiE Books and Virtual Learning.
Help us reach more students by forwarding this email, assembling kits for SiE books, or making a donation to support our programs.
Warmly,
Tzipor
SiE Books
How can you bring hands-on science to young kids who are not yet reading, have limited internet connectivity, and whose parents might not be around to help? Those were some of the issues we were grappling with last spring.
Our solution? SiE Books.
SiE Books are line-drawing illustrated short books that allow young students (5-7 years of age) to do hands-on science experiments on their own, and require little to no reading. Necessary materials are simple, cheap, and readily available. Children learn that we can think like scientists, and be scientists, every day with what we have around us. Through hands-on experiments and engineering challenges, kids will develop scientific reasoning skills and engage their creativity.
Each child book is accompanied by an adult guide containing science background and thought-provoking questions (and answers) so caregivers can interact with their children and help develop children’s scientific thinking skills. Many parents are wary of science, believing that they cannot talk about science with their children. The adult companion stimulates conversations and shows parents how they can encourage curiosity and support interest in science.
This summer we wrote and illustrated 12 books. In August we handed out 3,000 books+kits to very excited children and in October, will hand out 1,000 more.
We are grateful to the KLA Foundation for their generous funding for this project. Additional funding comes from the Special Relativity Foundation, the DARE Foundation, the Los Altos Community Foundation, the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, and many individual donors.
In addition, we’re grateful to the army of volunteers who have helped assemble the kits: The Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto, employees of KLA, teens from the G’varim chapter of BBYO, and volunteers from Los Altos’ Compassion Week.
Help us bring more books to more deserving students by making a donation. Just $10 provides a book and kit to a child. Interested in the books for the children in your life? Check out our new store, where you can donate and choose a book as a gift.
Virtual Learning
At Science is Elementary our three pillars are: Science is Awesome, Science is for Everyone, and Science is Everywhere. This last pillar has never been more important, with school buildings shuttered or operating at reduced capacities.
Science is Elementary's Virtual Learning Program demonstrates to students that we can do science wherever we are and with whatever we have available to us.
Virtual Learning is grade-level specific, inquiry based, experiential, and standards-aligned. Its combination of live video meetings and hands-on activities to be done at home allows for robust discussions as well as engaging hands-on experimentation using common, readily available household materials.