“We are extremely fortunate to have the Science is Elementary In-Class program at our site! Students LOVE the hands-on experiments, and the thinking and writing skills built into each lesson help build curiosity and connect to other areas of learning.”

“During a lesson about properties of items that float and sink, my students got to implement their knowledge of materials that float and sink to create a submarine. The submarine needed to float and sink. My students were able to design a submarine using metal nuts, corks, rubber bands, marbles, styrofoam, and paperclips. This was engaging and fun for everyone as my students were surprised when submarines sunk and floated before their eyes.”

“Through carefully curated experiments at each grade level, SiE has managed to reinforce physics concepts in a way that I haven't seen anywhere else. I am amazed to see that in 3rd grade, kids are able to describe terms like force in a scientifically accurate way that many adults might struggle with. SiE staff and the lesson plans are phenomenal.”

“Thank you for teaching me science. I felt like a scientist! I took those facts and explained them to my parents“

“Science is Elementary makes me jump out of bed and yell ‘Science!’”

“What surprised me the most about SiE is that all the classes were fun. Most of the time, I don’t understand science. With SiE, I always got it by the end thanks to the experiments we did in class.”

“This SiE event was by far one of the best enrichment programs I’ve taken my daughter to in a long time. My daughter learned a great deal about basic physics concepts in an engaging, fun, and creative way.”

“Students come away from SiE lessons knowing new things [and] a slew of new inquiry. ‘What if we had done this?’ ‘Would it still work if we...?’ ‘But what about...?’. They love SiE. Very few lessons generate that level of enthusiasm in my class and I thank you for it.”

“Once when I was in a third-grade classroom, one of the girls that I was working with told me that she wanted to become a science teacher because she loved doing the science experiments.”

“Through carefully curated experiments at each grade level, SIE has managed to reinforce physics concepts in a way that I haven't seen anywhere else. I am amazed to see that in 3rd grade, kids are able to describe terms like Force in a scientifically accurate way that many adults might struggle with. SIE staff and the lesson plans are phenomenal.”

“The class was studying buoyancy. They had to predict whether items would sink or float. The items were things like screws, marbles, rubber corks, popsicle sticks, and balls of clay. One student asked whether the clay would float if shaped like a boat. We tried making a hollowed-out hull, but water came in through a crack, so it sank. I explained to my group that he was on the right track, and since they’d seen metal ships I think they believed me.”

“I wanted to volunteer with SiE because I believe in their mission to make science more accessible to students of all backgrounds. For the past year and a half, volunteering with SiE has been the highlight of each month because I have so much fun doing science experiments with enthusiastic, curious, and motivated students. It has been a great opportunity for me to stay involved with my community while contributing to a cause I believe in.”

“I absolutely adore SIE. The structure of the lessons is perfect for engaging students. A question is posed. Academic vocabulary is supported. The students get to run experiments to test [their] ideas. Finally, they are supported in analyzing the data they gathered by focusing on the new academic vocabulary again.

Also, the kids love it. I never remember to remind them when you are coming. When they see SIE on the schedule in the morning, or they notice them gathering in the library, there is always a rush of excitement. Very few lessons generate that level of enthusiasm in my class and I thank you for it.”

“[There] was a 4th grader who did his best to be disruptive during a lesson. At some point, after I made a statement, he said loudly ‘I don’t believe you!’ I walked to him and said, ‘Give me five. Real scientists don’t just believe what they are told. That’s why we are going to do an experiment and see if what I said is true.’ The boy was shocked - this was not his intention… but he enjoyed getting the unexpected compliment and became very cooperative from then on.”

“Working with young children in an elementary school classroom will broaden your perspectives. While challenging at times, it can also be fun and exhilarating, like when a child excitedly plays a kazoo just assembled out of tongue depressor sticks, rubber bands, paper, and tape - the resulting kazoo cacophony demonstrates scientific principles of how vibrations produce sound.

By volunteering with SiE, you not only provide science education to the next generation, you also develop valuable skills. In the process of bettering yourself, you might just make a profound difference in a child's life, and pave the way for a better future.”

“It struck me that some of you would do well to join me in the volunteer program, I've been working for since 2012, to bring science to kids in underserved K-5 public elementary school classrooms. In a given school they connect with the teacher of a given class, and arrange a 1-1.5 hour ‘science class’ per month. The science class team of usually 4 people, consists of a leader/presenter and 3 volunteers. The volunteer time commitment is about 2 hours per month.”

“One of the most amazing things that I have come to enjoy about SiE is watching students interact with each other. This has been the highlight of my experience when students are using academic language to collaborate. In this process, it is evident that they are also learning important communication and life skills that would prepare them for higher education and future careers.”