Photo: Kyle Bray/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — As part of STEM Week activities in Massachusetts, students at a school in Roxbury on Wednesday were assembling a playground.
Massachusetts STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Week is an annual statewide event that encourages student interest in pursuing STEM opportunities.
This year's theme is 'STEM Starts Now' highlighting how one can learn about STEM at any age.
At the Rafael Hernandez Dual Language School, dozens of students teamed up with Girl Scouts to use materials such as plastic tubes, string, and tape to build a playground for a fictional client.
Betsy Calkin of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts said the playground project gave each kid the opportunity to work together as a team on a larger cause. "Some were really invested in the planning phase," she said. "They wanted to get their plans and materials list down and their drawings perfect."
But she said that others took a different approach. "Some were immediately 'give me materials, I want to start building!'"
Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll visited with the students and scouts.
She noted the importance of getting kids interested in STEM at a young age. "They don't even think of it as STEM, they think this is using their hands to build and design a playground. I think that's the best part about it. Understanding how these skills they are developing really connects to what a work force might look like going forward."
WBZ NewsRadio's Kyle Bray (@KyleBrayWBZ) reports.