Are you smarter than a Fifth Grader? K.A.S.T Club provides an outlet for kids
October 14, 2016
Can young children be scientists too? Can they do the things high school students and adults do? Students looking for a fun, innovative club to join should consider joining the K.A.S.T. Club, which stands for “Kids Are Scientists Too.”
The club has partnered with a local elementary school which allows club members to go to the school and work with kids by teaching them the basics of science.
“This year we secured a sponsorship from Oak Hill Elementary,” Desai said. “[Club members will] rotate [between] someone who is going to [lead] the class, so three or four people help teach the class and then there’s helpers who [assist] with the experiments and answer questions.”
As the name of the club suggests, the group uses its sponsorship with schools to take initiative in spreading enthusiasm for science.
The group embodies the motto that although students are young, they can be scientists too and can do anything that adults and teenagers can. K.A.S.T. Club also carries the message that anyone can strive for higher education, no matter how young they may be.
“We give science lessons to kids grades one through five,” senior and club secretary Chiara Ballam said. “We do mini-labs that are easy for the kids to do.”
Members can stay involved and active in the club because there is always something to be done.
“We teach them [easy] science topics, [such as] different bases like solids, liquids and gases,” Desai said. “We do experiments on [the topics] to get the kids involved in science and enjoy it.”
Desai believes that having high school students as the mentors makes the club even more inviting to the elementary school students.
“I think [the club] will help them get a better perspective on science and help them see it as a more fun activity rather than just another school lesson,” senior Bianca Kwan said. “[I look forward to] getting to know and working with the kids.”
The organization will not only be beneficial to elementary school students, but will benefit the club members as well. When a member joins the club, he or she gets to become a role model for a younger student. They also get to build relationships with children and improve their social interactions with other peers.
“It will definitely teach me to be patient, because I’m really impatient with kids sometimes,” Kwan said.
One can also earn service hours by going to K.A.S.T. Club meetings, which occur on a selected Friday of every month this school year.
“It’s a really good club [to put on your applications] for colleges,” Ballam said. “And you also get to interact with little kids and learn something too while you’re teaching them.”
All students are encouraged to join K.A.S.T. and take part in shaping kids’ futures. The first meeting will take place on Friday, Oct. 14 at Oak Hill Elementary from 3:40 to 4:40 p.m.
“[People should join because] it’s really rewarding to teach kids about science topics,” Desai said. “They really enjoy it, so it’s a good program.”