Wrapping Up Fun Fridays This Trimester!

The past four Fun Fridays have literally been BLASTS from our students’ homes with bubbling science experiments run by bona fide scientists!

For two weeks in a row, the Scripps Women in Science (WiS) group led our 3^rd-5^th graders and then our middle schoolers in a series of science experiments. The lava lamps were big hits with both groups as beakers fizzed, foamed, and frothed away in a slurry of color! The students explored other experiments on key scientific concepts such as pH and DNA! A special shout out to Madeleine and Milli for rallying their colleagues and putting together the incredibly detailed experiment kits!

Then, our long-time tutors, marine biologists, and loving couple, Anke and Eric, led another Fun Friday for our 3^rd-5^th graders. They donned wigs and large glasses to channel their inner “mad” scientists and guided our students through 5 experiments and activities–water density, Skittles art, marshmallow heart rate, and more!

And most recently, our amazing elementary Zoom tutor, Amy, discussed the differences between liquid and solids again for our 3^rd-5^th grade students. She led them in making “goop”—a curious substance that rests between the liquid and solid state! This was the first Fun Friday for one particular student, and he had a BLAST. We could see him reaching out to his parents for help, asking Amy excellent questions through Zoom, and laughing as his goop came together.

Our students look forward to Fun Fridays. While COVID has been an indescribable hit to our students’ academic and emotional well-being, Fun Fridays have provided a special time of the week in which our students can engage in a fun and relaxing activity that is delivered straight to their door and planned just for them.

A HUGE thank you to the Scripps Women in Science, Anke, Eric, and Amy for planning and leading these activities. And another HUGE thank you to our supporters for financing this incredibly successful work.

We already have a schedule of Fun Fridays lined up for the upcoming Spring Trimester! Stay tuned for future updates!