Lincoln-Way East Hosts STEM Night

FRANKFORT, IL — 100 young scientists walked through the halls and visited the science lab rooms for the Lincoln-Way East Science Department’s annual Griffins Growing STEM event Feb. 4. The school said East science teachers and students volunteer their evening to teach students in kindergarten through fourth grade about different science topics.

The program began after young scientists were introduced to their Griffin science buddy at registration. April Richter, Jill Enguita and Kendra Will paired the young scientists with
their student volunteers, the school said.

Parents were ushered into the Griffins Lair where they heard talks from the Exemplary Student Research Program led by Jami Voliva and the Robotics Team led by Dan Moore. After the talks parents participated in a Q&A with each of the groups.

Students were taught several topics at the STEM night, including: plants taught
by Julie Widinski, Camille Gonzalez-Jensen and Ross Widiniski; density taught by Carlie
Premo, Beth Swaney and Shane Tucker; crystal and minerals taught by Maria Wilson, Liz Janik,
Katarina Kaplarevic and Nicole Cashen; electrostatics taught by Mike Murphy and Wes Cooley;
and fingerprint analysis taught by Ryan Lodes and Dawn McAvoy.

“I am always impressed with the schema of our young scientists, as well as the love of science
seen by my colleagues and our current Griffins," Maria Wilson, Lincoln-Way East science
department chair, said in a release.