New Trier Club Members Encourage Curiosity In Younger Students

WINNETKA, IL — New Trier High School Students in the Society of Women in Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Technology and Science are aiming to inspire the next generation of students. Known by the acronym SWEETS, the club is designed to encourage girls to discuss and become involved in science, technology, engineering and math. Club members took part in a pair of events over the past two months with elementary school-aged students, according to the school.

“In science class at school, learning can be very directed. The teachers give you a lab with a question to answer and you answer it,” said NTHS junior Talia Schacht. “At SWEETS club, we get to ask our own questions and try different things to find the answer. I love that curiosity is encouraged because that's the best way to foster a love of learning.”

Young women in the club participated in the Nov. 17 "Science Saturday" event at Dawes Elementary School in Evanston/Skokie District 65. They organized fun, hands-on science demonstrations to engage students between kindergarten and fifth grade. The event started several years ago when a faculty member at the high school launched the event while her own children were attending the school, according to New Trier High School District 203.

Bridget Boyle, a junior at New Trier, helped plan the 2018 event at the Evanston school, which featured two sessions of activities, including a demonstration of "elephant toothpaste" (a foamy substance that demonstrates the exothermic reaction of hydrogen peroxide rapidly decomposing with yeast as a catalyst,) making a bag of "oobleck" (a substance that can be poured like a liquid but forms a solid when force is applied to it) and experiments with dry ice (carbon dioxide in solid form)

“I really liked seeing how much joy we brought to the kids when we showed them everything,” Boyle said. “You could see the interest spark in their eyes, and it’s really sweet to know that you’re actually making an impact.”

Science teacher and SWEETS faculty sponsor Bill Loris said parents of the Dawes students attending the event were also engaged in the "Science Saturday" event, asking many follow-up questions of the Trevian presenters.

“Being all girls, our students also act as excellent role models for the younger girls in the audience,” Loris said. "To be honest, I'm not sure who enjoyed the event more, the Dawes students or the SWEETS club members.”

Elementary school girls were inspired by SWEETS club members again on Dec. 10, as the high school students assisted a Girl Scout troop from Kenilworth School District 38's Sears School in earning their "Balloon Car" badges.

The scouts built small cardboard vehicles powered by balloons via attached straws. At two other activity stations, girls built tracks for marbles using kits and competed to see who could build the tallest tower out of marshmallows and spaghetti.

“I absolutely adored working with the younger girls and seeing how excited they were about engineering. Their love of learning is so inspiring,” Schacht said. “Each one of their successes, whether that was building a really tall structure or having a balloon car run really far, felt like a success for me too. I couldn’t stop smiling. It was amazing to feel like we were inspiring the next generation of strong girls interested in STEM, like us.”

Both New Trier juniors said they are considering a career in a STEM-related field, according to the district, but at the moment they are planning to hold more discussions and events with younger students through the winter and spring.

Science faculty co-sponsor Josie Elbert said she had increasingly more hope of increased diversity in STEM fields.

“With young women like our SWEETS club engaging, advocating, discussing and doing the work, we will all have a stronger future,” Elbert said.