Elephant toothpaste is not usually on the menu at outside school hours care. At St Kilian's Primary School in Bendigo, it is the reason children are racing to get to YMCA after-school care on Mondays.
Coordinator and educator Felicia Lacey says the room feels different on STEM days.
I’ve found that with the STEM they’re just so excited to come in and sit down and see what we’re doing,” she said. “It’s the enthusiasm, the laughter, the smiles, how they’re so involved in the program. You can really tell it makes a difference.
STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) sessions are being rolled out on a term basis across a number of YMCA OSHC services in Victoria. At St Kilian’s, STEM now anchors Monday afternoons and Felicia often carries activities into Friday because children ask to repeat their favourite experiments. Enrolments on STEM days have grown as word has spread through the playground and the school newsletter.
Felicia sets up a large table before the session starts so the activity is the first thing children see when they arrive. So far they have tried elephant toothpaste bubbling out of bottles, solar-powered cars, lemon clocks, lava lamps and slime.
Charlotte, a Prep student, watched her lava lamp come to life and said: “Look at the bubbles and colours mixing and rising together.” Cassidy is “very involved in the experiments” and declared: “The slime is my favourite so far, it stretches so high and looks like elastic.” Matilda said, “I can’t wait to take this home and show Dad when we finish making the lemon clock.”
Older children are stepping into leadership roles, particularly girls.
“Here at St Kilian's the older children are really good with the younger ones,” Felicia said. “Paige is one of our leaders… the older children are wanting to show the younger ones as well, which is really nice.” Lenore, another leader, sums it up: “Science is my favourite subject, wish we could do this more often, we learn so much and it’s interesting as well!”
Operations manager Matthew Slaughter says that kind of response shows the potential of STEM in OSHC.
“STEM is a really good opportunity,” he said. “Not many kids get that exposure at home… STEM is certainly an element that isn’t being utilised at home. So it’s a real key focus for us.”
For Felicia, it has also rekindled a personal passion.
“I’ve always loved science and technology as well, I just love learning,” she said. “To be able to do that with the children for me has been so rewarding. I just love to see the kids happy and learning and doing what they enjoy, and it brings joy to me.”
