Second-grade students at Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School recently took part in a STEM project under the guidance of Ms. Ashley Kilanowski. The project involved real-world engineering processes, where students, with help from their parents, envisioned and created their ideal school building.
The young participants employed the six-step engineering design process: ask, imagine, plan, create, experiment, and improve. This approach helped them achieve their goal of designing a school building. Together with their parents, they used creativity to develop a floor plan for an ideal school and successfully constructed a model using paper, tape, and drinking straws.
Dr. Heather Murillo, principal of Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School, commented on the initiative: “Through this collaborative project, students learned to brainstorm, problem-solve, and cooperate with their peers, fostering critical thinking and teamwork.” She also noted that parent involvement enriched the experience by allowing them to observe their child's creativity and learning firsthand.