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MEMS kicks of fourth annual STEMposium with Birds of Prey

  • Published
  • By By Airman 1st Class Alexa Culbert
  • 42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  Maxwell Elementary and Middle School students kicked off the fourth annual STEMposium with a visit from the Alabama 4-H Science School's Birds of Prey demonstration April 8, 2016, at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

The STEMposium is a week-long event that teaches science, technology, engineering and math through project-based learning. The student's began the week by learning about birds in their environment in a face-to-face learning experience.

The overall mission of the Alabama 4-H Science School is to educate others about the environment and promote a sense of respect and understanding for the animals who inhabitant it. Within the Alabama 4-H Science School is the Birds of Prey Program.

The goal of the program is to teach kids conservation and to not be afraid of birds, but to respect them and learn how to better protect them from human error.

"We want them to understand that all these animals have a mission and a reason to be here, and we need to respect them in their habitat and their environment," said Amy Walker, Alabama 4-H Science School outreach and logistics coordinator.

During the birds of prey demonstration, students received an up close and personal encounter with four different species of birds of prey, which is defined as a bird with predatory carnivore characteristics, such as long talons and a sharp beak. 

The students were introduced to a red tail hawk, great horn owl, broad wing hawk, American kestrel and an eastern screech owl.

"Teaching kids about birds of prey is important for conservation efforts as a whole. When you spark that interest in kids and they are able to meet these top predators, sometimes you can strike that interest and appreciation for how beautiful they are," said Rachel Dedman, Alabama 4-H Science School environmental educational instructor.

Alejandra Palacio, Alabama 4-H Science School environmental educational instructor, went on to explain that we are at a point in Earth's age that we need to begin making efforts to conserve our environment and striking interest in children of young ages is the key to saving nature and ensuring that these animals will still be here when they grow up and the food chain will remain intact.

"It is the kids who are making the difference in the environment now and they are the ones who will be keeping up with the earth," said Walker.

Palacio also added that she hopes to see an increase in female biologists come from educating a younger crowd about the environment through birds of prey.

The STEMposium has a similar goal, which is to expose kids to uncommon careers within science, technology, engineering and math.

The STEMposium gives students the opportunity to step into the role of an engineer, biologist, environmentalist and a mathematician to find solutions to real-world issues and present their ideas to their teachers, parents and peers.

Each grade is assigned a project that is appropriate for their age level while still focusing on the STEM subjects. The projects are as simple as constructing durable ramps and houses to as complex as solving real-life issues such as designing a temporary play-ground for the Maxwell Elementary and Middle School campus.

"When we focus on STEM we get into those 21st century skills and we ensure that our kids are able to encompass the four C's needed to work in today's careers , communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creative problem solving ," said Becky Hill, Maxwell Elementary and Middle School STEM coordinator.

To expose the students to another facet of the science field, the elementary and middle school has invited the Auburn Astronomical Society to participate in a Stargazing event April 11, 2016, from 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.