BREMERTON — On the USS Turner Joy, learning about science, technology, engineering and math isn’t just memorizing formulas off a whiteboard — it’s a practical lesson in how the subjects impact the Navy in real life.

“Every single project we do is hands on,” said John Hanson, president of the Bremerton Historical Ships Association, “which is the newest version of STEM. They want hands-on so kids can learn faster and less traditional than a whiteboard or a classroom.”

In the last couple months, Hanson and other members of the BHSA have teamed up to hold STEM classes for kids, as well as practical demonstrations at festivals like Washington State Science and Engineering Fair or the Military Children’s Fair and Exhibition, or the upcoming Blackberry festival.

It all started when Jack James, former director of the USS Turner Joy museum, visited the Naval Academy last year. Hanson said James came back from the trip with an idea to follow in the footsteps of other Navy museum ships and hold STEM classes. Hanson said they didn’t have the resources at the time, so the idea was tabled until it was brought to them again from the Naval Historical Foundation.

Thanks to grant funding and assistance from the NHF, Hanson and Frank Portello, current director of the USS Turner Joy, have been to workshops and showcases to learn how to teach the STEM classes and host booths at festivals to demonstrate the lessons.

So in June 2016, the first STEM class aboard the USS Turner Joy was conducted.

Corey Sanderson, at left, and Timothy Vardidze demonstrate Newtonian physics using a dual pump at an impromptu STEM demonstration aboard the USS Turner Joy, presented by Bremerton Historical Ships Association President John Hanson Aug. 22. Photo by Michelle Beahm

The classes include practical demonstrations of Newtonian physics, thermodynamics, electric erosion and more.

“If you’ve got a STEM class that’s at a traditional school, they’re focusing on science and technology from a generic standpoint,” Hanson said. “We’re focusing on the Navy. Corrosion is the number-one problem facing the United States Navy; let’s teach you a little something about it.”

Each class is about two hours long, and includes an hour of time in a classroom with practical lessons, and an hour touring the USS Turner Joy to see first-hand the results of the lessons.

On Tuesday, Aug. 22, Hanson staged an impromptu demonstration for a group of children visiting the USS Turner Joy.

After it was over, Hanson said, “All of those kids said, ‘I want to come do this class.’ Not many kids say ‘I want to come to class.’ This is very exciting stuff.”

The classes were originally planned to be for grades seven through nine, but a misunderstanding resulted in a group of students in grades three through six attending. Hanson said after taking “the complex math out of it, it worked great.” Now, the goal is to include students in fourth grade and up.

The response from teachers and parents has been positive, too, Hanson said.

Corey Sanderson, at right, Liam Sanderson, center, and Timothy Vardidze, at left watch a STEM demonstration performed by John Hanson on board the USS Turner Joy Aug. 22. Photo by Michelle Beahm

“They were very excited. They felt (the classes) were age- and grade-level appropriate,” he said. “They thought the kids learned a lot in a short amount of time, and they’ve expressed interest in coming back.”

The USS Turner Joy will also host a STEM café, for teachers and educators specializing in STEM. Hanson will be a guest speaker at this year’s STEM café.

The STEM classes are held on an as-asked-for basis, Hanson said. Interested teachers and schools should get in touch with the USS Turner Joy to set something up. The BHSA can even help with some transportation costs, if necessary.

“We can’t always foot the whole bill,” Hanson said, “but we certainly can help. We want the kids to come.”

For a taste of the STEM class, attend the Blackberry Festival, which runs Sept. 3-6 in downtown Bremerton

“For us, it’s a great way to reach out to the community,” Hanson said. “We consider ourselves a community resource platform now. We have weddings, reunions, STEM café … we have a lot of activities. This is a way we can do even more.”