A West Hills STEM Academy teacher finished as one of five state finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest last week.
The nationwide contest aims to increase interest in science, technology, engineering and math by challenging teachers to take topics into the community.
Karen Lippy applied for the contest in hopes of student incorporating their work with the community and outdoors.
“I think this is why I got Samsung’s attention in the first place, is the idea that this is for the community,” Lippy said. “The more we improve this local community the better it is for the kids and everybody here.”
Her idea was to put an informational kiosk at the trailhead of the Outdoor Learning Center (OLC) on the back end of the West Hills property.
Although she didn’t win, Lippy plans to follow through with the kiosk. She hopes to break ground in March.
“I wanted to do a project with the kids that got them outdoors and incorporated STEM into all of their other learning areas, Lippy said.
She said she believes these types of projects creates valuable learning opportunities for kids and gets them interested in the outdoors.
“She actively seeks out partnership and opportunities to make what students are learning here at West Hills is real and authentic,” said Lisa Heaman, West Hills principal.
Development of the kiosk is divided into three phases. The first is collecting funds.
“The big thing next is to get enough money together and materials,” Lippy said. “And that’s gonna be a combination probably of getting some cash through community donations — everything’s pretty much has to be crowdsourced now.”
Eighth grade English language arts students began writing $500 grants last week.
Later, a small team of students determine the best place for the kiosk and then eighth grade math students will get price quotes from hardware stores.
In phase two, students will assist volunteers in building the kiosk. And in phase three, graphic design students will develop title and format materials for the kiosk and then sixth, seventh and eighth grader scientific illustration students will create artwork.
“The great thing about this project is not only are the students learning, they’re giving back,” Heaman said.
In placing top-five, Lippy won two Samsung Galaxy Tabs and a professional development course from PBS TeacherLine.
She said her students will use the tablets to take pictures and videos.
The kiosk is just the next step in a recent effort to revitalize the OLC. Not long ago, the wooded area was littered with trash and home to transients.
Today, the homeless have moved on and there’s a good chance any trash might actually be student’s project.
Some classes have students place empty plastic bottles in the OLC and study it as it becomes incorporated with the environment. Occasionally, passersby will mistake the bottles for trash and throw them away.
“The students were actually angered since they went out there pretty often,” Heaman said.
Anyone who would like to volunteer with the project is encouraged to call West Hills STEM Academy at 360-473-4600.
