Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

K-12 STEM Outreach

Each academic semester, the undergraduate research cohorts apply for the Purdue University Office of Engagement, Service Learning Grant.

In keeping with LSAMP’s goal of broadening the participation of students (k-12, post secondary and graduate) in STEM disciplines, the cohort provided a learning opportunity for a total of 100 filth and sixth grade students from Daniel H. Williams Elementary School located in Gary, Indiana.

Through a series on hands-on activities, the Purdue students helped the participants understand the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, showed that higher education is within their reach, and illustrated how STEM fields are fun and exciting areas to explore. 

The elementary students toured a wind farm, built a terrarium to learn how plants use photosynthesis to make energy, and constructed a bridge with toothpicks and gumdrops to learn how bridges may be classified by how tension, compression, bending, and torsion are distributed through their structure.