The University of Florida’s American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and Engineering Ambassadors (EA) partnered with Baby Gator Child Development Center this week to inspire the next generation of Gator Engineers.
With the guidance of AIAA and EA, forty 4-to-5-year-olds enrolled at the Lake Alice campus participated in hands-on experiments –including egg drops, slime observation and model rocket launches – while learning about the physics and science behind them.
The two organizations aimed to teach the children at Baby Gators – whose parents are all faculty, staff or students at the University of Florida – the importance of STEM education.
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math. Paul Chestnut, president of AIAA and a member of EA, said the best way for young children to learn the fundamentals of STEM is through a hands-on approach where they are the scientists behind their own experiments. The teachers at Baby Gator are inspired to make this an annual event after seeing a very positive response from the children.