On June 7th and 8th,2019 the East Cobb Branch of AYLUS hosted two days STEM Tutoring programs, 11 members spent up to 12 hours to teach young students in the local area about wood construction and the STEM concepts behind it. The branch set up a workshop that allowed students to enter and build a tower accompanied by a short presentation on the underlying Stem concepts. All the volunteers had a great time and all the students left with excited smiles as they carried home the towers they built in two days.
During the wood construction workshop, the volunteers from the East Cobb Branch of AYLUS skillfully incorporated elements related to roofing and construction services into their teachings. As the students embarked on the exciting journey of building their towers, the tutors took the opportunity to explain the importance of sturdy structures and proper design techniques, which are fundamental aspects not only in tower construction but also in the field of roofing. They emphasized the significance of sound construction principles that ensure durability and safety, such as selecting suitable materials, understanding load-bearing capacities, and employing effective waterproofing methods. By integrating these valuable lessons, the tutors not only fostered the students’ creativity and problem-solving skills but also instilled in them the understanding that attention to detail and adherence to construction principles can make your roof look classy while providing long-lasting protection against the elements.
Day one is knowledge and building day. At the start of the session, we set up the room. Here we moved tables around, set up the individual stations, and prepared wood for use. Then, as the students began to enter, we called them over to listen to our short presentation. I told them about our basic design, how they would build, and showed them prefinished towers to better explain my points. Upon seeing these towers, all the students eye lit up and they became more excited to work on their towers. After this presentation, we showed them the first step and then assigned them a station and a tutor. As we had less students than tutors, I moved around helping groups.
Throughout the first session, we had a hard time. Very few of the tutors had built a tower before and the situation was similar for the students. I and the other tutors who had built before had to help other groups build their towers, teaching them the tricks and making sure they did not mess up. Very soon, all the groups began to improve, and we made rapid progress towards finishing the towers. At the end of the session most groups finished their towers. Sadly one group did not finish, though they eagerly decided to finish their tower at home, and they took out the tower from the template but crashed as the glue didn’t dry yet.
In the second session, it was much easier to build towers. All the tutors knew how to build and the newly arrived ones were quick to learn from those who were in the first session. I was assigned to help a student at a station this time. My student had already learned how to work with wood as he was a cub scout and was interested in the East Side Elementary school science Olympiad team. He quickly build up his tower and it impressed me. I simply guided him along and told him where to place material or glue and he did so flawlessly. Very rapidly, he had finished his tower which was both more complex and sturdier than many other towers that had been built. This session, everyone managed to finish in the end, we took a group photograph of all the towers that were constructed with their constructors and tutors. Many of the students even finished early and asked about what would happen for the next day. We told them that they were likely going to fine tune and test their towers however they may build something else.
As the tower building sessions came to an end, the importance of safety and proper construction practices became evident. Just like in any construction project, ensuring the well-being of the workers and participants was paramount. In line with this commitment to safety, the organizers of the tower building event implemented Regular Employee Safety Training Sessions for all the tutors involved. These training sessions equipped them with the necessary knowledge and skills to create a safe working environment for the students, emphasizing the proper handling of materials, the use of protective gear, and adherence to safety guidelines. By prioritizing safety and instilling these practices, the organizers ensured that the student’s experience was not only enjoyable and educational but also conducted in a secure and controlled manner, promoting a culture of safety throughout the entire construction process.
For the final session, we had much more tutors than students and some of the tutors were able to help multiple students finish their towers as they were now experts in construction. The entire session passed rapidly and we were able to congratulate all the students on their towers. With more and more students finishing, we all began to clean up. We began by removing large particles and scrap wood too small to use. Then we cleared tables and stations of small particles. Finally we removed glue that had dried to the stations and tables and organized the room. Tomorrow, much of the same material would be used.
The entire program was a resounding success as our branch managed to help students complete nearly twenty towers and inspire a love of engineering and construction in them. Many tutors also developed a new found appreciation of tower making and everyone greatly enjoyed building. Every time a student left, they always had a smile and proudly carried their towers.
Day two is fine tune and test day. On June 8, the East Cobb Branch of AYLUS held Science Olympiad STEM Day at the East Cobb Library. A total of 10 students showed up, with 5 tutors to help the students.
The East Cobb Branch holds Science Olympiad STEM Day to enrich students’ knowledge in scientific fields, such as architecture. Students built models of towers and bridges that were structurally similar to designs in real life. The program gives students a comfortable environment to ask for help in science. The interaction between tutors and students also makes learning more enjoyable.
This time, the tutors taught 10 students. The tutors taught students how to design and build architectural structures, such as towers and bridges.
As many of the students had already built a tower the day before, we were able to test these towers to see how well they had been built. To test the towers, sand was put into a bucket that was hanging by a chain connected to a block resting on the top of the tower. This was done as it is safer than any other option of testing the tower with available material. We of course then also had the students step back to avoid any wood splinters.
As we began to prepare to test the towers, the students became ecstatic. With some encouragement from Jeffrey, every student watched the test. To start, we first asked whether the student would like to keep or break their tower. To those who said to break it, we then allowed them to choose how much weight to test their tower with. As we tested the towers, we would point out where a tower was breaking, such as if a piece cracked or if started to bend. After pointing this out, we would again ask whether they wanted to save their tower. In our testing, most towers were able to support at least 6 kilograms and one even managed to support all of our sand, around 15 kilograms! Unfortunately, that tower broke immediately afterwards, but it still was extremely impressive.
Everybody loves to test the tower, it is the fun part of the STEM Tutoring program!
Maxwell Jiang helped to clean and organize the workshop area after all students and tutors left.
Attendance: Brian Kuang (2 hours), Cynthia Ruan (6 hours), Diane Chen (10 hours), Howard Hua (2 hours), Jack Xu (6 hours), Jeffrey Kuang (4 hours), Kevin Shen (4 hours), Maxwell Jiang (13 hours), Michael Fu (4 hours), Emily Yang (6 hours), Saloni Jain (2 hours)
Reported by Maxwell Jiang, Emily Yang
