Austin, TX – Deep in the Heart of STEM

H-E-B Free First Sunday
Deep in the Heart of STEM

Dive into the heart of Texas with Girlstart in partnership with the Bullock Museum. Explore the connections between history and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through interactive demos and hands-on activities for kids of all ages.

Engineer a propeller-powered boat as you discover the ship that changed history, La Belle, head over to the Becoming Texas exhibit to experiment with accuracy and consistency as you design a slingshot, and get a hands-on experience with mining in our chocolate chip cookie mining activity.

Check out the Bullock’s Texas from Above exhibit to experience the motion of a Redbird flight simulator (8 years old and older) and create a soaring glider as you explore flight.

Sunday, February 3rd
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Bullock Texas State History Museum
1800 Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701

Enjoy FREE exhibition admission all day during Free First Sundays, held the first Sunday of every month. Families can explore the Story of Texas through three floors of exhibitions that showcase artifacts from around the state.

, , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted on

Thank You DeSTEMber Extravaganza Volunteers

Girlstart kicked off the month of DeSTEMber with our DeSTEMber Extravaganza on Saturday, December 1st in four locations throughout the country: Austin, TX, Boston, MA, Houston, TX, and Sunnyvale, CA.

In total, Girlstart provided free, frosty hands-on STEM fun to over 1300 participants nationally, and close to 100 volunteers led hands-on activities including foam rockets, scribble bots, instant snow, virtual reality, snowflake design, LED holiday decorations, and more. We are so thankful to have such amazing volunteers in all of these locations who took time to engage and inspire kids and their families in STEM.

To see pictures from all of the events CLICK HERE.

, , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted on

Hands-On Wednesday: Surface Tension Bath Toy

To celebrate the return of DeSTEMber next month, we are revisiting our favorite activities from 2017! Click here to explore our Surface Tension Bath Toy activity.

Have you ever seen bugs that can walk on water? Learn how surface tension allows bugs to walk on water and create your own toy raft that will not sink and can be propelled through the water.

, , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted on

A STEMester of Growth

Twenty fourth-grade girls bent over their projects as the clock inched toward 4:30. They straightened their balloon cars, scribbled in the last couple of words on their dual-language posters and prepared their speeches. The first parents began to wander into the room and the girls took a deep breath. It was almost showtime.

As they waited for their girls to put finishing touches on their projects, parents began to reflect on how Girlstart had shaped their girls.

“My daughter is very energetic and much more hands on now,” said Virginia, a Girlstart parent at Tom Green Elementary. “She’s always asking how things are made and suggesting ideas.”

Across the room, her daughter tested the endurance of her balloon powered car. Virginia smiled.

“It’s just non-stop ideas,” Virginia continued. “She finds different ways to solve problems now. She’s thinking out of the box, instead of just on a simple path.”

Antoinette, another Girlstart parent, said her daughter lights up when she explains each week’s project.

“She’s always been creative so when she tries new ideas and makes them work, it builds her confidence,” Antoinette said. “She has a lot of fun.”

Cars zoomed across the floor, paper rockets soared into the air and birthday cards lit up with the touch of a button in preparation for the showcase.

These are the kinds of projects that girls like Trinity, a Girlstart participant, said made her excited to go to school this year.

“It’s like night and day, their personalities in my classroom and in girlstart,” said Wendy Carrillo, a Girlstart leader at Wooten Elementary. “Girlstart makes the girls so enthusiastic and outgoing.”

The girls’ enthusiasm flooded the room when 4:30 struck. They took their places as the parents got ready to learn about science.

Each group stood in front of the wall of focused, beaming parents and presented their projects. They confidently shared their knowledge of STEM careers and science.

Afterward, the parents applauded and embraced their girls. For a moment, a hint of sadness and finality invaded the room. The STEM crew promptly came to the rescue.

They reminded the girls that even though Girlstart after school had ended for the year, the girls still had deSTEMber to look forward to. And that was definitely something to get excited about.

, , , , , , , , , , ,