The summer program Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS) wrapped up its fourth year at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) June 16.
The two, week- long programs welcomed nearly 70 bright students from Yuma-area schools to engage in Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through nearly 10 different labs.
Students, alongside subject matter experts made up of scientists and test engineers at YPG took part in rocket and catapult testing, frog dissections, solar oven testing, high speed optics, water balloon ballistics, robotic building and programing, bacteria analysis and much more.
Andrea Santiago, a student heading into sixth grade heard about the program through her fifth-grade teacher. “It sounded interesting to me, so I wanted to see how it would go,” Santiago shared.
One lab challenged students to see who could get the most balls through a hoop using a catapult system for launching. Santiago said that was her favorite, “because I won the challenge.”
All the labs conducted represented a smaller, safer version of testing that is done on a much larger scale at YPG. Giving students a glimpse of what happens on the installation.
“I know now that they [YPG] do like a lot more military testing than I thought. I thought initially that it was just a military base for families,” said Asher Lachcik who took part in the program and is heading into seventh grade next year.
Asher said all the labs were fun, but his favorite was building and testing gliders. After constructing his, he was able to fly it across the designated area successfully.
“I learned that if you have the weight in front with the weight of the wings counterbalancing it, it puts it in the middle and was easier to glide it,” Lachcik shared.
However, these labs wouldn’t be possible without the workforce behind it, according to Paula Rickleff, the YPG STEM Outreach Manager and GEMS coordinator. “It is truly a team effort and it’s good to hear from them that they enjoy giving back to the kids and seeing them learn,” she said.
There are about 40-50 subject matter experts made up of engineers and scientist that work at YPG applying their expertise to our future generation.
Three resource teachers that work at Yuma-area schools were also on-board the two, one-week camps. “These are people here to assist our engineers, scientists, and students,” Rickleff said.
On-top of that near peer mentors made up of some college and high school students assisted throughout the camp in efforts to keep the students engaged with each workshop.
“This program would not be what it is without everybody,” shared Rickleff.
GEMS started in 2018 with around 60 students and in small increments over the years has now reached 70 kids with the hopes of breaking 80 next year.
“It is so rewarding to see them make friends with everyone, learning, laughing, and having fun with all the hands-on activities and cool stuff we have planned, while tying it back to STEM education and what we do here at YPG,” Rickleff said.
Unfortunately, students can’t take GEMS 1 twice, however there is a work in progress to bring on another level.
“I am trying to establish a GEMS 2 which is the next level of GEMS, more advanced and for older kids,” she said. “Just a way to give back something from YPG, to the students of the community-- and its free.”
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