4-H STEAM Team!

Logo: The Delaware 4-H STEAM Team!
Program Organizer Twila Parish-Short with Family

About the organizer



Hi, I’m Twila, UD Cooperative Extension’s newest STEM/STEAM Educator! I am here to offer my experiences, knowledge, and passion for working with youth!

My areas of focus:

  • 4-H leader support in STEAM education
  • Program development and coordination
  • STEAM Team organization
  • Curriculum development
  • Jr. Duck Stamp Competition Coordinator
  • Provide lessons, activities, and curriculum support for Delaware teachers, leaders, afterschool programs and 4-H communities.
  • Teach youth leadership skills and STEAM-themed topics.

 

 

Contact me for additional resources!
 

Twila Parish-Short, MEd.
4-H Youth Development Agent (Science)
UD Cooperative Extension
twila@udel.edu
302-730-4000

Collage of 3 photos with diverse youth doing 4-H activities
Collage of 4 photos with diverse youth doing 4-H activities
Program Organizer Twila Parish-Short assisting in STEAM Activity

Why the STEAM TEAM?

 

Joining the STEAM Team means you are a youth interested in becoming a STEAM Ambassador—learning STEAM-themed lessons to take back to your youth group, school or community. You, the “STEAM Ambassador,” will lead by teaching a STEAM-based lesson/activity to others!

Twila is your point of contact. She will guide you through becoming a STEAM Ambassador. Get you set up with lesson topics and materials and guide you through the process of taking on the role of a leader in STEAM education. 

STEAM Ambassadors will meet on Zoom with Twila,  learn a STEAM topic and bring it back to their youth groups, schools and communities.

Become a STEAM Ambassador
 

Joining the STEAM Team means you are a youth interested in becoming a STEAM Ambassador—learning STEAM-themed lessons to take back to your youth group, school or community. You, the “STEAM Ambassador,” will lead by teaching a STEAM-based lesson/activity to others!

Twila is your point of contact. She will guide you through becoming a STEAM Ambassador. Get you set up with lesson topics and materials and guide you through the process of taking on the role of a leader in STEAM education. 

STEAM Ambassadors will meet on Zoom with Twila,  learn a STEAM topic and bring it back to their youth groups, schools and communities!

 

Everyone is welcome! You do not need to be a 4-H member to join the STEAM Team!

Become a STEAM Team Adult Leader

 

Parents, grandparents, college students, high school seniors — We need you!

This STEAM Team is developed to get our Delaware youth thinking innovatively, we need youth to use their talents, and develop their intelligence working collaboratively. Are you someone who is interested in positively impacting our youth and community?

Volunteers are crucial to this program. You do not need a background in STEAM to be part of this experience. On the STEAM TEAM, youth drive their learning while volunteers offer support and guidance. If you are interested please fill in the Form linked below and we will be in touch with you shortly!

Volunteers are still needed for the same reason: Adults wanting to interact with youth and share their love for STEAM education. Volunteers will attend the same STEAM Team Ambassadors Zoom and learn a STEAM topic to take back and teach to their schools and communities.

May 2024 Update: The STEAM Team is looking for a volunteer in each county that would be interested in programming for youth four times a year.  Spring, summer, fall and winter. This individual needs to have passion and interest in teaching youth about Science!  The STEAM team director will provide lessons and activities if the volunteer person needs support in that area.  

Help Wanted -Adult or older Teen "Pollinator Ambassador"

This individual will collaborate closely with the STEAM Team director. The role will be compensated at minimum wage, with payment for time invested during programming. Responsibilities include programming and marketing initiatives aimed at schools, libraries, outreach programs, and after-school activities. The Pollinator Ambassador will have the flexibility to develop their own pollinator lessons or utilize the existing pollinator unit created by the STEAM Team director. This position offers a flexible schedule with no long-term commitment required.

Email: twila@udel.edu

 

Monthly Science Activity

Monthly CLOVERBUD Activity

Hello 4-H Leaders! 

Here are some fun and engaging warm-up STEM activities that are perfect for your next 4-H club meeting. 

  1. Build a Paper Bridge
    Materials: Paper, tape, and small weights (like coins or small blocks).
    Task: Challenge students to create a bridge using just paper and tape that can hold the most weight. This introduces basic concepts of engineering and structural design.

  2. Balloon Rocket
    Materials: Balloon, string, straw, tape, and a piece of string.
    Task: Set up a string between two objects and tape a balloon to a straw. As the balloon inflates and releases air, the straw will race along the string. This is a fun way to demonstrate basic principles of physics like air pressure and motion.

  3. Color Mixing with Science
    Materials: Clear cups, food coloring, water, and droppers.
    Task: Give students primary-colored water and challenge them to mix different colors to create secondary colors. This introduces them to the concept of color theory and basic chemical reactions.

  4. Marshmallow Towers
    Materials: Marshmallows and spaghetti noodles.
    Task: In teams, students build the tallest free-standing tower possible using just marshmallows and spaghetti noodles. This helps students understand the basics of structural design and teamwork.

  5. Floating Paperclips
    Materials: Paperclips, a bowl of water, and a piece of tissue paper.
    Task: Challenge students to balance a paperclip on a piece of tissue paper and gently place it in water. The goal is to see how surface tension works to keep the paperclip floating.

  6. How Strong is Your Egg?
    Materials: Plastic eggs, cotton balls, and tape.
    Task: Give students a challenge to protect a raw egg using cotton balls and tape. They will drop the egg from a certain height and see if it survives, learning about impact forces and protection strategies in the process.

  7. Sink or Float?
    Materials: A container of water, various small objects (rocks, paper clips, plastic toys, etc.).
    Task: Ask students to predict whether an object will sink or float before placing it in water. Afterward, they can discuss why some objects float while others sink, introducing them to concepts of density.

Calendar Coming Soon...

Resource Links to check out

 

Email twila@udel.edu for more information.

Project Areas

OTHER Resource Links




Contact for additional resources!

Twila Parish-Short, MEd.
4-H Youth Development Agent (Science)
UD Cooperative Extension
twila@udel.edu
302-730-4000

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