Loma Vista Elementary 5th and 6th grade students were invited to participate in Rio Hondo's Elementary CTE Exploration event on Friday, November 15, at Rio Hondo College.
26 students from Loma Vista participated in this event to learn and explore the different STEM pathways that are available at Rio Hondo College. Students were also able to take part in hands-on projects that taught them about various fields and careers in STEM.
Students learned how to use an AED portable defibrillator machine and adult and infant CPR. This taught students about various careers in the health field. They built structures from toothpicks and gumdrops that needed to be strong enough to support a book, and they created devices that were meant to protect an egg and keep it from breaking. Each device was tested when an egg was dropped from a ladder. A device with a balloon attached was one of a several devices that were successful. Lastly, students were led through various steps by a professor who guided them on how to build wind powered vehicles. This taught students about careers in alternative fuels.
“This was an extremely beneficial experience for our students because many had never been on a college campus before,” Kathie Kivi, Loma Vista Elementary’s Instructional Coach, shared.
“We were able to take a tour of the campus and talk about Community College as a potential pathway for them. I was extremely proud of the way our students were able to answer questions and participate in the presentations. It was a great day.”
Students also had the opportunity to speak to a variety of representatives from the college at different booths.