As we head into fall, I wanted to take a moment and ask - how are you holding up? It has been a crazy year – I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.
Like many things in 2020, Saturday Academy looks different both internally and externally. I came to the organization in May and immediately made the tough decision to move all of our classes, camps, and internships to a virtual, online format. This summer we were able to offer 42 classes and 61 internships entirely online! Our interns gave formal presentations at our end of summer virtual symposium – you can check out their amazing work at bit.ly/2020ASE. We will continue our online curricula this fall - from Eerie Neuroscience to Coding in Scratch, our classes catalog has STEM enrichment activities for learners in middle- and high-school.
Although the online environment comes with unique challenges, we’ve been able to accomplish some pretty amazing feats of highly engaged learning! Our Microscopic Investigations Class gave learners the opportunity to prepare and image their very own electron microscopy samples. Ever wonder what an N95 mask looks like up close? Hint: It’s awesome!
Our microscopy investigations were so inspiring, we’re using it as the theme for our Spring Evening of Discovery. This online Happy Hour will include the science of mixology, special guests, and a celebration of our accomplishments. More information will be coming out soon, but I hope that you will be able to “Zoom In” with us!
No matter what challenges pandemics or wildfires throw our way, Saturday Academy remains committed to our mission to spark curiosity. We will continue to evolve during these uncertain times. Starting this Fall, we will be working through a period of innovation. During this time, we will be listening to you – our community of amazing students, parents, teachers, mentors and community partners. We want to make sure our community voices lead us as we re-imagine how Saturday Academy can meet our mission. To allow time and space for innovative thinking and testing, we will not be holding open-enrollment classes this Winter. Custom classes for your school or organization will still be available via our Saturday Academy 2 You program, and our Apprenticeships in Science and Engineering will run as normal. We hope to have exciting new programming to share with you at our Spring Evening of Discovery, and we will be back to our fabulous open enrollment classes and camps this Summer.
We are excited to move forward with your support. And, as an educator at heart, I can’t help but combine the theme of forward movement and innovation. Follow the link to a handout with instructions and questions to ask while creating your very own Rubber Band Car. As always, I hope that you will be able to share this experiment with your loved ones (children or adults), and bring a smile and a bit of engineering magic to your day.
Download the Rubber Band Car Experiment below:
Thank you so much for your continued support of Saturday Academy!
Jackie Wirz, Executive Director of Saturday Academy