Encouraging an Interest in Science
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Participating in Women in Science Week at the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown are, left to right, Pam Koze, Sue Emerich and Paula Reilly.
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Three LSI women recently spent a day at an Allentown science center showing young students the great possibilities that careers in science can offer.
Science Works Service Days, a part of Women in Science Week sponsored by the Da Vinci Science Center, give female professionals the opportunity to inspire future scientists by leading special interactive activities for children between kindergarten and sixth grade. “I agreed to organize LSI’s participation in Science Works Service Day because I strongly believe in the need to create interest in science when children are young,” said Sue Emerich, senior director and strategic sourcing assembly technical lead.
Joining her for the day were Pam Koze, senior manager in package integration, and Paula Reilly, package integrator, both members of the Worldwide Manufacturing Organization. “This event had the added benefit of focusing on women in science so Pam, Paula and I were very excited to deliver the message that women can be successful chemists and engineers,” Emerich said.
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Sue Emerich works with students at the science center.
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During the day, about 250 girls and boys came to the Da Vinci center from schools throughout the area to participate in a variety of hands-on exhibits. The LSI team worked with the children on snap circuit and magnet car kits provided by the center while talking to them about science careers. The goal was to keep the young visitors interested enough so they would stay and complete an activity.
“Once we started building circuits that enabled flying saucers, we had plenty of interest at our station!” said Emerich. “The biggest challenge was adjusting for the different age groups because the kindergarten students needed more assistance before they lost interest.”
All three said the students were very focused on getting their circuits to work, which provided a great opportunity to stress the need for engineers to work in teams to solve problems. “We were very impressed with how well they received and reacted to these messages,” Emerich said. “The result was excellent teamwork and a very high percentage of flying saucers!”
Noting that several parents and teachers thanked them for volunteering, Emerich, Koze and Reilly said the experience was a good reminder about the positive impact LSI can have on our communities. “It was a great lead-in activity to LSI’s Volunteer Week in June,” said Emerich.