"The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand." - Frank Herbert

Knowledge is power and failure is knowledge gained. I teach 8th grade science students at Lynhurst 7th and 8th Grade Center. We are part of an amazing school district, the MSD of Wayne Township, that serves a multicultural, high poverty population in Indianapolis, IN.

Our students are afraid to fail. So, we began a project that encourages them to try new things and learn from the results. S.T.E.M. club students were given the challenge to test and present an experiment to community members and students. From each of their projects, the participant must gain some understanding of a scientific principle while performing a hands-on activity. All of these projects will be presented at a S.T.E.M. Community Night at our school on April 15, 2025.  This event benefits the entire school by allowing them access to many activities and occupations that they have not been able to experience before. 

Students will be learning some valuable skills while creating their project. They must be able to articulate the science and math behind their experiments to unfamiliar faces. The process of selecting a project, organizing materials, collaborating with others, practicing presentation skills, and working on communicating effectively to all age groups is an invaluable experience that our students need to be productive members of our society. Please help their vision come to fruition with your donations, while giving access to these unique experiences to all of our students.

At the event we will also have community members providing more learning opportunities for our participants. We have already had PU Aviation, Sub Zero, IUPUI kinesiology department, UIndy education students, American Chemical Society, and Eli Lilly commit to running stations at the event. This is truly a collaboration between students, staff, families, and community partners. It is a major event everyone at the school looks forward to.

Your donations will help purchase all of the supplies needed for my students to carry out their experiments for the community at the event. This will be the 4th time we have hosted this event at Lynhurst 7th and 8th Grade Center. In the past we have had roughly 500 students, staff, families, and community members enjoy the event. We thank you in advance for your generosity on Giving Tuesday in helping fund this memorable event with invaluable learning opportunities for our entire school.