NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Science experiments, games and exhibits enthralled students, parents and teachers at the Albert Leonard Middle School PTA Science Festival on June 5. Hosted by the PTA’s STEAM Committee, it was the first science festival at the school in recent history. Among those taking part in the educational festivities was Albot, a robot created by the LEGO League Robotics Club at ALMS.
“The festival was a huge success and exceeded any and all initial expectations,” said ALMS Principal John Barnes. “We give great thanks to the PTA steering committee who secured the grant and worked so hard to plan every aspect of the event. In addition, we had many Albert Leonard Middle School faculty members who participated in the event from planning to volunteering, and we thank the many fabulous high school, middle school and elementary school students who volunteered their time setting up, hosting experiments, distributing food and sharing their work with us.”
Participating in the Science Festival were: the BioBus, which brings science exploration to students; IDEA New Rochelle, which promotes arts and technology; Mercy College’s Center for STEM Education; It Takes a Village to Educate a Child, which offers STEM camps; We Future Cycle; Sarah Lawrence College Center for the Urban River at Beczak; and MacInspires. Interactive tables offered demonstrations of DNA extraction, shibori tie-dye technique, physics experiments and more.
The event was part of a national PTA program in which 30 schools across the United States were awarded a grant from Bayer.