Going Beyond Science
Time Warner Cable Teams Up With After School All-Stars in South Los Angeles
So, why is Science so important? We ask ourselves, but first we have to understand the concept that a basic human motivator is to try to understand WHY. Why did something happen? How does something work? Curiosity about the world around us, about what makes it and us TICK is at the foundation of invention, of creativity. Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders. At Time Warner Cable (TWC) it is our goal to motivate students to develop the STEM skills they need to become the problem solvers of tomorrow.
On Saturday, May 2nd of 2015, we partnered with After School All Stars to identify over 150 elementary and middle school students from across the greater Los Angeles area to participate in the school-year long, afterschool, science program Beyond Science. After School All Stars is a local Los Angeles nonprofit dedicated to providing comprehensive after-school programs where students can explore the world of STEM in a fun and engaging manner.
At TWC we are constantly creating new and exciting approaches to get kids excited about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by showcasing these subjects in hands-on activities that they already love. Science projects such as the ones created by the students at After School All Stars’ Beyond Science are imperative to learning about science and having a methodology to turn our native curiosity into knowledge gives us the power and possibility of invention, of finding solutions to problems.
Knowledge of how and why things are the way they are in the natural world is our greatest natural resource, second only to water. The way we acquire that knowledge and understanding, called the scientific method, is not difficult, nor does not require memorizing a list of words: observations, hypothesis, experimentation, interpretation. These are simply ways we go about learning and that is what Beyond Science teaches its students.
After School All Stars’ Beyond Science taught students science through hands-on activities and was based on four components, Engineering, Earth, Physical and Life Science and strived to introduce students to The Scientific Method and the Engineering Process based on the theme “Find a Need, Fill a Need.” Students played the role of real scientists by putting together science projects to put their theories to the test. Projects included a wide range of solutions to some of today’s global problems from water conservation, using solar energy to cook pizzas to why it is so important to consume organic vegetables.
To culminate the program, TWC co-hosted a Science Fair at Bell Gardens High School, located in the underserved, multicultural city of Bell Gardens in South Los Angeles. TWC employees served as judges as students had the opportunity to exhibit and talk about their projects. The top winners received trophies and exciting prizes. In addition, TWC volunteers helped host the CAMM booth and pass out branded goodie bags.
Our sponsorship and support for After School All Stars’ Beyond Science gave students an opportunity to explore the world of STEM in a fun and engaging manner and showed students that scientific investigation can be fun while simultaneously equipping them with the necessary STEM skills to be competitive in the 21st century’s global market.
Contact:
Iris Duran
Community Investment Manager
Time Warner Cable
(310) 765-2160
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irisduran
