The GEMS had a very interesting meeting full of colorful and creative experiments. The purpose of these experiments were to challenge their minds and cultivate the desire to engage more in STEM fields.

“Our goal is to encourage the girls to feel comfortable enough to love these subjects” junior Brenda Garcia said. “We want them to know that they have potential in these STEM related subjects.”

The fourth graders did chromatography experiments. They had coffee filter and added color then dipped into water.

“I had to lead the experiment,” junior Makayla Gilliam said. “I loved seeing that they get excited for anything we give them.”

Once they were done with that, they folded the coffee paper into flowers. They then painted designs onto a plate and decorated it the way they wanted to.

“Most of the designs I saw were very cute,” Gilliam said. “They did a lot better than I expected and they got super creative with it.”

Other groups did other experiments. For example, the third graders built terrariums and planted seeds into them.

“Apparently the girls love to garden because they got really excited to build these terrariums,” junior LaSundra Robinson said. “I can tell it was one of their favorite activities so far.”

A big moment at the meeting was that a field trip for this year was discussed. Mrs. Cox let the girls choose between a boat ride or a 4-D movie.

“Most of the girls chose the 4-D movie,” Garcia said. “I was hoping they would choose the boat ride but the movie also sounds fun.”