By LCU News
PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – Louisiana Christian University participated in the RECIPE for Rural STEM DAY at the LSUA Mega Shelter in Alexandria, Feb. 8.
More than 1,300 central Louisiana fifth and sixth-graders interested in science, math, engineering and technology fields participated in the event.
RECIPE for Rural STEM Day is a statewide initiative to promote STEM education to upper elementary-age students. RECIPE stands for Relevant, Educational, Career-minded, Impactful, Purposeful, and Engaging.
LCU’s Physical Therapy Assistant program, along with the Health and Exercise Science programs, attended and provided interactive games that correlated general anatomy and systems of the body with various basic healthcare assessments, said Associate Vice President of the School of Nursing and Allied Health Shaina Goudeau.
Examples of planned activities included determining the effect of physical activity on heart rate, sensory nerve testing, grip strength assessments, and an anatomy versus body system matching game. LCU faculty selected simple tasks and created fun games to allow a direct approach to science-based activities. The simplified method of active learning served to pique the curiosity of attendees toward possible healthcare-based careers and also provided interesting methods for connecting didactic material and the human body.
Research has shown that providing meaningful firsthand STEM experiences for early childhood and elementary-age children positively impacts their perceptions and dispositions towards STEM, Goudeau said. Additionally, researchers have declared that participating in STEM modules enriched with critical thinking principles improves students’ critical thinking skills, such as interpretation, analysis, and inference in relation to the science content. Research has proven that STEM training is multi-faceted and can improve many areas of student learning.
The RECIPE for Rural STEM Day, along with community partners such as Louisiana Christian University, allows students from across Louisiana to participate in and learn about science, math and technology.
