RMS students display skills at STEAM Expo

RUSSELLVILLE – The addition of an art category broadened participation in the middle school’s annual science fair.

Now in its third year, the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) Expo included 36 science projects, each presented by a group of one to four students, and 90 students attended the science presentations.

“Many students came to present their math, history, art and/or computer discovery projects,” Science teacher Lee Brownell said. “We had art and a talent show, and we hope to add more art-related projects in the future.”

Brownell said each science class hosted a miniscience fair with each class picking one project to advance to the expo. In addition, the teacher picked two “wildcard” projects.

“The other disciplines don’t do that, so their involvement is smaller at this time,” Brownell said, “but it grows every year, and I think it was a great event.”

Brownell said what stood out the most to him were the comments from the judges.

“They said they were impressed with the growth in the level of communication by the students and the types of projects they were doing,” he added.

Brownell said science is about asking questions and seeking answers.

“Our students are researching and learning more about what interests them, and that’s what we want,” he added.

Noah King, Mayra Solis Gabriel and Ivy Willis tested chia seeds on different surfaces to see how they would grow. CONTRIBUTED/LEE BROWNELL

Principal Dr. Monica Moon is a strong supporter of the expo.

“STEAM night was such a great reminder of how capable and creative our students are when they’re truly engaged in learning,” Moon said.

“This was our first year to include the arts, and it brought a whole new level of energy to the night,” Moon added. “From coding projects and studentcreated art to talent show performances and STEAM expo presentations, the building was full of excitement.”

Four community organizations — G&G Steel, Pilgrims, Russellville Electric Board and Propel — were on hand to show students how what they’re learning connects to real jobs and services here at home.

Propel is a non-profit run by two former RCS students, Andrew Heath and Lindsey Heath, to increase STEM activities in schools.

“We’re so thankful for our teachers, families and community partners who helped make the night such a success for our kids,” Moon said.

Expo Winner

• Overall — Macy Hall, Zoe Hartsell, and Avery Willis for their “Healthier Cake” project. The students substituted healthy ingredients into a boxed cake mix to determine if a healthy cake tasted as good as a regular boxed cake. The four students also finished first in the eight-grade competition.

• Eighth grade

• Second — Aleya Lane and Layla Rush for their project “Ice Ice Baby.” They tested different types of ice (pebble, freezer, shaved, and bagged) to determine which ice would take the longest to melt and help keep their drinks cold the longest.

• Third — Britney Lopez Escobedo and Ruby Tomas for their “Plant Germination” project. They used radish seeds to determine if different types of water help seeds germinate faster. They tested tap water, bottled water, and salt water.

• Seventh Grade

• First Place — Emme Odom and Ella Blayke Wimberley for their project “Mentos and Coke Reaction.” They tested to see how the number of Mentos affected propulsion height.

• Second Place — Lydia Racz, Maci Boyd and Callie Odom for their project “Is Your Favorite Drink Just a Trick of the Eye?”

• Third Place — Logan Fralix, Urijah Murray, Pedro Martinez and Miguel Ramos for their project “The Jumping Pepper Experiment.”

• Sixth Grade

• 1st Place — Noah King, Mayra Solis Gabriel, and Ivy Willis for their project “How will different areas affect how chia seeds grow?

• 2nd Place — Drake Glass, Eli Cantrell and Conner Rothstein for their project “Which Parachute Material Will Help the Army Man Arrive on the Ground Safely?”

• 3rd Place — Nayeli Gomingo Guevara for the project “Do LED Light Bulbs Change the Appearance of an Object’s Color?”