Southampton Road School Sparks Creativity with Community‑Powered STEM Night

The school’s second annual STEM evening drew third and fourth graders, their siblings, and curious parents into a vibrant showcase of science and art. The event was made possible through a partnership with the Jandon Center for Community Engagement at Smith College, a collaboration that began two years ago thanks to a parent who works there. For the past two autumns, students have joined a robotics club run by Smith College students through the Center’s Outreach Initiative. In its first year, participants guided Lego MindStorm robots through a maze; this fall they programmed them to roll balls into target baskets. The robotics team brought the machines to the evening, letting everyone try a “diner dash” game where robots moved mock food items between tables. Seamus Golen, a nine‑year‑old who attended with his grandmother, said the club was “really fun” and praised the coding activities.The Center also supplied telescopes, magnifying glass displays of nature samples, and a talk from staff member Hannah Gates about what the students were observing. A parent named Eric Babci presented the ingredients used to make Play‑Doh, explaining its chemistry and showing a video of the manufacturing process. He added that leftover Play‑Doh is donated to local farms for animals. Other hands‑on sessions included fabric stitching, a Makey Makey banana piano experiment, and magnetic tile marble runs built by parents and children together. On the school’s own table, a giant Connect 4 game and drawing stations kept kids busy while adults discussed how the program supports learning across engineering, public health, and education. Principal Kate Ritchie and STEM teacher Jessica Hanson praised the Jandon Center as “great role models for young girls” and expressed gratitude for the partnership, noting that it enriches the school’s STEM offerings and fosters a community of curious learners.