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Caldwell 5th graders learning STEM skills at Gowen Field

Posted at 5:19 PM, May 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-07 20:10:37-04

BOISE — Fifth graders from Caldwell are taking a field trip to Gowen Field, to learn about STEM education.

"Showing them that something like physics is something that's accessible to a fifth grader is really important, because when they hear the word physics later on they're not going to be scared of it anymore because they've already seen it," said Starbase instructor Jan Zatloukal,

Starbase Idaho is a Department of Defense STEM program at Gowen Field. Fifth graders at Sacajawea Elementary School are getting a hands-on approach to different components to a stem foundation, like physics and engineering.

"When you're 3-D designing its kind of like Legos because you're putting all the parts onto the spaceship," said 5th grader Emma Barnet.

Engaging students at the elementary level in stem education helps prepare them for possibly pursuing it later on if they want to.

"Over my whole life, I've wanted to be a scientist and Starbase helped me want to achieve my dream," said 5th grader Amia Linzee.

The students also hear from Boise-based stem professionals to help explain how the models and experiments they're working on in the classroom are actually used in real life.

"It's showing them that physics is something they can actually see, it's something that's easy, and it's one of the first things I tell them; physics is something you know, you just haven't realized it," said Zatloukal.