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Updates from Daphne
July, 2019
On May 29th, I gathered a group of volunteers and we traveled to a Win (formerly Women In Need) family shelter located in the South Bronx for an exciting afternoon of science and snacking. Although the day was rainy, upon entering the shelter we were greeted with nothing but exuberant energy and a room full of smiles. The theme of our visit was endothermic and exothermic reactions: how different reactions can either create heat or absorb heat. To observe this phenomenon we did two cool experiments - literally.
First, we made ice cream using vanilla extract, half-and-half, and sugar. These ingredients were mixed in a small Ziploc bag, then placed in a bigger Ziploc bag filled with ice and salt. We passed the bag around our tables, shaking it as much as we could. Before we knew it, the once liquid ingredients had solidified, and we were left with cold, refreshing, vanilla ice cream! While enjoying our home-made ice cream, we learned about freezing points and endothermic reactions.
It wouldn’t be a true experiment without some trial and error: some groups accidentally used salt where they should have used sugar, resulting in not-so-sweet ice cream. We all worked together to re-trace our steps to figure out what went wrong and re-did the experiment while learning from our mistakes.
For our next activity, we built snowmen - since it would be difficult to find snow in May, we made our own snow! Using two simple ingredients, baking soda and water, we mixed them together to create snow. The reaction between the baking soda and water was endothermic, making our “snow” cold, just like real snow. Using beads, felt, and pipe cleaners, each child got a chance to decorate their own snowman to take home. The best part about our snow? It doesn’t melt!
We closed out our afternoon with a pizza party, gathering the kids, their parents and all our volunteers to enjoy a fun, delicious dinner.
Existing Project
Enabling Access to STEAM Education (EASE)
Daphne Zuckerman
New York
Enabling Access to STEAM Education (EASE) partners with the organization Win to provide an after-school program to children ages 5-12 focusing on science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Daphne will use the funds to formalize and scale the program to visit on a more frequent basis and will look to expand to partner with other shelters.
July, 2019
On May 29th, I gathered a group of volunteers and we traveled to a Win (formerly Women In Need) family shelter located in the South Bronx for an exciting afternoon of science and snacking. Although the day was rainy, upon entering the shelter we were greeted with nothing but exuberant energy and a room full of smiles. The theme of our visit was endothermic and exothermic reactions: how different reactions can either create heat or absorb heat. To observe this phenomenon we did two cool experiments - literally.
First, we made ice cream using vanilla extract, half-and-half, and sugar. These ingredients were mixed in a small Ziploc bag, then placed in a bigger Ziploc bag filled with ice and salt. We passed the bag around our tables, shaking it as much as we could. Before we knew it, the once liquid ingredients had solidified, and we were left with cold, refreshing, vanilla ice cream! While enjoying our home-made ice cream, we learned about freezing points and endothermic reactions.
It wouldn’t be a true experiment without some trial and error: some groups accidentally used salt where they should have used sugar, resulting in not-so-sweet ice cream. We all worked together to re-trace our steps to figure out what went wrong and re-did the experiment while learning from our mistakes.
For our next activity, we built snowmen - since it would be difficult to find snow in May, we made our own snow! Using two simple ingredients, baking soda and water, we mixed them together to create snow. The reaction between the baking soda and water was endothermic, making our “snow” cold, just like real snow. Using beads, felt, and pipe cleaners, each child got a chance to decorate their own snowman to take home. The best part about our snow? It doesn’t melt!
We closed out our afternoon with a pizza party, gathering the kids, their parents and all our volunteers to enjoy a fun, delicious dinner.