(SIOUX CITY, IA) - More schools across the country want to get students interested in science and math. Sioux City Schools created an after-school club this year called STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
Students at East Middle and West High have the chance to join the club for its first year. The district approved money to pay for two coaches to guide the clubs.
"This is my robot right here. It's a robot that can lift, it's control-lifting," said 8th grader Casey Mitchell as he showed off his self-made robot.
The sixth, seventh and eighth graders actually stick around after school to keep learning hands-on. They all seem to have plenty of incentive to join the club.
"We get to spend time with our friends. We can be here for a long time. Yeah, we like play with what we love to do," said 7th grader Chase Abbott.
"When I grow up, I want to be a zoologist. I've had my mind set on being something with animals since I was in kindergarten. So I guess it came naturally that I wanted to be something extracurricular that had something to do with science," said Summer LaPato, 7thb grader.
STEM Club Coach Brenda Burnight couldn't be happier to lead these young minds into the future.
"There's such an emphasis on technology. The more students we can have focusing on technology and being able to manipulate it at a young age, their futures are going to be so much brighter," said Burnight.
The creativity is endless; a sure way of making learning fun.
"A truck with a tiger camouflage, like my new camo, woah! Or something," laughed Mitchell
Their next project is called, "Odyssey of the Mind" where they'll build another device and head to a competition for judging. After the end of this school year, Sioux City Schools will see if it can spread the club across the district over the next few years.
