This project (part of Science Voices' Greenworks initiative) empowers students in the University of the Virgin Islands' STEAM Club to explore the connections between various fields of study (like astronomy, agriculture, biology, chemistry, engineering) through club projects and bring these insights to the public through public outreach events. Startup support for the club helps them acquire equipment to experiment with and travel throughout the island to conduct events for the general public.
Many youths in the US Virgin Islands are interested in science, but can have limited access to opportunities to learn about science, especially fields like astronomy, geology, or engineering, which can be harder to connect to everyday challenges of living on an island with a tourism-based economy. Additionally, students who complete degrees in science can often have difficulty finding jobs and careers in the island and end up leaving for better opportunities on the mainland.
This project will help develop a university STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) club that will give students a place to discuss the science they like, explore the connections between various sciences through club projects, and take this knowledge to the general public through innovative public outreach events such as at farmers' markets and scuba clubs. Building relationships with local businesses will help show science career opportunities available on the island.
As the club and its projects grow, it will help to reduce the brain-drain that currently impacts the island, especially regarding STEAM. Additionally, since the club will be networked with Science Voices' Greenworks program, the students will have the opportunity to share their insights, knowledge, and prototypes with students around the world who are working on similar challenges in their island homes, while also learning from them and bringing in the best insights from around the world.
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