5. “I’m so thankful for this opportunity. I thank you in the
name of all the parents here. If the program has 5
years, I will be here for the 5 years, participating in
6. Impact
75% of children reported that since taking Family
Science, they have a better understanding of
science and engineering
9. Impact
“You taking a chance on me as a summer instructor after
my sophomore year was the turning point in my life when
I realized that teaching is in my future” – Engineer
Hi everyone! My name is Tahani Zeid and I’m the XXXX for Iridescent, a science education non profit that work closely with engineers and scientists, helping them to communicate their passion to children. We have been in operation since 2006 and have reached more than 10,000 children in Los Angeles, New York City, Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area through hands-on, inquiry-based programs.
Talk about various programs- LEAP through EAST
Two studios
Sites also in Boston, Bay Area, and Chicago
Talk about various programs- LEAP through EAST
Two studios
Sites also in Boston, Bay Area, and Chicago
Iridescent’s Family Science program is a 5-week course that engages elementary-aged children and their families together in hands-on science once a week for two hours at a time. The program is run at local schools and our science studio in downtown Los Angeles. The goal is to foster the participants’ intrinsic motivation and self-direction to learn so that they may become lifelong explorers and critical thinkers.
Overview of how Family Science works
Children are learning new concepts and vocabulary and actually remembering them weeks and months after the class is over. In fact, three quarters of children reported that since taking Family Science, they have a better understanding of science and engineering (74.8%).
Children said they share their knowledge with their siblings and friends after they learn something interesting in the Family Science class. The children feel empowered to share what they know with others.
Some children have been inspired to become scientists. They have gained confidence in their scientific knowledge and ability.
Three quarters of children reported now being more interested in science at school (74.8%).
Parents are able to spend more time with their children and it brings the family closer together.
Parents learn about how common objects and machines function. They are more able to explain how things work to their children and other family members. According to the survey, 77.8% of parents reported that they understand science and engineering better and 66.6% said they were more confident talking about science and engineering topics with others.
There are more science related activities going on at home such as building things out, playing with science kits, watching science programs, and going to museums and zoos. On the survey, 88.9% of parents also say they will read more science books with their children.
Parents are more confident because their children see them as people who know things, who can build things and who can solve problems.
Trained over 400 engineers
University classes
Professional engineers
Very in-depth training, over 40 hours each– semester, 2 hrs/week
Students commented that they learned practical skills like critical thinking, creativity, public speaking, and collaboration skills that they didn’t necessarily learn in other classes.
Because they were communicating with an audience with little engineering background, the Engineers as Teachers (EasT) students learned how to simplify their language and break down complex content into simpler concepts.
Instead of building to create a set of results, which they often do in their other classes, the EasT engineers felt that teaching this course helped them understand that there can be many solutions to one problem. Students were “inspired” by the multiple and varied designs of the children in the Family Science class; it reminded them that there is rarely just one right answer to a problem.
Seeing the children’s excitement and fascination with building and designing reminded some of the EasT students why they became engineers in the first place. It reminded them of the fundamental enjoyment of creating things and taking them apart. Being reminded of these base emotions was inspiring and motivating for the USC engineers.
We really believe the mobile version has the largest potential. It is easier to manipulate, you can take pictures and shoot videos and upload it right away to the platform.
Looking for Technovation mentors….anywhere. Background in computer science.
Volunteer in your community. Are you in LA, NYC, Boston, Chicago, or Bay Area- volunteer in person?
Start an Engineers as Teachers program at your school.
Looking for engineers to interact with students on the Curiosity Machine