East Panhandle Times

Martinsburg High School's National Science Honor Society recently visited For the Kids, By George Children's Museum to conduct a Traveling Science demonstration. The event allowed high school students to lead science experiments and engage with younger children.

Aubrey Ervin, director of the museum, had previously hosted the high school students during one of the museum's camps and invited them back for this event. The National Science Honor Society frequently visits schools such as Rosemont Elementary and Opequon Elementary School, organizing STEM nights to promote leadership skills among high schoolers while interacting with younger students.

Seniors Nate Jordan, Grace Strohecker, Olivia Lewis, and Lily Ervin led the activities. They demonstrated how to make bouncy balls using warm water, borax powder, and glue. In another experiment, children created "rockets" by mixing water with Alka-Seltzer tablets in a container.

The seniors expressed their enjoyment in engaging with the kids through these hands-on activities. “I think doing stuff like this is important because it fosters creativity,” said Jordan. “It gives kids a hands-on activity outside the classroom and lets them learn with experience.”

Ervin added that such events help unite the community: “It enriches kids and is something fun they can do while giving them the chance to meet some high schoolers.”

The group operates under co-advisers Jim Arndt and Trina Elliott; however, only Arndt attended this particular event. He emphasized that the traveling science program aims to excite all students about science by having older students teach younger ones.