By Alex Wynn
VE Volunteer from Washington, USA
As a volunteer there are a lot of surprises, to say the least, that you receive while working in an hogar. For me, one of the biggest surprises I’ve had during my time at Pléyades has been how much the kids love science! Whether it’s chemistry, biology, or engineering, a science taller is guaranteed to get all the kids participating. A chemistry experiment, for example, can get the kids off the computers, and natural sciences are a sure way to bring up interesting discussions. What’s more, all the while I am building positive and meaningful relationships with the children.
During my class’ orientation, former Programs Coordinator, Lily Gordon suggested a kid-friendly website where we could find ready-made science workshops to do with the children. One day I found myself at a loss for what the next day’s activity should be, so I went to the website and got the materials for one of the simplest workshops I could find: how silicon glue reacts in warm water. The experiment went over really well and the kids asked me to start bringing more science activities. This was great, because now I knew of a type of activity that they all liked to do!
There are some things, though, that I have to keep in mind when planning a science taller, such as the level of difficulty. At Pléyades, the ages range between five and thirteen years, so the workshop has to be adaptable for all the kids who participate. It should be simple enough for the five-year-old to do, but should also have a more in-depth version to intrigue the thirteen-year-old. I also have to keep in mind that not all science talleres will necessarily run as planned. One kid at Pléyades, for example, tends to believe that all the materials for the workshop are actually just there for him to do his own scientific experiment.
I don’t think that ever in a million years I could have imagined myself running science workshops with children in a foreign country, especially because I never really cared much for science myself. But seeing how much the kids that I work with enjoy it makes me enjoy it that much more. There’s no better feeling for me than to walk into work and announce that the day’s activity is science, and instantly have all the kids say, “¡Bakán!”