Eagle Scout Candidate Organizes Northport HS STEM Challenge

On Oct. 21 at Northport High School, 65 fifth- and sixth-grade students spent their Saturday morning attending creative workshops revolving around science, technology, engineering and mathematics — or STEM for short.

This event was Northport High School freshman and Eagle Scout candidate James Connor’s Eagle Scout community service project, which he organized and set into motion himself.

The workshops, which were free of charge and taught by district teachers and STEM professionals, aimed to give students a head start in these specific areas.

"I wanted to focus on something that was as important to me as my project," said Connor, who aspires to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology for computer programming.

Connor worked closely with the school district, especially the Chairperson of Science and Technology Education, David Storch, during a period of six months to plan the event. Four different workshops were designed, one for each area of STEM studies.

Students learned about structure design using popsicle sticks and binder clips to build bridges, discovered algorithms to solve a Rubik’s cube, experimented with liquids that react to magnets, and learned basic computer programming.

"Technology is one of the most important fields for the future," Connor commented, "and it's important for kids to get comfortable with it as early as possible." He hopes this STEM Day will become a yearly event in the district and looks forward to organizing another next year.

Story, photos courtesy of Northport-East Northport Union Free School District:

1. Weekend STEM challenge organizer James Connor and volunteer Kyle Nock.
2. Fifth- and sixth-grade students from the Northport-East Northport School District experimented during Northport High School’s weekend STEM challenge.