Elon University’s Engineering in the Village program brings ABSS students together each month for free, hands-on STEM activities that spark creativity and confidence.
Between sports practices and art lessons, parents and their children make their way to Elon University once a month. Inside Innovation Hall, home to Elon’s Department of Engineering and Department of Physics, students gather for Engineering in the Village, a hands-on STEM enrichment program designed for fourth through sixth graders.
Reimagined and relaunched by the It Takes a Village Project in September, Engineering in the Village provides students across the Alamance-Burlington School System(ABSS) a 10-session experience through May. Funded by Labcorp and Alamance Community Foundation, the program is offered at no cost to participants. In partnership with Elon Dining, every student also receives a meal each session, fueling young minds for a successful night.
Leading the program are two Elon University faculty members, Sirena Hargrove-Leak, professor of engineering, and Blake Hament, assistant professor of engineering. Supported by ABSS teachers, they crafted a curriculum that encourages students to explore STEM through creativity, collaboration and problem-solving. For many families, Engineering in the Village has become a place where children can build confidence, discover new interests and expand their knowledge of the STEM world.
During the most recent session, students crowded into Innovation Hall, excited for what the evening’s activity would be. Among them was Alayna, a fifth-grade student who aspires to be an astronaut one day. For Alayna and her mother, Aisha, the program has been a transformative experience.
“She enjoys science and math, and she took more of an interest in science in first grade after we visited a NASA center and several science museums in the area. I believe that is her natural calling,” said Aisha.
As students continued to arrive, they were met with an array of supplies waiting for them in the classroom: coffee filters, string and tape were prepared to be transformed into parachutes. After kicking off the lesson with a quick discussion, the students swiftly began sketching out their potential parachutes, with teachers walking around the classroom observing their initial blueprints.
Sketching away diligently, Ahmad, a sixth-grade student, began to consider different designs for his parachute.
“It’s really helpful because I want to work with science,” said Ahmad. His mother, Mirvat, is equally enthusiastic about the program, sharing, “He is very energetic to come here and enjoys the classes. Now with AI and so much technology coming in, it’s important.”
As coffee filters were prepared for flight, students rushed to the Innovation Hall stairwell to test their creations. After meticulously taping together different elements, Colton jogged to the second floor to witness his makeshift parachute in action. Behind Colton’s determination to execute the perfect landing, his family has been a key player in broadening his interests. His grandmother, Earlene, expressed her excitement for Colton’s interests beyond traditional activities.
“I like the idea of him being in a STEM program, learning about the different avenues of life,” Earlene said. “Most kids play sports, but I want them to learn about other stuff such as being an engineer, being a doctor, being a lawyer. There are more things out there for them to learn, that’s the biggest thing.”
As the night came to a close, parents eagerly waited to reunite with their students and hear about their latest project. Sixth-grader, Jace, was met by his younger brother and father, Chris. As a result of the program, Chris has seen academic improvement in Jace, sharing,
“With school he’s getting a lot better at it. I think the program itself is helping him with science classes,” said Chris.
Additionally, Engineering in the Village is an opportunity for Jace to carry on his passion for science.
“His brother is doing robotics in the military, and so he wants to follow stuff like that,” said Chris. “We lived in Florida with all the NASA programs, and he was also doing robotics at his old school. He wanted to continue it here.”
Jace is already imagining the future ahead of him, stating, “You can get an engineering job where you can build robots or cars.”
Engineering in the Village continues to give ABSS students the chance to unleash their inner engineer by cultivating curiosity, collaboration, and the confidence to imagine themselves in future STEM careers. As students continue to partake in the program, they take one more step toward becoming the innovators of tomorrow.