Children crowded around a conveyor belt loaded with fake produce, cans, cardboard and plastic, sorting the everyday items into recycling, organic waste and trash. They celebrated when they got the answers right and quickly jumped back in line for another turn.
Seven-year-old Jocelyn was one of them.
“I loved playing the game because I don’t recycle at home, but now I can.”
The sorting game was the most popular activity at a recent hands-on STEM Fair hosted by Hope through Housing at the Westlake Village Community Center in San Marcos. More than 65 children and their families from National CORE’s five San Marcos communities attended the second annual event.
For Maria Gomez, a field representative with EDCO Disposal, the Southern California waste management company sponsoring the activity, those moments are exactly why she enjoys events like this.
“We like to educate our kids when they’re young so they can obtain all these good habits,” Gomez said. “They can share them with their relatives and continue to grow and participate in the recycling programs.”
The STEM Fair also featured stations where children could create slime, friendship bracelets or get glitter tattoos.
Parents said the event offered the children a valuable chance to explore new ideas and enjoy educational fun during the summer.
“I don’t find events like this anywhere else,” said Lilliana, a mom at Sierra Vista, a National CORE affordable housing community.
Lilliana brought her daughters, Isabella, 2, and Sophia, 11.
“I wanted to bring them so they could continue to learn and socialize even though it’s summer break,” she said.
Nearby, Jailyn, 8, carefully looked over a sheet of glitter tattoos before making her selections.
“This one’s my mom’s favorite flower,” she said. “This one’s my mom’s favorite color, purple. And this one’s my mom’s favorite animal, a turtle. I’m going to get all of these for my mom.”
For Hope through Housing staff, the afternoon had a purpose beyond science.
“It breaks down barriers by providing opportunity, access and exposure to things they might not otherwise experience,” said Bradley Whisenhunt, a Hope through Housing resident services manager.
That’s exactly what Hope through Housing’s Building Bright Futures initiative aims to do. The program includes summer enrichment as well as free after-school programs, literacy support and college scholarships.
“You never know which activity is going to spark something,” said Jasmine Murillo, a Hope through Housing services coordinator. “Maybe today a child realizes they love science. Maybe they discover they enjoy solving problems. Sometimes all it takes is one experience to change how they see themselves.”
The STEM Fair was made possible through partnerships with: