UAH builds STEM stations for Mt. Carmel

These students from the University of Alabama in Huntsville built STEM workstations for Mt. Carmel Elementary School. CONTRIBUTED

HUNTSVILLE – Students from the University of Alabama in Huntsville have volunteered at Mt. Carmel Elementary School to redesign STEM stations (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

For the last few years, media specialist Cyndy Dunning at Mt. Carmel has worked with the UAH design team to inspire students to investigate STEM topics and careers.

“This collaborative relationship has been very successful and given me courage and support to create new STEM programs in the library, such as MakerSpace Friday,” which were scheduled on specified Fridays for special sessions in technical study, Dunning said.

The Women in Defense organization sponsors the UAH Design Team.

In fall 2013, a senior design team comprised of six UAH students majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering built four sound-dampening STEM stations for Mt. Carmel elementary students.

“The purpose of the STEM stations is to provide the elementary school children a quiet and inspirational environment to work on projects, which include digital recording sessions,” Dunning said.

In May 2015, a new team of senior design students, also with majors in mechanical and aerospace engineering, was tasked with improving and upgrading the STEM stations for continued use at Mt. Carmel.

In a recent Spacemaker Friday session, the UAH design team described the engineering design process that they used to improve the stations. The college students also demonstrated the digital recording possibilities within the stations.

Parents of Mt. Carmel students volunteered alongside the UAH team to bring another Friday of STEM enrichment to the elementary students. The college and parent volunteers inspired future generations to pursue STEM careers, Dunning said.