May 13, 2022 | Fremont
By Shaniece Collins, BCCHS Senior
Shaniece Collins is a Senior in the Education Pathway in the Battle Creek Central High School Career Academies and is in her second year of the Calhoun Area Career Center Education Academy. She plans to attend Grand Valley State University and is a recent recipient of one of GVSU's full-ride Health & Teacher Education Pipeline Scholarship.
Students in the Education Academy program at the Calhoun Area Career Center (CACC) along with their instructor, Kyra Rabbitt, hosted the annual Ready, Set, Go Science! event at Fremont International Academy this week, offering students in grades K-5 an explorational learning experience.
Each class transitioned through seven stations featuring hands-on activities designed to show students that science can be fun. The stations included everything from building volcanoes to riding a homemade hovercraft.
Second-grade teacher Ashley Childs loved getting to see her students’ eyes light up as they participated in the learning activities. “They are now seeing that science can be fun and engaging,” she said.
Ms. Childs added that she planned to follow up with her class afterward to take a deeper dive into some of the stations they completed. “I think their interest in science will grow exponentially after an experience like this,” she said.
One of Ms. Childs’ students, Liam Hunt, said his favorite activity was creating flubber, a slime-like substance made with glue and laundry soap. “It felt so good to touch it, and it was fun getting to be messy while we were learning about science,” he said.
Kyra Rabbitt, Education Academy Instructor at the CACC said the event has been taking place for nearly 15 years and has recently begun expanding to bring the program to more schools in the area. Last year the event was hosted at LaMora Park and St. Joseph elementary schools, and this year was their first time visiting Fremont International Academy.
The Education Academy program at the CACC prepares both juniors and seniors—teacher cadets—for the field of education after high school. The teacher cadets learn about the ins and outs of education as well as receive field experience throughout the school year. The program also offers college credits that can transfer to colleges and universities.
According to Mrs. Rabbit, the Ready, Set, Go Science! Event serves as an excellent learning opportunity for the teacher cadets in her class. “For my students, they get to learn how to run a science fair. So they learn all the different stations and how to do them as well as all the work that it takes to run a big event for a school.”
The teacher cadets helped orchestrate the event, aiding in creating the materials necessary for each science station. Through the process of planning for and running the event, the students had an opportunity to learn more about how to be a teacher and how to make their lessons fun.
Mrs. Rabbitt said she hopes the event will not only serve to prepare our community’s future teachers but also inspire young students and allow them to see that learning can be fun. “I heard a couple of kids today say that this was the best day of their life,” she said.
Based on the looks on students’ faces and the noise echoing out of the gym, Mrs. Rabbit was not exaggerating either. While working on making bubbles with dry ice, fourth-grader Zia Morales shared, “I knew science could be fun. But I didn't know it could be this fun!”
For more information about the Education Program at the CACC, visit calhounisd.org.