Friday marks the final day of a city-wide science week encouraging science, technology, engineering and mathematics among Buffalo Public school students. WBFO'S Focus on Education reporter Eileen Buckley met with four Waterfront Elementary School students who explain what attracts them to STEM.
Waterfront 8th graders Maryann Abdi, Saima Tasnim, Patricia Hill and Grace Nsabimana. The four students emerged winners in a recent Science Olympiad hosted by Waterfront. They competed against students from other districts including Amherst and Williamsville.
"I want to be in the medical field. I want to go down the medical field too. I want to be a marine biologist. I want to bio chemical engineer," said the four 8th graders from Waterfront School.
"It's simple. There's a process to it. It's just that it'scompletely new information. I like experimenting and finding out ways to do new stuff," said the students as we questioned why they STEM.
Waterfront Principal David Hills is very proud of his STEM students.
"Just see the level of talent out there," said Hills. "The time they had to spend experimenting and learning how to talk about what they were doing. It was just an amazing experience for them."
The students competed in several areas including Anatomy, Green generation and something called potions and poison.
UB professor Joseph Gardella is director of the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership working directly with the Buffalo school students.
"Students lose interest in science and math in middle school. That's where we lose them, and women and minorities disproportionately lose interest there, so if we even spend time trying to fix the problem in high school, it's too late," stated Gardella."
"But you've got to remember then, in everyone of these schools, there are kids -- immigrants, refugees, minority students -- who are really spending extra time, doing after school programs. The science club at Bennett has 30 kids in it. You never hear about the science club at Bennett, but they're doing tremendous work," said Gardella.
"Students lose interest in science and math in middle school. That's where we lose them, and women and minorities disproportionately lose interest there, so if we even spend time trying to fix the problem in high school, it's too late," stated UB Professor Joseph Gardella."
For these Buffalo 8th graders, Maryann, Saima Grace and Patricia, they're already thinking about very ambitious careers in STEM.
"I want to be in the medical field. I want to go down the medical field too. I want to be a marine biologist. I want to bio chemical engineer," said the four 8th graders from Waterfront School.
