NASA Guam Space Grant
NASA Guam Space Grant
NASA Guam Space Grant
STEM Saturday
Launched to introduce local students to complex STEM concepts through fun, hands-on activities, NASA Guam Space Grant’s (NGSG) STEM Saturday program has become a key initiative in fostering curiosity and engagement in young students. The program uses modules from the National Informal STEM Education (NISE) Network alongside supplemental activities adapted to fit Guam’s local context, helping students relate abstract scientific concepts to challenges in their own environment.
The program has offered engaging modules such as Exploring Our Universe, A Trip to Outer Space, Exploring Our Earth, Exploring Coral Reefs, and Discovering Drones. The events are powered by local experts and volunteers from various agencies, sharing their local wisdom about our environment with students. Ultimately, NGSG aims to create meaningful connections with our youth to inspire a lifelong passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
STEM Activities in Action
Out-of-This-World Learning
In our "Getting to Know the Universe" module, students engage with hands-on activities to help them learn more about outer space: our planet, our galaxies, and our ever-growing universe. Each participant even has a chance to design their own galaxy and bring home their own pocket-sized solar system!
Designing, Building, & Testing Spacecraft
During this engaging module, participants transform into space engineers and build their own spacecraft before putting them through rigorous spin and shake tests, just like NASA spacecraft — ensuring their spacecraft could withstand the challenges of space travel. STEM Saturday students even craft rockets and launch them by stomping on bottles, simulating real rocket launches!
Learning the Impacts of Climate Change
In this Earth-focused module, participants get their hands dirty to understand the fundamentals of our own planet, including the effects of water and wind on land cover, mapping sea level rise like NASA scientists, and crafting their own clouds in a bottle.
A key component of our STEM Saturday program is designing activities so they are locally tailored to our island’s unique culture and environment, including how Pacific islands respond to threats like climate change and coral bleaching. During one activity, participants are able to tackle an erosion challenge head-on, brainstorming innovative ways to fight this issue.
Our Island's Most Precious Marine Ecosystem
Budding oceanographers will have a blast uncovering the mysteries of the deep sea and the invaluable coral habitats beneath! Guided by our STEM Saturday team, the students embark on a coral classification quest with the NASA NeMO-Net app, create their own glowing coral reef models, explore ocean zones, and participate in a role-playing game about the coral life cycle. They also gain valuable insights into the significance of coral reefs and the threats they face, including a live demonstration of coral bleaching using thermochromic color-changing paint.
The highlight? Throughout the event, our future marine biologists will brainstorm innovative solutions to protect our coral reefs, learning how they can help preserve these vital ecosystems next time they’re in the water.
Tech with Real-World Impact
At this high-flying STEM Saturday module, remote pilots take to the air and embrace the world of drone technology.
During the event, participants master basic drone maneuvers and collaborate to solve block-based coding challenges, programming their drones for real-world applications like mapping and obstacle navigation. Through teamwork and creative problem-solving, they unlock new skills and learn about the wide applications of drones happening right here on Guam. Young group of students grow from beginners to expert navigators in just under two hours!
Build Your Skills
Students will discover the fundamental principles of engineering through exciting hands-on activities including a catapult and defense challenge as well as a structural design contest! Here, participants will be able to experiment and build with materials to discover if their structures can hold out against the ultimate test.
Interested in a NASA Guam Space Grant STEM outreach?
Our NASA Guam Space Grant STEM team is happy to host a fun, educational event for your students! Whether it is a classroom visit or a booth at a fair, we can coordinate an activity tailored for your students' needs based on capacity.
Reach out to our education and outreach coordinator, Danielle Hagen, for more information!