Sacred Heart Academy held its first-ever STEM Week starting on March 14, sponsored by the SHA Math Honor Society (Mu Alpha Theta) and Science National Honor Society (SNHS). Various activities were planned and organized for each day of the week to acknowledge the importance and helpfulness of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in our world!

An Activity-Filled Week

Monday, Pi Day, had a pi-themed activity during break to test the SHA students’ knowledge of the widely known irrational number. The challenge was to state the first eleven digits of pi in correct order – the first student to do so was the winner!

Tuesday, with the theme of “Cool Chemistry,” had the break activity of “Molecule Shapeograms,” where teams would work together to form the figure of a molecule on the periodic table. Speaking of the periodic table, Tuesday was also the introduction of the Periodic Table Challenge. A large paper periodic table was divided and color-coded into four groups – one portion for each grade at SHA. The elements on the periodic table were individually split from each other and creatively hidden around the school itself. The goal was for each grade to find as many of their classes’ respective elements as possible and return the elements to their correct places on the periodic table.

Wednesday focused on “Applying Stem,” and the activity was a Math Relay Race. Karen Zusi, a Science Writer and a member of the SHA Class of 2007, came after school as a SNHS Guest Speaker.

St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, themed “Engineers and Tech,” featured an engineering Kahoot during the lunch waves.

Friday, centered around going “Above and Beyond” in STEM, concluded the week with an activity regarding the planets. Students were challenged to order the planets of the solar system according to their distance from the sun.

STEM at SHA Each Day

SHA has many opportunities to offer in STEM. In addition to the classes the school offers, numerous SHA students advance to earn membership in Mu Alpha Theta and SNHS, as well as join school organizations such as the Math League, Medical Research Club, Programming Club, and the Student Technology Assistance Resource (S.T.A.R.) Club. Students with an especially strong passion for STEM attend college for further studies in particular fields of interest.

Empowering Women in STEM

According to Anthony Martinez and Cheridan Christnacht in an article for the U.S. Census Bureau titled “Women Making Gains in STEM Occupations but Still Underrepresented,”

Less than half of STEM workers are women – only about 27 percent of them are.

However, as shown in the many STEM-related opportunities SHA offers to its students, this encouragement can inspire and bolster students to “take the leap” in a STEM career. Supportiveness like SHA’s brings more women into STEM – intelligent and well-rounded women who are capable of making notable contributions to the world we live in.

Like our school motto, “Excelsior,” SHA strives to go “ever higher” in all aspects – this undoubtedly includes STEM!