What a night for science

Vicki Hyatt, The Mountaineer, Waynesville, N.C.
·3 min read

May 16—When Haywood Community College math instructors Tyler Beamer and Kevin Winfree attended a state mathematics conference, it turned into a jackpot for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) enthusiasts.

One of the ideas they brought back was to host a Community Science Night.

The opportunity cropped up after chatting with Bethany Kenyon, who works with the community outreach division of NC BioNetwork, a life science and training initiative of the N.C. Community College system.

Kenyon said the STEM outreach division is dedicated to connecting industry skills with education through a range of career-focused classroom activities, special events and workshops for students.

That includes Community Science Night events that offer hands-on activities for STEM enthusiasts of all ages. It was something the math instructors thought would be well-received in Haywood, so they pitched the idea to their colleagues.

"Kevin Winfree and I thought this would be a great way to promote STEM education, bring people on our campus and bring the community together," said Beamer. "The NC BioNetwork was incredible to work with. They were responsive. They had a framework for hosting this type of event. We took their ideas and meshed them with what we had in mind."

The BioNetwork provided all the materials for the activities, along with the leader guides. They also sent a representative to the Haywood event who helped with setup and demonstrations.

"We had such awesome volunteers. I was so proud of all my colleagues that came to help us," Beamer said. "They gave freely of their time and energy. It was awesome to see it all come together. I think the community appreciated it and the kids had a blast."

Help with putting on the program came from beyond the math program, said Matt Heimburg, Dean of Arts, Sciences, Natural Resources and Professional Crafts.

"We had great support from people across campus. It gave them an opportunity to contribute," Heimburg said. "We also had great support from Haywood County Schools."

Organized mayhem

Hickory Building classrooms were filled with much younger students than normal for Community Science Night. The activities were geared toward middle-schoolers, but many brought the entire family, and the 165 participants all seemed to be enjoying the fun.

While some of the activities involved sophisticated technology such as extracting a clump of DNA, others were simple projects such as using cardboard tubes and a balloon to create an air gun or assembling a working rocket while using Alka-Seltzer and water.

Each classroom had multiple tables where the experiments could be conducted, along with instructions. For those who needed a bit of help, college staffers were nearby to lend a helping hand.

Beamer said organizers didn't know what to expect for the first event held last Thursday and were delighted with the turnout.

"We had people come from all over. There were students from public, private, charter and homeschools," he said. "There is a desire for this type of event. There is a lot of interest in STEM in general. Parents are looking for activities to do coming out of the pandemic. They want their kids to engage, socialize and learn."

Plans call for building on the first successful event as future Community Science Nights are planned.

Beamer praised the HCC Foundation for providing funds so that he and Winfree could attend the math conference, which led to the science night.

N.C. BioNetwork's Kenyon was delighted with the chance to help bring the STEM event to Haywood.