Partnering with public libraries to get Appalachian kids excited about science

On a cloudy day in late June, more than 50 kids packed into a conference room at the Jackson City Library in Jackson, Ohio.

Boisterous sounds of delight came when Jenny Hileman, a research associate at Ohio University’s George Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, passed out collapsable microscopes (aka Foldscopes) and prepared slides to assist students in learning about aquatic life. The STEM Day event was initially scheduled to take place at a nearby lake, but alas, Mother Nature had other plans. Attendees also grabbed blades of grass and tiny soil samples to look at under the microscope.

“It was great to see so many kids interacting with the microscope,” says Hileman. “Many of them hadn’t used one before.”

The Jackson Library STEM Day is one of four that the Voinovich School puts on in the summer, teaming with libraries in Scioto, Ross, Pike, and Jackson counties in Southeast Ohio. These events are sponsored through an ongoing grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office which funds the School’s PORTSfuture Program as well as from the American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation as part of its Growing STEM in Appalachia program.

“DOE and AEP funding enables us to provide valuable opportunities for kids – our future workforce – to become engaged in the science, technology, engineering and math fields as early as possible to begin to prepare them for jobs in these fields,” noted Stephanie Howe, director of Energy Programs at the Voinovich School.

The Voinovich School’s outreach to each of the four counties began several years ago with a table at the local county fair where attendees could play games like pH Bingo that helped promote STEM engagement. In 2023, the Voinovich School began a partnership with the libraries to help make the program more experiential and hands-on.

“Libraries serve as a vital resource for the community, and many, like Jackson, have very active summer programs,” says Jen Bowman, director of Environmental Programs at the Voinovich School. “And it’s important to have educational experiences that are free.”

The STEM Day also served as a kick-off to annual STEM efforts at the libraries. At each location, the Voinovich School has installed four iPads into a kiosk where library-goers can participate in the My Backyard Stream program through the Appalachian STEM Enrichment Academy, a learning module where kids can conduct their own water testing for various chemicals and then enter data online. It’s just one area where the Voinovich School and local libraries are helping supplement STEM activities that are vital for the next generation of scientists.

“The parents appreciate any kind of STEM activity they can get their kids involved in,” says Jon Simmons, director of programming at the Jackson City Library. “And they liked being able to take home the microscopes where, hopefully, the kids will continue to use them.”