Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly) student Andrew Gao, Math Coach Abbie Deal, and Science Director Mary Weller share a goal: to cultivate a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) among City School students and make science exploration relevant to their daily lives. That shared goal was evident and joyfully experienced at Arlington Elementary School Family STEM Night, where students and families came together for hands-on learning in mechanics, physics, biology, and more.
Over 160 students and their families “engaged with STEM activities outside the classroom and related them to what they’re learning,” reports Andrew, a junior at Poly.
“At STEM Night, both students and parents developed a positive identity as users of science,” comments Weller, City Schools’ Director of Science.
“And students could see what their future might look like,” notes Deal, Arlington’s K-5 Math Coach.
Deal served as the primary organizer of a team of students, teachers, and School Family and 
Community Council members who planned Arlington’s STEM Night. As they thought about how to revive the popular activity after it had been paused for a few years, Deal received a timely email from Andrew. He and a friend had started a new student club organization at Poly last year, the STEM Outreach Club, with 40+ members who lead STEM activities at schools throughout the district.
Deal immediately agreed to the proposal. “We couldn’t have done our event without the Poly STEM Outreach Club,” she said.
Poly students led six of the 15 interactive stations that welcomed families. Club members created a model to simulate the ancient pulley system used by the Egyptians to build the pyramids, demonstrating mechanical principles. They led Arlington students in activities related to DNA extraction and robotics. They brought STEM activity books for students to take home and showed the properties of oobleck, a non-Newtonian fluid that acts like a liquid, and also like a solid when pressure is applied. The Poly STEM Outreach Club students put their own spin on the board game Monopoly, calling it Mathopoly! A Club member also helped provide translation for Spanish-speaking parents.
Arlington teachers set up additional hands-on stations, including music exploration, movement, and the card game War—all with science and math content.
Arlington families loved the event—the science activities and the opportunity to engage with older students. Says Abbie Deal, “Families were into it the whole time. There was a sense of pride and excitement. They thought it was cool to have high school students there, especially the smartest and most talented City School kids.”
The Poly students shared that excitement. Notes Andrew, “One of the most important aspects of our Club is community engagement and mentorship. The younger students look up to us. It’s great to see smiles on their faces because that shows us that what we do has an impact in the community.” Family STEM Nights at schools are a creative part of the student learning and family engagement process at City Schools.
“Students don’t always see themselves as users of science,” according to Weller. “Science is sometimes considered exclusive or hard to understand. Young people should see themselves as scientists. Being confident and able to say “I’m smart” are important contributors to success.”
“Events like STEM Nights at schools throughout the city help reinforce a positive science identity. It 
translates into students who are prepared and interested. Parents can also develop a positive science identity through STEM Nights, allowing them to participate in the learning process. And having the older Poly students, who are excited about science, provided the Arlington learners with strong role models and contributed to that science identity,” continued Weller.
Summing up the experience, Deal said, “STEM Night helped our community understand our mission as a STEM school. They could share our vision of their kids achieving success in science and math, and saw real-world applications and a look into their future.”
