On January 23, 2025, four undergraduate students from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Notre Dame visited STEM Night at Northpoint Elementary School to share their passion for chemistry with K-5 students.
The event was an opportunity for the elementary students to explore all different aspects of science and technology, from robotics and artificial intelligence to chemistry and states of matter.
The ND students demonstrated the properties of light using gas discharge lamps, which produce vibrant colors by sending electricity through ionized noble gases, and diffraction glasses, which split light into its spectrum of colors. The ND students used the glasses and lamps to teach the kids about light energy and how we perceive different energies of light.
Northpoint Elementary School, located fifteen minutes from campus in Granger, Indiana, has very close ties to the Notre Dame community. The school educates multiple children of Notre Dame professors, and there is broad support for the Irish throughout the school community, with many at the event wearing Notre Dame gear. The kids were excited to have the opportunity to talk to Notre Dame students, whether it was about the light spectrum or football.
“It’s awesome teaching kids science because they’re just so excited about everything,” sophomore Kieran Lobo said. “Sometimes you get so wrapped up in all the complicated stuff when you get to higher levels of science, but then you see how excited the kids are, and it reminds you how cool science is.”
The Notre Dame students who attended the event were part of a chemistry seminar course that aims to help students effectively communicate chemistry concepts to non-scientists. The students crafted a unique presentation that was engaging and informative aimed at a younger audience, which is extremely different from their other College of Science classes.
“The most important thing was grabbing the kids’ attention and keeping them interested,” sophomore Ryan Nguyen said. “Obviously we hope they learned something from our presentation, but it was more important to make sure they came away with a good feeling. Plus, for young kids, learning and having fun go hand in hand.”
The students’ presentation was a hit. The kids were captivated by all the vibrant colors that the diffraction glasses allowed them to see. In fact, at the end of the event, a young girl, still wearing her glasses, was running around excitedly yelling, “Rainbows! Rainbows!”
Events like these are great opportunities for Notre Dame students to give back to the local community. They also help kids to foster a curiosity of and love for science that could last a lifetime. Who knows? One of those kids might end up studying science right here on campus someday!