CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - It is not often that fourth through eighth grade girls get the chance to learn about math and science from college students. But a program called SKATE for Girls, run by a student at the University of Illinois, helps kids do just that.Â
"SKATE for Girls stands for Solving Kinesthetically And Transforming Education, and basically the mission of the organization is to combine figure skating and math to make STEM more interesting to girls," said Mayumi Suzue-Pan, founder of SKATE for Girls."
SKATE for Girls sessions are held in two parts. The first is ice skating, where girls are paired up with college students to learn how to ice skate. They complete some form of math-based activity while on the ice.Â
"We would race and then they would time it on the stopwatch, and then when we were done, they would show us the time and we would write it on the paper," said Stella Smith, a fifth grader who took part in a SKATE for Girls event.Â
Keeping track of their speed wasn't just an opportunity for girls to see their progress. In the classroom portion of their activity, they learned how to calculate the average of their times. They were again accompanied by their college mentor, who could help with the process. These mentors are pursuing STEM-based careers.Â
"It's a super unique experience to connect college students to the community," Suzue-Pan said. "In STEM, there is a gender disparity ... it's really motivating for girls to feel like they aren't alone in the STEM field."Â
After the girls calculated their speed on ice, they ran outside and compared their speeds. They agreed that doing math, while also looking at how to skate, made the experience more fun than school.Â
"I'm not that good in math, so if I can ice skate while doing it, that's perfect," said Savanna Smith, a fifth grader who took part in the program.
To learn more about SKATE for Girls and their programs, visit their website.Â
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