End of Year/ Community Day at STA

About this Event

This event will allow community members to participate in hands-on STEM activities.

STEM in Action: Mentos & Soda Community Day Exploration

As part of our upcoming Community Day celebration, this STEM-in-action lesson engages students, families, and community members in a shared scientific investigation using the classic Mentos-and-soda reaction. Mixed-age teams—pairing youth with adults, caregivers, or community volunteers—work together as co‑scientists to explore how variables influence the height of the soda geyser.

Each team receives materials such as soda bottles, Mentos, cardstock, tape, and measuring tools. Together they identify a testable question, make predictions, and design a controlled method for dropping Mentos into the bottle. Adults support students in understanding variables and safety, while students contribute creativity and experimentation. After conducting their outdoor eruption, teams measure the height of the reaction and compare results with other groups, leading to shared reflection about gas release, nucleation, and experimental design.

This activity not only teaches the scientific method, but also fosters community engagement, teamwork, problem-solving, and intergenerational collaboration.