STEM Starters at Columbia University recently hosted a free “Earth Through Time” workshop for local children and families in West Harlem. With funding support from an ASCB COMPASS Outreach Grant, the event featured interactive stations that explored Earth’s geologic history, evolution, and environmental changes.
Participants engaged with an array of activities, such as fossil record quizzes, a custom evolution game featuring super animals, and a hands-on demonstration of Darwin’s finches and their beak adaptations. The workshop also included educational demonstrations on water filtration in various sediment types and methods to combat soil erosion.
One highlight of the event was the fossil records station, where attendees learned about the evolution from single-celled to multicellular organisms and the geological and atmospheric conditions that enabled life to thrive. The custom evolution game and Darwin’s finches station were particularly well-received, sparking curiosity and thoughtful questions from participants.
With 32 attendees, the event was a success, continuing STEM Starters’ tradition of offering valuable and engaging scientific programming to the local community.
About the Author:
This post was collaboratively written by several ASCB staff members.
