Oceanside CA— Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside is in full swing with their Summer Camp – Full S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Ahead Programming! On Tuesday, June 16^th, 30 BGCO teens were honored to visit the Genentech facility for a tour complete with a science experiment alongside actual scientists and engineers. Teens were put into groups, and asked to engineer a contraption to keep an egg from breaking when dropped to the ground. They were given a certain amount of “Genentech Bucks” to choose from a variety of material they believed effective to keep their egg safe.

Ariana Tahmas, going into the 9^th grade said, “This experience allowed me to get a head start on my future. I realized the field I am passionate about is bio-chemistry and learned the process and trainings necessary to leap into this career. The best part was the hands-on experience doing the egg drop activity and getting to know what happens behind the scene of making medicine.”
In addition to this fabulous opportunity for teens, 45 Genentech scientists and engineers came to our Townsite Clubhouse for the second year in a row and engaged over 275 K-12 youth in STEM experiments. Genentech outfitted each of our campers with backpacks complete with school supplies, a lab coat and protective goggles! Youth had an incredible time as they rotated between multiple experiments.
The most popular demonstrations were testing which type of soda released the most carbon dioxide gas by adding pop rocks to a variety of soda types and watching the balloon’s attached to the bottles inflate to different sizes. Another experiment was the “Floating Paper Clip” where youth learned about surface tension, and how water molecules bond together. With a steady hand members tested how to get a paperclip to suspend itself on the surface of the water with a pencil, tissue paper and small bowl of water. Throughout the experiments youth were able to ask questions and explore the reasons behind the results they found.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside strives to provide youth with opportunities and experiences they would not otherwise have had. Great Futures start at the Club and after this event many students described their interest in learning more about the Science and Engineering field as a career. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside enjoys partner with local organization in order to engage youth and allow them to learn critical thinking and team building skills.
For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside and to view photo please contact Alexa Morr at amorr@bgcoceanside.org, call (760) 433-8920, visit our website BGCOceanside.org or Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/BGCOside