Virtual Science Nights

The year 2020 brought to light an international health crisis, an economic downturn and political unrest, but none of these events could stop Arlene Bitely Elementary School from finding the silver linings of the opportunity presented during these challenging times. Like many public schools across the state and nation, Bitely leveraged the benefits of a more ubiquitous presence of video conferencing technology, a tool that was less available to elementary-aged students before the pandemic. Capitalizing on the distance learning model of instructional delivery, students and their families were provided easier access to prominent thought-leaders in the STEM community by hosting a Virtual Science Night event.

Students from TK-6th grade met and interacted with current researchers from world-renowned institutions, such as Caltech, NASA/JPL, the International Space Station, Above, the Planetary Society and the Huntington Library to talk about science, technology, engineering and math from the safety and comfort of their home. This asynchronous virtual event was coordinated for the first time in San Gabriel Valley last October. Students and families enjoyed a second opportunity to gather via Zoom for Bitely’s second annual Virtual Science Night on November 4, 2021.

Bitely Elementary is a diverse community located in the city of Rosemead, adjacent to Monterey Park, serving approximately 450 students from transitional kindergarten through grade 6. Bitely also serves two federally funded Head Start programs, and is demographically represented by two distinct populations: Latinx students make up 44 percent and Asian American students make up 43 percent. Fifty-seven percent of all students are English Language Learners, and 17 percent of the student body receives special education services (Chao, 2021). As a Title I high achieving school, Bitely is committed to providing students with a 21st century education, including experiences that educate and motivate students in exploring future college and career pathways in STEM fields. The National Science Foundation predicts that minorities will make up more than half of the adult population in the United States by the year 2060 (Hamrick, 2021). Bridging the gender and race gap in the field of science, and in STEM, for traditionally underrepresented populations within our communities today may help ensure a STEM-ready workforce in the future.

Science Night attendees—students, families and community members of Garvey School District — had the chance to step into a virtual world where technology served as the vehicle for them to be transported to research laboratories of some of the world’s most elite scientists and engineers.