A lucky group of students in San Jose, California have had the opportunity to learn a little about the science and technology that goes into a San Jose Sharks hockey game according to Mercury News. The San Jose Sharks are the professional hockey team that the city boasts of, and they opened their doors to some local students to show them a little bit about how science impacts the sport.
The children were able to come away with some important lessons about how science alters the game of hockey from the shooting angles that the players choose to the type of equipment they use out on the ice.
The event was titled as the first ever STEM day for children in the area. Held at SAP arena where the Sharks play, the event was intended to spark curiosity and interest in the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. These are subjects that our modern economy relies heavily on, and many are focusing their efforts on getting children involved with learning how these related subjects impact the various things that they are interested in as children. Thus, it is no surprise that teams like this are starting to team up with schools to make it happen.
Students were able to meet some of their favorite players from the team, but they also got to speak with three women who all work in STEM-related fields. This was done to help the children tie in what they had learned during their fun day out on the ice with the reality of what working in STEM might look like in adulthood. The plan was to encourage as many of them as possible to explore interests in this realm and hopefully learn to love the subjects deeply.
There is absolutely no reason why learning can’t also be fun, and that is what the people who organized this event firmly believe. Therefore, it is critical that the students continue to be stimulated in this way. They need to find connections between what they are learning in school and the real world around them. That is the only way to keep some of the children really engaged in the subject matter, and that is perhaps the most important thing of all.
The San Jose Sharks are trailblazers for what they have done here, and hopefully many other sports teams will follow in the path that they have created.
