Delong, Jefferson and Stanley elementary school students in the YMCA after-school program at DeLong joined more than 2,000 Pierce County youth and students from across the nation on Oct. 7 to conduct the “Biofuel Blast” experiment. The young people became scientists for the day and discovered how ordinary household products create alternative energy and how fuel powers many of the things people use each day, according to a Pierce County news release.
The students combined corn syrup and yeast in a bottle and covered it with a balloon. They watched as the yeast broke down the natural sugars in the corn, which released ethanol and gas that inflated the balloon. They then discussed how plants, such as corn, switchgrass, sorghum and algae, can be converted into fuel and how these alternative energies can be used in their communities.
Kim Booker, YMCA site coordinator at DeLong and biology major at Pacific Lutheran University, helped lead the experiment. Christina Murray, after-school program coordinator for the WSU Pierce County 4-H, also assisted with the experiment.
To combat a shortage of young people pursuing science college majors and careers, 4-H has a goal to engage one million new young people in science, engineering and technology programs nationally by 2013. “4-H knows the value of youth being engaged as explorers of science and engineering,” said Brian Brandt, WSU 4-H Pierce County faculty. “This experiment allowed the students to get hands-on experience in the emerging industry of biofuels.”
Other schools with YMCA after-school programs participating in the same experiment were Arlington, Bryant, Geiger, Grant, Lowell and Manitou Park elementary schools.
Washington State University (WSU) Pierce County 4-H partnered with the following organizations to advance science knowledge for youth: YMCA of Tacoma Pierce County, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound, Metro Parks Tacoma SPARX program, Puget Sound Educational Service District, Cascade Christian Schools, Buckley Youth Activities Center and Eatonville Youth Connections.
Contact Christina Murray at 253.798.3223 or murraychristin@wsu.edu for more information.
