Mineola, Texas (KLTV) – Mineola ISD organized its annual “Science Extravaganza” event, featuring scientific projects of nearly 100 high school students, presenting dozens of projects to hundreds of primary students. The projects are between everything, physics, engineering, robotics and biology.
Science Extravaganza started 20 years ago when Deborah Armstrong, who has just started his teacher career, presented scientific projects at the end of his pupil.
“My students always did these incredible projects,” recalls Armstrong, who is now a professor of physics, engineering and robotics at Mineola high school. “They were so impressive that I invited an elementary course to come and check it, then that the teacher the following year said to another teacher who said to another teacher. In five years, I had ten lessons trying to get into my class just to see the projects. So I thought: “ You know what we should do in the gymnasium and invite everyone. ”
The annual event increasing quickly, Armstrong had to find ways to finance the projects of its students. It was then that she started to apply for educational subsidies wherever she could find them, in order to keep the event fresh every year.
“I apply for each grant I meet, because I think, why not,” explains Armstrong. “All they can do is say no. If I ask for 20 subsidies and I have two, absolutely fantastic. ”
Over the years, Armstrong has obtained numerous subsidies to help support the enrichment of his class, including subsidies to travel with the Navy, the Army, the Marines and even NASA. Its most recent scholarships include a STEM subsidy of the Society of Science and a Fulbright subsidy which will make its trips to Uruguay in June.
“If it was not for these impressive organizations that give their money, and these companies and businesses, I don’t think I could do all of this,” said Armstrong. “I mean, all this is due to subsidies and donations.”
The subsidies not only help his class financially, but also helps her to acquire new experiences to bring back to her students that she would not be able to obtain elsewhere.
“My thought is that if I go somewhere and that I learn at least one thing, it is something that I did not know before, and I am a better person and a better teacher for that,” explains Armstrong.
Its success as a teacher is recognized by other students and administrators of Mineola ISD.
“She taught us independence and the great qualities of leadership, especially that we, the elderly, can use in the world and use when we go to university or when we are going to make our different careers,” explains KayDence Lemoine, a senior at Mineola High School.
“She is always the type to make an additional effort,” recalls Dr. Chase Thomas, director of Mineola High School. “She is ready to arrive early, stay late and try to incorporate things from the real world in her class where it is worth it for her students and she every day. We have students every day excited to go to its class, then each year, when we have courses, we have students who constantly ask for its lessons. ”
This recognition encourages Armstrong that she is on the right track.
“It’s great, it gives me the impression of succeeding in what I want to do, which is to show children how really exciting and fun, and how the hand is,” explains Armstong.
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