Carthage faculty bring STEM to life for Racine youth in summer outreach partnership

This summer, Carthage College hosted the Racine Family YMCA’s Young Leaders Academy (YLA) Summer Session, welcoming local 3rd through 8th grade students to campus for a six-week series of hands-on STEM learning experiences.

Students learning about buoyancy-based boat designs.The initiative was made possible through the efforts of Professor Kathryn Hasz, engineering outreach coordinator, in collaboration with Tiffany Hollimon, director of the YLA program. Starting with a call for volunteers to the Carthage Division of Natural and Social Sciences, Prof. Hasz recruited faculty members to develop interactive sessions designed to inspire curiosity and confidence in young learners.

“It was a great success!” says Prof. Hasz. “Six faculty members and one Carthage alumnus taught the kids about the psychology of magic, aerodynamics in rockets, structural integrity in buildings, geoscience mapping, buoyancy, and binary code.”

Each session provided a unique, hands-on experience:

• Professor Tony Barnhart explored psychological science and illusion in Magic and Mind, teaching students real magic tricks they could take home to impress friends and family.
• Professor Joseph Anderson introduced rocketry and aerodynamics; students built and launched water rockets on Augie Schmidt Field.
• Professor Kathryn Hasz led students in rescuing the “Eggspert Sailing Club” using buoyancy-based boat designs.
• Professor Jessica Lavorata and Prof. Hasz guided students in building Eiffel Towers from paper to learn about geometry and structural integrity.
• Professor Matt Zorn demonstrated the scientific uses of aerial drones in geographic science, taking students on an exploration of the Lake Michigan shoreline.
• Professor Elizabeth Zak made binary code physical by beading bracelets with colors representing 0s and 1s with a session on how to talk to computers.

The team was also joined by Wayne Jackson ’25, a recent Carthage physics graduate and future physics teacher at Carmen Schools of Science and Technology, who supported instruction and served as a mentor throughout the sessions. Mr. Jackson, a former Summer Undergraduate Research Experience student who worked with Prof. Hasz during his time at Carthage, brought enthusiasm and relatability to his role, helping students see themselves in future STEM pathways.

Students built Eiffel Towers from paper.“Seeing the growing excitement when I picked up the students each week always made me smile,” says Prof. Hasz. “I loved teaching them how engineers solve problems and help people, while encouraging their creativity and willingness to try something new.”

The outreach reflects a broader commitment by Carthage to community engagement and early STEM education. Faculty-led sessions were designed to be inclusive, engaging, and exploratory — showcasing the power of science to solve problems and open doors.

“Collaborations such as this one with the YMCA Young Leaders Academy are critical for Carthage and the sciences, says Dean Robert Nagel. “These opportunities not only show our community the opportunities that might be available to them through a degree at Carthage but also open the eyes of young people to the possibilities afforded through studies in science, mathematics, and technology.”

To celebrate the end of the program, students created and decorated their own custom buttons — each one representing their favorite session from the summer. This final activity gave students a creative way to reflect on their experiences and a tangible reminder of their time at Carthage.

“These students are curious, creative, and full of potential,” says Prof. Hasz. “I look forward to continuing this partnership with YLA in future summers.”

Sponsoring Department, Office, or Organization:

Division of Natural and Social Sciences