STEM Playbook Lights Up Learning at CHN Scholar House’s Back-to-School Bash
Greeted by music on a warm Saturday afternoon, families poured into the outdoor space behind the Cleveland Scholar House, an affordable housing community for local families.
Tables filled the lot with food, school supplies, and activities for all ages. At one end of the yard, STEM Playbook transformed a patch of lawn into a hands-on learning space where motion, measurement, and strategy came to life.
Each station invited children to explore how science, technology, and sports connect, building curiosity, confidence, and skills they can carry into the school year and beyond.
Our STEM-Packed Challenge Zones
Goal Glow-Up – Each goal lit up the net, giving students a close-up look at how motion sensors work in everyday technology, from automatic doors to video games.
React & Rally – In the stick drop challenge, quick hands met quick thinking. Students practiced anticipating movement, seeing how repetition sharpens the brain’s response time.
Connect & Compete – At a giant Connect 4 board, players tested their logic and planning skills, learning how patterns and prediction can change the outcome of a game.
Speed Scout – Using a radar gun, students measured their pitching speed, then explored how athletes use data to train and improve performance.
Cool Down Lab – Chilled towels and water breaks became mini-experiments, showing how states of matter and evaporation help the body stay cool.
Heart Rate in Action – With pulse oximeters, students compared their heart rates before and after activity, watching the body’s response to movement in real time.
Each game offered students a chance to test ideas, see cause and effect, and connect movement and sports to real-world science and careers. From learning how sensors respond to motion to understanding how the body reacts to exercise, every activity provided a window into the way scientists, engineers, and innovators think.
Before leaving, children stopped by the “Pick Your Prize” table, carrying away small rewards and big smiles. Some talked about the games they wanted to try again; others shared what they had learned.
Whether discovering STEM in a new way or deepening an existing interest, every young person left with a little more confidence, a little more curiosity, and a brighter start to the school year.
STEM Playbook: Where we play with purpose and the possibilities are endless.
