One of XFYD’s historic goals has been a commitment to expand STEM enrichment and education across the community. Our STEM classes are not intended to be supplementary curricular classes — instead, their purpose is to provide a broad background and strong foundation for students to explore STEM further. We aim to evoke curiosity and excitement in students, gearing them up for future learning and research in STEM.
This commitment to broad foundation-building STEM education is what pushed our XFYD Environmental Science class.This five-day Environmental Science class offered an engaging, interactive introduction to core environmental concepts for elementary and middle school students. Through a mix of multimedia, virtual activities, and reflective discussions, the program aimed to build foundational awareness of ecosystems, pollution, sustainability, and the importance of individual action.
Hands-on digital tools, like food chain simulations and recycling games, kept learning dynamic and participatory, while creative activities like recycled art drawing encouraged self-expression and environmental imagination. Each day focused on a central theme, beginning with what makes up our environment and culminating in a student-led pledge to the planet. Through organizing virtual scavenger hunts to exploring air quality issues, students were encouraged to connect global environmental issues to their own lives.
This class was led by Brendan Chen, a senior at Whitney High School and an AP Environmental Science student. He has been studying and researching ecology and environmental engineering for years, and he brings his expertise and insight to help students discover the core issues that our environment faces.
