Eclipsing Boundaries: Inspiring Young Minds at The Rock at La Cantera
On Monday, April 8th, hundreds of students from southside schools gathered at The Rock at La Cantera for an eclipse viewing event organized by District 4 Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia, in partnership with several STEM-based community organizations. The event offered students an ideal place to view the eclipse with safety eyewear, educational presentations on space, and 15 “activation stations" where students in grades K-12 had the opportunity to participate in hands-on experiences with coding, virtual reality, robotics, and other STEM-related topics.
Anticipation grew steadily as students gathered in groups on the large expanse of emerald grass in front of a massive screen and stage setup where a presenter explained the cosmic workings of a solar eclipse. Other students were busy at the activation stations, exploring various elements of STEM through activities brought out by community partners including Artemis, Youth Code, Communities in Schools, Frost for Good, the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology (SAMSAT), the US Extremely Large Telescope Program, and Alamo Trust.
Scene in S.A. had the opportunity to speak with Mayor Ron Nirenberg about the event.
Wow, what an experience for these students! What kind of impact do you see this event having on STEM in San Antonio for our youth?
“This kind of STEM experience is the highest inspiration for children; we hope that they interact with all of the stations and are inspired by what they do here today.”
If young people are drawn to STEM early on, what kinds of local resources and experiences would you recommend to expand on their learning?
“Communities in Schools has some great programs like family events, school visits, and workshops…and SAMSAT has a ‘STEM Playground' where kids can really explore. Because they need that, humanity needs that,” he concluded.
As the eclipse began, an MC took the stage and a large, perfect view of the sun and moon appeared on the giant screen. While cloudy skies made it almost impossible to view the solar event overhead, students watched the screen in awe as the MC guided the audience through the scientific names of every stage. As the sky darkened to totality, there was a tangible sense of exhilaration alongside joyful shrieks of excitement. Hugging teens flopped on the grass, staring up to watch in wonder. A few younger students held hands or stood shoulder to shoulder, unsettled by the midday darkness. As the light began to return, a pop version of the “Star Wars” theme began to play and students danced or chatted enthusiastically about what they had just seen. “That was amazing!” yelled one very young student, “We won’t see another one of those for another 375 years!”
Editor: Lauren Hime
Photographer: Torry Sledge
