After school gets blasted

Photo courtesy of christina Murray

BIO BLAST. Elementary schools students in after-school programs throughout Pierce County participated in 4-H’s Bio-fuel Blast science experiment Oct. 7.

After-school programs across the county got to test their hands at finding renewable resources last week.

As part of 4-H’s community outreach, 2,000 Pierce County students participated in the Bio-fuel Blast experiment Oct. 7.

4-H partnered with Metro Parks’ Sparx program, YMCA after school sites, Boys and Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound and Puget Sound Educational Services District to bring a little something extra to the daily after-school programming as part of National 4-H Week.

“It was a great opportunity to be part of something larger,” said Christina Murray, after-school program coordinator for Pierce County 4-H. “The experiment creates some enthusiasm and maybe the students will be more interested in this – spark some curiosity for science.”

Students combined different ingredients such as corn syrup, sugar, wood chips and water to see which solutions would create enough gas to inflate a balloon.

After creating a hypothesis, the student groups worked through the scientific method in order to test their data, record findings and come to a solution.

They discussed how plants like corn, switch grass, sorghum and algae can be converted into fuel and how these alternative energies can be used in their own communities. 


“The older kids were really interested in it and wanted to know why the gas was produced and why the water was evaporating. The kindergartners and younger students were just infatuated with the balloons getting bigger,” said Kim Booker, site coordinator at Tacoma’s DeLong Elementary School YMCA after-school program. “We explained that these (solutions) can be used as fuel and that we’re looking to other natural resources, aside from fossil fuels, for the future.”

Fifth-grader Aliya Garcia said she found the experiment very interesting.

“I didn’t know that some things that we use a lot in our own homes can make gas,” she said. “I thought that was cool.”

DeLong was just one of the schools in Tacoma that participated in the Bio-fuel Blast. Other schools with YMCA and Sparx programs participated including Bryant, Grant, Geiger, Lowell, Arlington and Manitou Park.

Reaching out to local after-school programs is part of 4-H’s larger goal of increasing interest in sciences for younger children, as well as supporting and enriching after-school staff and programming.

Booker, a biology major at Pacific Lutheran University, noted that she did not develop an interest in science until college.

“We have to start earlier in education by exposing (students) to science,” she said. “Even simple experiments – even if they don’t understand the whole concept – so they can get a feel for it, and embrace it.

“We need to open that door to just exploring science.”

This is the second year 4-H has worked with local programs to offer science-centered activities during National 4-H Week. Last year it partnered with Cascade Christian Schools and practiced a hydro gel lab.

Martin said 4-H plans to continue working with local programs and further partnerships.

“We really hope to expand this next year,” she said.

4-H also offers training for after-school staff and provides kits and tools for a variety of hands-on lessons and activities such as cooking, art, math and science for ages 5 through 18.

Call Christina Murray for more information on 4-H after-school training and programming opportunities at (253) 798-3223 or e-mail .

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