Growing Future Scientists

Thanks to the St. James Community Foundation of North Carolina, teachers Tiffani Frink and Julie Ford are getting kids excited about STEM exploration.

Scientists are growing like crazy at Virginia Williamson Elementary School.

Under the instruction of teachers Tiffani Frink and Julie Ford, both of whom hold bachelor’s degrees in elementary education, 120 fifth-grade students are conducting hands-on experiments in chemistry and ecology through a program called Empowering Future Scientists: Hands-On STEM Exploration. The program is designed to ignite curiosity and deepen scientific understanding through engaging, hands-on experiments aligned with North Carolina’s fifth grade science standards. The program transforms abstract concepts into tangible experiences, helping students explore science in a way that feels exciting, meaningful and real.

“Our goal is to increase student engagement and science proficiency by 10 percent on the North Carolina Science End-of-Grade test by the end of the 2024–2025 school year,” Frink says. “But beyond test scores, I want students to see themselves as scientists — capable, curious and full of potential.”

Water Cycle In A Bag was one of the first experiments the students conducted in their classroom. Students created a model of the earth’s water cycle by putting water in sealed plastic bags and taping the bags to a sunny window.

It sounds too simple, but Frink says the experiment was a big hit.

“Students were amazed to see evaporation, condensation and precipitation happening right on their classroom windows,” she says. “They checked on their bags each day like little scientists monitoring weather systems. It was amazing to see them connect the dots between something they had heard about and something they created themselves. I heard students excitedly saying ‘It’s raining in my bag.’”

One of the most popular experiments during the year was building mini-ecosystems in jars using plants, soil, water and live pill bugs and earthworms.

The goal was for students to observe how producers and decomposers work together.

“Some students brought in critters from home to add to their jars,” Frink says. “It was absolutely messy, but messy learning is memorable learning. Feeling squeamish about the bugs and the worms quickly turned into fascination. I reminded the students how real scientists approach the unknown — with curiosity and care.”

Experimenting with baking soda, vinegar, cornstarch and water and observing the resulting new substances from the chemical reactions was a classroom favorite.

“Students were amazed to see the bubbling reactions and how the gas inflated balloons,” Frink says. “The experiment helped explain the challenging concept of conservation of mass in action. There were lots of ‘Whoas!’ that day, and students asked to do it again.”

The young scientists also tackled force and motion, how heat changes matter and even inherited genetic family traits. Each was accompanied with a hands-on experiment.

“Experiment days are electric,” Frink says. “The students buzz with excitement the moment they walk in the door. They collaborate in teams, ask thoughtful questions and engage in trial-and-error thinking. They are more vocal and more confident when working hands-on. There’s laughter, discovery and aha moments that every teacher hopes to see.”

Funding for some of the experiments was awarded to Virginia Williamson Elementary from the St. James Foundation of North Carolina, a 501(c)(3) organization investing solely in education in Brunswick County.

The foundation is committed to enhancing education through direct donations, required minimum distributions (RMDs) and qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from IRAs. These types of donations broaden the St. James Foundation funding sources to better serve the community.

When Frink identified the need in her classroom for more interactive student-centered science instruction, she applied for a grant from the foundation for supplies and materials.
“With the support of the St. James Foundation, I was able to bring my vision to life,” she says.

“STEM is the future,” Frink adds. “It teaches problem solving, creativity, collaboration and resilience. My classroom is built around the idea that learning should be active, joyful and relevant. Hundreds of students have benefited from the hands-on learning opportunities funded by the St. James Foundation that would have otherwise been out of reach.”

The St. James Foundation’s grant process is open to organizations involved in all facets of education including nonprofits that are delivering educational services in Brunswick County, schools, teachers, administrators and local government entities including museums and libraries. The next grant cycle runs from August 1 to October 15.

Frink says that her students’ parents have been incredibly supportive.

“Parents have shared that their kids are coming home excited about science, talking about what they’ve learned, and even trying to recreate experiments at home,” she says.

That is most encouraging for Frink.

“I bring science to life, making a big deal about how real this work is and how my students are doing what actual scientists do,” she says. “I believe that every child is a scientist at heart. Students just need the right opportunities to explore, wonder and discover.”

Who knows? Maybe the next Isaac Newton, Marie Curie or Albert Einstein, all who hailed from rural communities, will be from our own coastal Brunswick County.

Photographs contributed by Virginia Williamson Elementary School and The St. James Foundation