Lambert High School offers a wide selection of clubs to partake in that cover a range of subjects from science to creative writing. While it seems that a majority of these clubs remain strictly within the school, some clubs are taking steps to become a bigger part of the Lambert Community. The school’s Science Olympiad has taken the initiative of working with elementary schools to spread curiosity for science.
The initiative allows Lambert’s feeder elementary schools’ Science Olympiad teams to get assistance from the Lambert Science Olympiad Team and helps them prepare for future competitions. The focus on feeder schools is largely due to a lack of participation in the regional competition that Lambert hosts every year for the elementary schools.
“We figured that was really such a shame,” Science Olympiad Co-Captain Amber Zhang said. “Because we went to these schools and the students are really bright. They’re very motivated and enthusiastic about science and STEM, in general. We figured that we should try to give them opportunities to explore more of these science fields.”
Several schools may not have an environment that fosters interest in science. Due to this, students may not discover their interests or passions for science. Lambert Science Olympiad’s other Co-Captain Shritan Suryadevara says that their intention for this initiative is to provide the younger students with a surrounding that nurtures such kinds of interests.
“Our main goals are to promote an unapologetic passion for science in these kids,” he explained. “We want these kids to go all out and bring their enthusiasm and passion into what they do.”
The initiative is beneficial for both the elementary students and Lambert students. Both sides get to make emotional connections, with the older students becoming role models for the elementary student to look up to.
“You would not believe how excited the kids were to see that there were older people doing something they aspired to do,” Suryadevara said. “[We were] kind of role models. They were swarming us with questions, and they really liked having someone that they can communicate with and they can connect with over a shared love of science, even if there’s a ten year age difference.”
Connections like these are important for both older and younger students, as it strengthens the bonds between Lambert and its feeder elementary schools. By giving younger students a chance to learn from high school students, Lambert creates a supportive environment that extends past its campus. Through this initiative, Lambert’s Science Olympiad club demonstrates how clubs can create an impact on the Lambert community as a whole.
