Cool Off Days nurtures curiosity and learning. This year the middle school SOAR youth took on two projects that spanned all five weeks: creating podcasts and conducting a tomato plant experiment.

Podcast Creation

Podcasting is a popular and accessible medium. It allows youth to explore their interests, share their stories, and engage with a broader audience. It empowers youth by enabling them to discuss topics they care about and share their unique viewpoints. This project also developed practical skills like researching, writing, interviewing, along with technical production (audio editing, sound design).

“One significant thing that the youth often learn through this project is public speaking and communication skills. They improve their ability to articulate thoughts clearly and persuasively, whether through scripted segments or spontaneous discussions. This skill is crucial for their personal growth and future endeavors, such as college applications, job interviews, or community leadership roles.”
-Barbara Zimmer, Middle School Educator

Two interview style podcasts were created. The first interviewed two staff members and the second interviewed a youth, Fabi. Here are a couple key moments in Fabi’s interview:

Tomato Experiment

Now that Banyan has a community garden, this science project was able to become a reality. Youth research teams planted two tomato plants and created a variable that they would change in the care of only one of the plants. For example, some youth gave less water to one plant and other youth built bird netting around one plant to protect it. Weekly the youth monitored plant height, number of leaves, number of flowers, and number of tomatoes.

“The independent variable (less water) changed the growth of the plant by 10 inches.”
-Middle school youth recording sheet

While the research was inconclusive, the youth did notice some interesting changes. The plant with less water didn’t grow as tall but it did fruit faster than the plant that was regularly watered. No significant difference was noted with the bird netting.

The tomato experiment project provided an excellent opportunity for youth to enhance their STEM competencies, particularly in the areas of observational skills and analytical thinking. Overall, everyone was surprised how large the plants grew in just 5 weeks! Check out this timelapse video.