Rumsey's STEM Program Gets a Boost from CT Science Fair Winner Justin Wang '21
Rumsey STEM Club is Moving Ahead Full-Steam for 2020-2021!
Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair Award
Justin Wang '21, who was awarded with the third place middle school certificate in the 2020 Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF) is on a mission to continue to bolster Rumsey Hall's thriving STEM program. His project detailed the invention of a heart rate monitor for people with autism spectrum disorder. His research and in-depth presentation into the science and medical viability of the product was applauded by the judges at the fair.
This year, Justin hopes to continue building on Rumsey's solid foundation of our science, technology, engineering, and math program through the collaboration within the student-driven STEM Club.
“It was definitely fun to join the CSEF,” said Justin. “From this project, I learned that as a middle school student, instead of waiting until we are older, we are empowered to make innovations to solve real problems and serve others right now. Technology is playing a bigger and bigger role in our lives and it is crucial for us to be well versed in technology. This is the reason why I had the idea to start a STEM Club at Rumsey Hall, the CT private boarding and day school, which finally came true with full support from the Rumsey community.”
“I was very glad when Justin invited me to be the co-founder of STEM Club since I have been very interested in science and technology and hoped to pursue advanced knowledge with my schoolmates. Despite the fact that different locations and time zones brought a lot of challenges to our STEM Club, we are very proud that we finally made it happen,” said Nick Zhang '22.
Liz Butler, Science Department Chair, noted: "I have been very impressed with Justin’s diligence and drive to develop his scientific curiosity. Last year's science fair competition ignited Justin’s interest in working on science problems that would benefit someone’s wellbeing. Justin and Nick want to continue this work by organizing a group of students to pursue their interests in the STEM field and I am excited to support them in their journey."
Establishing the 2020-2021 STEM Club
Rumsey Hall is digging deep in this era of hybrid learning to connect all of our students—wherever on this earth they are learning from. The STEM Club is beginning to gain momentum as students join up and are tasked with determining their goals and challenges for the upcoming year. Presently, there are eight students participating in the STEM club. Justin states, "we welcome all Rumsey students who are interested in STEM to join the club! If you are interested in joining, please let me know." The goals of the STEM club include to encourage more Rumsey students to be interested in science, technology, and engineering by creating hands-on experiences in an expansive environment, to establish a core team to represent Rumsey in STEM competitions, to connect Rumsey students in this special time of distance-learning, and to continue to strengthen the School's STEM program.
When asked about the obstacles the STEM Club may face this year, Justin stated: "Different locations and time zones definitely bring challenges. Since students are in different places, it is not easy to find a club meeting time and communication is more tricky than usual. Fortunately, with the support from Rumsey and all members, the STEM Club has been established and we will study VEX AI coding starting shortly."