Activities for Celebrating STEM & Afterschool this March
National Nutrition Month
"In my food world, there is no fear or guilt, only joy and balance." - Ellie Kriegger
Eating healthy can be challenging and even frustrating for some, but it is important to be aware of the foods we consume and the effects they have on our health: physically, mentally, and even emotionally. March is National Nutrition Month and is a perfect opportunity to help the youth in your program to make informed food choices and develop healthy habits for eating and being active.
Check out the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics National Nutrition Month Celebration Toolkit for some great resources to implement in your program. Or try out some of these ideas for bringing STEM into your celebration of National Nutrition Month:
- Have students survey their schools about their favorite fruits or vegetables. Take time for them to interpret the data and make a graph or chart to illustrate their findings. Encourage healthy choices with their handout they can take home 20 Ways to Enjoy More Fruits and Vegetables.
- Plan a field trip to a grocery store and ask the staff or nutritionist to share the STEM-related careers in their grocery stores (i.e. management, accounting, logistics, checker, nutritionist, store planner, etc.)
- Plan a cooking demo or nutrition event just for the youth in your program or for the whole family. Invite a dietitian, chef, local culinary school or Extension nutritionist to conduct a cooking demo combined with a brief nutrition presentation.
Find more ideas at Nutrition.gov.
Dr. Seuss Day
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." - Dr. Seuss
Best known as, Dr. Seuss, Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2nd, 1904 in Massachusetts. Through his books, Dr. Seuss helped millions of children learn to read. Thanks to his creativity, children are inspired to read with joy. March 2 is Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Let’s celebrate by honoring his works. Learn more about Dr. Seuss's life, check out all 46 books he wrote, or discover unique ways of celebrating Dr. Seuss Day.
Pi is a math symbol, representing the ratio of a circle's circumference and diameter. This ration is approximate 3.14158 holding infinite decimals. Rounded, it is 3.14, hence March 14th was the day picked for it be celebrated. Funny enough, Albert Einstein was born on this day, too! Did he eat pie instead of a cake on his birthday? That we can wonder. Happy Pi Day and Happy Birthday to Albert Einstein!
World Water Day
"We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one" - Jacques Cousteau
March 22nd is known as World Water Day. It is celebrated to advocate for sustainability of water resources around the world. Celebrate World Water Day in your program. Learn why clean water is important and how to build your own water filter with our water filter design challenge. Check out UNESCO World Water Day resources for posters, factsheets, animations, social media resources, educational resources, and more!
Rise Up: The 2019 National Afterschool Association Convention
Celebrate the passion, purpose, and persistence of all afterschool professionals and leaders who inspired and lead young students to be successful in their learning.