“STEM Cadets”, a fun and engaging television show to help children across The Bahamas learn more about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), is the premise behind a kid-focused STEM TV show.
Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) fifth-grade student Kaitlyn Thompson, who plays Erica the engineer, said she had fun working on the project.
“[Working on] ‘STEM Cadets’ was very exciting,” said Kaitlyn. “I learned about a lot of things while doing this, but the one thing that was really intriguing was that I learned more about engineering. The writers inserted tips on how to create stuff at home with basic materials like cardboard, scissors, glue, stencils, pencils, etc.”
Kaitlyn also learned about professionalism and all the hard work that goes into making a television program. She expressed being surprised at the amount of time it took to set up and film scenes, as well as the emotional commitment that is required when acting for long periods of time.
The idea for “STEM Cadets” came out of “STEM Saturdays,” an enrichment program started by the Rotary Club of Old Fort (RCOF) at Adelaide Primary School. Through the program, students learnt about STEM topics on Saturday mornings during the school year. Due to the pandemic, STEM Saturdays were not able to continue face to face, and RCOF determined that a television show would be a great way to reach even more children around the country. LCIS and REV Cable Bahamas were identified as partners for the project.
In the spring, LCIS partnered with RCOF and REV to produce the television show to help kids all across The Bahamas learn more about STEM.
“STEM Cadets” features LCIS students and staff in front of the camera and behind the scenes, as well as student actors from Adelaide Primary School.
Through the transformative experience of working with industry professionals, students were able to enhance their skills in acting and directing.
Jasmine Davis, LCIS 11th-grade student, co-writer and assistant director, was eager to join the production. She had previously created a film about social anxiety disorder in teenagers for her IB (International Baccalaureate) Middle Years Programme (MYP) Project. She said she had to use a lot of the same skills writing and directing for “STEM Cadets”.
“[In “STEM Cadets”] I wasn’t directing and acting, but I was directing the cinematography, so it was very similar. The writing was slightly different because my film was more of a monologue, whereas this show had a lot of dialogue. The audiences were also different, so having to tweak my writing a little bit to fit the audience was challenging, but it was fun to do.”
She said it was more challenging than she thought it would be as she had to pay a lot of attention to the scene as she assistant directed, to ensure things happened properly. Jasmine said she remained motivated knowing that all the hard work would help students learn about STEM.
Dorenda Davis, LCIS information technology director and “STEM Cadets” co-writer and producer, said the collaboration between the various stakeholders behind the show, particularly the students from LCIS and Adelaide Primary, was what made the project special.
“I saw the interaction. I saw the help. I saw the growth. I saw the excitement from all the kids,” said Davis.
She felt the students formed good relationships and recalled them practicing together during their breaks. And that through the show, students who may have never had the opportunity to be in front of the camera developed passion and excitement for the project.
Davis acknowledged the difficulty involved in completing the project during the pandemic. She recalled the process of pulling everything together from the ground up, but said it was worth it to bring some joy and excitement to the children as they were able to see the show while they weren’t attending school face to face.
Season one of “STEM Cadets” consists of six episodes – the first three have aired, with re-run dates scheduled. The second half of the season is in the works and is planned for release in early 2022.
“STEM Cadets” premiered on REV channel 212 and the Our TV Originals Facebook page. The show is produced by LFD Productions Ltd.
The post ‘STEM Cadets’ a fun and engaging kid-focused TV show appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/stem-cadets-a-fun-and-engaging-kid-focused-tv-show/
No comments:
Post a Comment