I wasn't a huge fan of science growing up, and I only recently figured out why. Certain subjects just can’t be taught strictly from a book.
I recently started homeschooling my son who absolutely loves science. He loves doing "experiments" at home, which generally consists of mixing odd kitchen items together to see what strange concoction they make. He's always asking about the planets, or why things grow, or what makes the weather change.
When we started homeschooling this year, I didn't want him to lose that love of science by suddenly turning it into a "task" or another workbook page to finish. That's why, when I heard about Spring Hill Enrichment Center's Super Science class for K-2nd graders, I jumped at the chance to get involved.
Spring Hill Enrichment Center opened in its doors in June of 2021. Their mission is all about fostering a love of education. The owner Brandi Alderson is a homeschool mom, a teacher, and an entrepreneur who dreamed of creating a place for the whole community of Spring Hill, TN, not just the homeschool community, to find enrichment opportunities in math, art, science and technology.
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My son Ollie and I were invited to join Brandi’s Super Science class in the fall of 2021. Classes met weekly for one hour. It was drop-off class, so parents were not required to stay, but I hung around to watch and take pictures. Each week, the focus was on a different science topic such as astronomy, electricity, polymers, weather, and more.
Brandi sets up the classroom with different stations and there are usually two or three activities per class. Kids are seated for certain portions of the class, but there is plenty of opportunity to stand up and move around. She keeps them engaged and active the entire class - there is no time for them to get bored or zone out. They’re having too much fun for that.
All of the experiments that Brandi leads the kids through are done with common household items that you probably already have at home or that are easy to get. Experiments are completely hands-on and kids are allowed to get their hands messy (but don’t worry, they will be cleaned up by the time you arrive to pick them up). Most days, after class, Ollie would spend the rest of the day talking about what he learned in Super Science. And the best part was, he didn’t even know he was “doing school.”
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We loved our Super Science days and were sad when they came to an end! The great thing is, we know there are more classes to try at the Spring Hill Enrichment Center and more classes are being added all the time.
If you’re not able to take a class with Brandi, but would like to support local enrichment education for youth and adults, please consider donating to the Spring Hill Enrichment Center. You can even choose which program you would like your donation to benefit.
Disclaimer: For the purposes of writing this article, the tuition fee for the class was waived; however, all of my opinions are 100% my own.
