Nine members strong and growing, a new club has been formed at Greene Early College.  Chemistry & Earth Science teacher Brian Rada, has organized an after-school science club affectionately called  GECKOS - the Greene Early College Kids of Science.  Meeting once a week, the group participates in hands-on science experiments and projects. 

The most recent (shown above) was the Duct Tape Challenge: students were tasked to build airplanes made from a single roll of duct tape and a paperclip (paper and scissors were not allowed!). Utilizing their engineering and math skills, students had to plan, design, and create a duct-tape plane and then measure the distance their design would fly.  The real fun began with the flying of their creations! Future plans include several other engineering challenges but will also explore other areas of science. Mr. Rada will also be coaching GECHS’s first Science Olympiad team this weekend, February 5th.

Shown in this photo is the group’s first experiment for the club. Left to right, front row:  Adriana Romero-Argomaniz, Jaquez Johnson, Miracle Neal; Back row:  Mr. Brian Rada, Dorien Sutton, Anamari Zuniga, and Malaysiana Bell. The members had to create paper air-skimmers that could glide across the floor by balancing both lift and drag while reducing friction. To ensure success they had to correctly convert measurements and to accurately assemble the device according to directions. Competition among members encouraged group engagement and enthusiasm.