27/3-2023GAME mixes street sports with STEM elements to get children and young people interested in science
“We do activities that focus on movement, positive inclusion, creativity, and an increased focus on science by including STEM elements,” says project coordinator Oliver Pedersen, describing GAME’s Street Mix program.
Supported by the Villum Foundation, the program aims to develop and test innovative ways to strengthen children’s and young people’s interest in science through activities in street sports and street culture, with a focus on STEM.
STEM refers to the four scientific fields of education: science, technology, engineering, and math.
“We see that young people are increasingly avoiding STEM-related education, so we are trying to make natural sciences more exciting by implementing them in street sports”, says Oliver Pedersen.
Street Mix also works to involve children and young people in vulnerable positions, who often face various barriers when participating in leisure activities, while there is also a strong focus on developing attractive activities for girls.
“We find that women, in particular, are underrepresented in STEM-related subjects, activities, and street sports, so we have a natural and special focus on this,” adds Oliver Pedersen.
Children and young people learn about science and learn to speak a new language
Street Mix builds on GAME’s many years of experience in creating social change through street sports and street culture, and when street sports and STEM elements are combined, something very special happens in GAME’s Street houses.
“We find that children who are not normally interested in sports but who come to Street Mix start to move more. At the same time, we also experience the opposite, where participating children who are not necessarily interested in STEM subjects suddenly want to learn more about science,” says Oliver Pedersen and adds:
“In this way, a scientific language is created that they can use to talk to each other, which is exciting.”
A recent evaluation by University College Copenhagen and Rambøll shows that 67% of the young people participating in Street Mix agreed that they learned something new about science, while 77% agreed that it was fun to participate in the activities.
Street Mix includes various educational activities, such as completing obstacle courses with glasses that distort balance, experimenting with colors, shadows, and light in graffiti art, and measuring the correct slopes and angles to build a skate ramp.
Oliver Pedersen says that these activities often result in a product, and the potential for implementation is enormous. “So far, it has been a huge success, and we see that the young people are very receptive to the initiatives. Therefore, we are interested in looking into involving Danish school classes in the long term or spreading the concept beyond Danish borders,” he concludes.
Street Mix is a regular part of GAME’s activities and is free to participate in at GAME’s Streetmekkaer in Denmark. It is supported by the Villum Foundation.
