For three days in August, 20 middle school students and their chaperones from the Patchogue/Medford area visited Stony Brook to explore a few STEM labs.

Through a partnership with the Long Island Latino Teachers Association (LILTA), the students were brought to campus for interactive lab experiments in several different areas. One of the days was spent at the Innovation Lab, where the students performed an “appliance autopsy.”

Students explored the inner workings of some everyday appliances.

The students were given a small appliance, goggles, hammers, screwdrivers and pliers and  worked in teams to take apart the appliance, getting a look inside the machines to learn how they work. Some of the appliances that were donated by faculty and staff for the lab were a microwave, toasters, blenders, a fan, and a coffee maker.

Stony Brook student volunteers from the Innovation Lab assisted the group in performing the ‘autopsies.’ The Innovation Lab is a campus resource for planning, creation and innovation.

After their lab projects were complete,  the students enjoyed campus tours, exploring a different part each day, and had lunch in the Student Activities Center.

Learn more about the Innovation Lab: http://www.stonybrook.edu/innovation/