Now that school is in full swing, Ma’ayanot students have had a chance to reflect on the experiences they gained during their summer science and engineering internships. Gila Stein, science chair and director of STEAM commented proudly, “These internships provide our students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they learn in their Ma’ayanot science and STEAM classes in a real-world setting.”
We caught up with three Ma’ayanot students who shared their experiences.
Maayan Hirschkorn, senior
Science internship: Ma’aynot helped me find an internship where I did biological research on vanilla plants with the Partners in Science program through the Liberty Science Center. I was paired with Dr. Dafna Frenkel at Rutgers University New Brunswick.
Describe your project: We tried to figure out why there is a shortage of vanilla beans, which drives up their cost. I studied the difference between aerial and terrestrial roots and found that aerial roots have triple the amount of xylem and phloem compared with terrestrial roots (which take in water and nutrients for the plant). This is why the aerial roots are needed for flowering of vanilla beans.
How has the research impacted you? I gained real lab experience and I developed an amazing relationship with my mentor. I presented my findings in front of 175 people and I might be able to publish my findings in a scientific journal.
Shoshi Blech, senior
Science internship: Thanks to STEAM at Ma’ayanot, I gained a basic understanding of circuitry and programming and interned at SHAPE (Summer High School Academic Program for Engineers) at Columbia University Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS).
Describe your project: In the electrical engineering program, we built a solar oven to bake cookies. We made it out of cardboard, duct tape, and tin foil and we built a temperature sensor with an arduino, temperature sensors, and an LCD monitor, so we could tell if and when our oven was hot enough to bake the cookies. My group’s oven was the only one that made fully-baked cookies.
What did you gain from your experience (other than cookies!)? In a college setting, I was able to expand on what I learned at Ma’ayanot about electrical circuitry and programming.
Peri Fogel, junior
Science internship: I spent the summer at Rutgers University on the Busch Engineering Campus in a program called TARGET: The Academy at Rutgers for Girls in Engineering and Technology.
Describe your program: We learned about different aspects of engineering, worked on projects and went on trips exploring them. I designed a prototype for a product that will prevent a skirt or dress from blowing in the wind, using chemical and packaging engineering.
What did you learn from your experience? I gained a greater appreciation for engineering and created long lasting friendships. Learning how problems can be solved using engineering helped me figure out that I would like to go into this field.
How has Ma’ayanot helped you in achieving your goals? Ma’ayanot helped give me the confidence that a woman can go into a field that is male dominated. We are equally capable in pursuing careers in engineering.
