ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Dozens of young minds at Kasson-Mantorville Elementary School received hands on learning through the program LEAP Tuesday afternoon. Through the Learning Enrichment and Advancement Program (LEAP) students had the opportunity to learn about future careers in health sciences with several immersive activities.
Jennifer Kujath is a teacher and creator of LEAP; she said one goal of the program is to get students thinking about their future career.
“The idea is to get them out there and thinking about their future and what careers might be out there,” she said. “The field of health science is huge and it’s not just being a doctor or a nurse. They found out that there are many jobs that they can have.”
Students heard from the Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center and the Red Cross, which are some of the best health professionals in southeastern Minnesota.
A highlight included working with sonographers from the Mayo Clinic. Kujath and other students say LEAP is similar to a field trip.
“They were able to use the sonography equipment and image some of the molds,” Kujath said. “We can’t do this every day so it’s fun to do it at least once. It’s like a field trip brought to the school for them.”
The program on Tuesday also immersed students into science by using special glitter potion. The fourth graders would rub the potion on their hands, like soap, to see the before and after results of how well they wash their hands. They saw the results in a black light tent.
“It’s like a black light and you put on lotion, and you see like…you could see like all the germs,” two girls said.
This is the third year LEAP has run at Kasson-Mantorville Elementary School. Earlier in the school year students below fourth grade had similar experiences with engineers, agriculturalists, and first responders.
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