Jefferson’s Tomorrow’s Women in Science and Technology (TWIST) held its annual Techstravaganza on Saturday, May 17. It welcomed local elementary and middle school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. The event featured a broad range of interactive activities led by clubs to spark interest in STEM.
“Techstravaganza is such a meaningful experience,” junior Aditi Saravanan said. “Seeing the kids excited about learning and creating is so rewarding. With younger ones, you have to be silly and go along with what they find interesting, and with the older ones, it’s usually stuff like bets and challenges.”
Coordinators like Saravanan and her teammate, junior Aanya Shekhar, began organizing the event months in advance. To stay on top of planning, the team often used their lunch for meetings.
“During our lunch blocks, we would go over sign-up spreadsheets, send emails to clubs, and figure out how to solve problems that came up last minute,” Saravanan said. “There were so many moving parts, and those quick meetings helped us stay on track.”
For Shekhar, Techstravaganza has been a significant part of her TWIST experience since her freshman year.
“I’ve been a member of TWIST since freshman year, so I applied for Techstrav because that was the event TWIST ran,” Shekhar said. “It is fully student-run, so we are responsible for everything. This includes finances, outreach, coordination with other schools and companies, and planning.”
While she enjoyed volunteering previously, Shekhar saw areas for improvement that motivated her to get more involved. It motivated her to take on the role as a coordinator.
“I had a lot of fun volunteering last year, and it inspired me to volunteer at other STEM nights,” Shekhar said. “But I noticed a lot of flaws. Tables kept getting moved around, people kept messing with the map, and visitors took food not meant for them. I wanted to join the team to improve the event.”
On the day of the event, Sarvanan and Shekhar worked diligently to ensure everything ran smoothly. They managed volunteer check-ins, distributed food and water, and answered questions from parents and teachers.
“We put a lot of work into making it fun,” Saravanan said. “In the end, seeing the kids smile and learn something new makes it all worth it.”
While coordinators managed the logistics, Jefferson volunteers like Junior Ria Goel shared their passion for science with the young kids through their booths.
“Our booth focused on how viruses work, and I tried to keep the students engaged by asking them questions and getting them to think critically,” Goel said. “It was amazing to see how curious and enthusiastic they were.”
The experience was remarkable for Goel, as she got the chance to share science.
“I enjoyed being part of Techstravaganza. It’s a great way to share what we learn at TJ and make science fun for others,” Goel said. “Seeing kids walk away more interested in science than when they arrived is the best feeling.”