COMMUNITY IMPACT • WORKSHOP RECAP
Hands-On Materials Science in the Pacific Northwest
In August 2026, Project EcoMotion designed and ran an interactive STEM workshop series. Led by founder Grace Zeng, each session brought materials science and engineering concepts to life for local students through design challenges and collaborative hands-on experiments.
Hosted across 4 King County Libraries
Why Materials Matter
Why does each material class have such different properties? Students learned how molecular structures shape material characteristics. They tested 8 properties across 12 common engineering materials to inform their designs of essential objects such as water bottles.
Egg Drop Challenge
How do different types of foam absorb energy, elastically and plastically? Students engineered protective capsules using foam, egg cartons, and bubble wrap. They iterated upon their ideas as they increased the drop height to optimize their designs.
Materials in Sports Equipment
Why do bike helmets break by design? How is energy absorbed versus transferred? Students tested the friction, rebound, stiffness, and weight of different materials and used their data to design sports equipment themselves. They also explained the tradeoffs they made.
Polymer Crosslinking Experiments
Why does adding borate solution crosslink the PVA chains in glue? What is the "right amount" of crosslinking for different applications? Students created slime and bouncy balls while learning about the chemistry that powers them.
To encourage continued self-guided discovery, participants received complimentary copies of Mark Miodownik’s bestselling materials science book, Stuff Matters.