As part of Empower & Excel’s STEAM project for low income communities in the East San Jose area, Health Equity+ Back To School Event was held to educate kids on steps they should take to prevent the spread of COVID at school. Each kid and/or parent was given a safety kit which contains hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, and a cloth mask. In turn they also got a pamphlet detailing certain actions they can take to prevent COVID, such as getting vaccinated and how to wear a mask properly, in both English and Spanish. Some science experiments that illustrated germ’s behavior were also set up. One example being the pepper and soap experiment, in which pepper represents germs and when they come into contact with soap they scatter, demonstrating the importance of washing your hands with soap. This event was planned in an effort to help reduce the awareness gap, one of the main reasons minorities and low-income families are more susceptible to COVID, while at the same time incentivizing learning through fun experiments and prizes.
