Youmans speaks to Kiwanis

The Kiwanis Club of Swainsboro held its weekly meeting Tuesday night, September 1, at the Franklin Memorial Library at 6:30 p.m. With President Dianna Wedincamp presiding, they had 12 in attendance including guest, Erin Youmans. Cheryl Goodman won The Cakery’s Assortment Tray and Tim Goodman won the Domino’s Pizza. The program for the evening was hosted by Tim Goodman who introduced Erin Youmans, the Regional Coordinator of the Georgia Youth Science and Technology Center (GYSTC). Youmans has worked for GYSTC for 14 years. GYSTC is a non-profit which is housed at the Fulford Center on the GSUEG campus in Swainsboro. GYSTC, founded in 1997, provides STEM education and resources to local students and teachers. In 2023-2024, they served over 7,600 students and 514 teachers in Emanuel, Candler, Jefferson, Baldwin and McIntosh Counties. Youmans does STEM nights and STEM days for students, parents and teachers, and summer camps for students. In 2024, Youmans wrote a grant to get a “Moon Tree” for rural Georgia, and the “Moon Tree” was planted on May 7, 2024, at the Fulford Center. The Loblolly Pine, which orbited the Moon, was 12.2-in tall when planted and is now 39 inches tall. This year Youmans started a “Let’s Go Outside and Learn” program which includes the Sea Turtle and Bee Projects. Youmans explained about outdoor events with U.S. Fish & Wildlife at Kennedy Pond in Statesboro. She also talked about the Sea Turtle project in conjunction with the Caretta Research Project on Wassaw Island. Her plans for this year include lots more resources for students and teachers, Starlabs to the schools, STEM nights for students and parents, family astronomy and nature days, along with continuation of the Sea Turtle study. President Wedincamp gave a quick report on “Read Emanuel,” our Signature Project. They have about 18 of the Little Free Libraries functioning, and the Fire Hydrant Project will be underway next week beginning with the hydrant on Roger Shaw Street. President Wedincamp read a thank you note from the Emanuel Arts Council for the sound system donated by the Kiwanis Club, and they announced the 1st official Open Mic Night using the new sound system will be September 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Tea Strings.