Meeting/Event Information

The Hampton Roads Chapter of ASHRAE teamed up with the Girl Scouts of Troop 371 in Chesapeake, VA, to provide a hands-on STEM learning experience for local girls. Alicia Udovich, who is both an ASHRAE member and Girl Scout leader, hosted the event where the girls participated in activities tied to their merit badges. The Girl Scout Juniors earned their “Get Moving” Journey, while the Cadettes earned their “Breathe” Journey. With Alicia's guidance, the ASHRAE-sponsored STEM kits played a key role in helping the girls achieve these goals.

Alicia collaborated with Miguel Ochoa, the ASHRAE HRC Student Activities Chair, who was responsible for assembling the STEM kits' supplies. The event not only provided educational value to the girls but also earned the Hampton Roads Chapter valuable Presidential Award of Excellence (PAOE) points in the Student Activities category. These points recognize chapter achievements and dedication to promoting excellence. The chapter is awarded specific PAOE points if a chapter member plans the event and for hosting an event in collaboration with another organization (i.e. Girl Scouts). In addition, there are specific PAOE points for utilizing ASHRAE's resources, including the STEM kits.

The STEM kits, provided by ASHRAE HRC, included all the materials needed for the girls to build their own sling psychrometers. Alicia led the group through an interactive lesson, explaining the difference between dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures. The girls then used the psychrometers to measure these temperatures and plotted their findings on a psychrometric chart to determine additional air properties.

The girls thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on experience, eagerly swinging their psychrometers high above their heads to get accurate readings. This experiment gave them a tangible understanding of how temperature and humidity are measured.

The girls learned about Hygrometers, a device used to measure humidity as a percentage (relative humidity or RH).  Alicia shared her family heirloom, a vintage hydrometer, with the girls. The girls compared the results of their DIY sling psychromters & psychrometeric charts with the results of the hygrometer.

In addition to psychrometric experiments, the troop delved into the world of HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems. Alicia introduced the girls to the main components of an air-handling unit, such as heating coils, cooling coils, fans, and filters. The girls also discussed how properties of air are used in various STEM careers, such as meteorology, and were encouraged to think about potential careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

By participating in this event, the Girl Scouts not only made progress toward their Journey awards, but also earned their “STEM Career Exploration” badges. The ASHRAE-sponsored STEM kits provided a valuable, hands-on learning experience that sparked curiosity and inspired the girls to explore the exciting world of STEM.