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GREENWOOD Dist. — Oklahoma State University basketball players crouched down to explain how they use high-passing velocity to make a basket – illuminating the science behind the sport for students at the Tulsa Dream Center.
Roughly 80 fourth through eighth-grade students gathered Saturday for SportsLab, an interactive workshop that uses sports to teach science, technology engineering and math — collectively known as STEM.
SportsLab is a partnership between Devon Energy, Engage Learning, Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. The goal is to spark an interest in STEM through sports.
David Harris, executive VP and chief corporate development officer of Devon Energy, said the company wants to help expose students to STEM education at an early age. “SportsLab teaches students STEM is a part of everyday life and understanding it can help them advance in the things they love – including sports,” said Harris. “We hope this experience sparks an interest in STEM education and inspires our participants.”
SportsLab gets students in gear
OSU men’s and women’s basketball players helped run interactive drills teaching the science behind agility, jump force and dribble speed. The programming was developed and facilitated by the nonprofit Engage Learning.
“Our mission is to get kids excited about STEM through engaging and innovative learning,” said Bart Keeton, executive director of Engage Learning. “Partnering with the collegiate student-athletes makes the experience extra special for the kids and sometimes they even learn a thing or two!”
Typically, SportsLab activities are held before college athletic events or during half-day clinics on campus. However, this event was the first of several community clinics to be hosted across the state.
Partnering with Tulsa Dream Center
Larry Harris, recreation coordinator & transportation director of Tulsa Dream Center, highlighted the importance of bringing the clinic to Tulsa.
“Not all of our kids can go to Norman or Stillwater to experience a SportsLab, so we appreciate Devon for making sure kids at the Tulsa Dream Center got this opportunity,” Harris said. “Our kids have been talking nonstop about getting to learn from their favorite Oklahoma State basketball players. It was special for them to meet college athletes that grew up coming to the Tulsa Dream Center.”
Tulsa Dream Center was founded in 1999 with the desire to be a resource of support and empowerment for residents of North Tulsa. It focuses on addressing critical needs, fighting generational poverty and uniting a city. Its programs build character and leadership through sports.
Devon Energy says it has long supported the Tulsa Dream Center and installed a STEM center in 2021 to encourage STEM learning.
For more information on SportsLab, visit?OKState.com/SportsLab and?EngageLearning.org.