Until now, elementary lab was science fiction

HEREABOUTS DIANA BLOWERS

She didn’t get hands-on science experiences until seventh grade, but Winnie Billiel is making sure students at Fairbrook Elementary School have that opportunity at a much younger age.

Billiel worked long and hard to establish Fairbrook’s new science lab, something she’d dreamed of since she started teaching in the Beavercreek school district six years ago.

Earlier this year, the lab opened, allowing students in grades one through five to explore science in an “active, inquiry-based fashion.”

She teaches science lab to all first- through fifth-graders at Fairbrook once a week and she hopes to soon add the kindergarteners.

The native of Shelby County taught for 10 years in Texas, where she helped establish her first elementary science lab.

“I absolutely love teaching science lab to elementary students. Their excitement is what has kept me in the profession,” Billiel said.

The elementary science lab concept came to her 16 years ago because she “thought it would be beneficial for elementary students to be exposed to hands-on discovery at a very young age.”

“I wanted them to get hooked while they were young so that someday they might want to pursue a science-related career,” she said, noting that it took her six years to convince her administrators in Texas to pursue the idea.

“But, I was able to develop four elementary science labs. I spent the next four years teaching science lab to grades one through five. When I was hired by Beavercreek, I asked who I needed to talk to about implementing an elementary science lab. It took me five years, but my vision has come true.”

Billiel’s classroom is outfitted with a sink, cabinets, sterilizer cabinet and traditional laboratory equipment, offering a safe workplace where the students can conduct a broad range of scientific experiments.

While the Fairbrook lab is a pilot program, Billiel said she hopes the program will eventually be expanded to all of the district’s elementary schools.

“I truly believe that every child has the capability to excel in some area of science,” she said. “My goal is to find that area to ignite a spark in that child. We have such a huge science community here in Beavercreek that it would be a shame not to promote science at a young age.”

When she first brought up the idea in Texas 16 years ago, it was an innovative idea.

“I had never heard of an elementary science lab, nor had my administrators,” she said.

“However, as time as gone on, I am seeing more and more districts implementing science labs at elementary schools,” she said.

Contact this columnist at dsb@donet.com.