Donning lab coats and wearing protective goggles, some very young scientists explored hands-on experiments recently at Elizabethtown Child Care Center.

The students enjoyed a Science Explorers assembly called "Kooky Concoctions," where they watched how dry ice creates smoke, learned about viscosity and more.

"It was a very interactive program," said Lisa Botelho, executive director of the center. "I'm sure they all went home and talked to their families about how great this was. They all had a lot of fun."

The program was made possible through a $10,000 grant the center received from the STEM Alliance. The STEM Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing science, technology, engineering and math initiatives. A board member applied for the grant, which awarded funds to fulfill classroom wish lists, provide playground equipment and support programs such as the science assembly.

Science Explorers provides interactive programs to help young children engage with the wonders of science. At the end of the assembly, each student took home a kit of supplies to conduct experiments at home. "They received kits with four activities of things they can make - sidewalk chalk, super balls, insta-snow and magic sand," Botelho shared.

The Elizabethtown Child Care Center has operated for 55 years. It serves infants through school-age children and currently enrolls 100 students. It is located in Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren.

"This isn't just babysitting," Botelho said. "We have an educational program with a curriculum."

STEM is an important part of the curriculum, she said.

"This is about teaching the kids a love of science, which might encourage them to go into a science field," she shared. "STEM is very hands-on, and for someone like me, who is a hands-on learner, it's a great way to retain information. When you can see and touch something, you can learn better. The children will take home what they learned and remember it."

To learn more about Elizabethtown Child Care Center, visit http://www.etownchildcare.org.