GIVE BLOOD—IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!Each pint improves ‘STEM’ education
Seminole Ridge National Honor Society and SECME students will host a blood drive Tuesday, November 17 from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Our theme “GIVE BLOOD—IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE” spotlights students’ achievement in STEM classes: science, technology, engineering, and math.
Florida's Blood Centers will donate approximately $20 per unit of blood collected to the Scholarship Assistance Foundation to support tuition assistance for students attending colleges, universities, community colleges, institutions, and technical centers.
And for every pint of blood donated, SECME students will launch a water bottle rocket—a two-liter soda bottle filled with compressed air and water. SECME coordinator Erich Landstrom says, “Designing, building, and flying a water bottle rocket ignites students’ minds with a real-world application of STEM. Students manipulate and control variables. Math and science studies are necessary to complete the process—the physics of Newton’s laws of motion, the projectile motion, polynomial equations for freefall calculations, parabolic paths, and the practice of true engineering. These are the tools that an engineer uses to solve a problem.”
HOW TO GIVE BLOOD:
To donate blood, students must be in good health, be at least 16 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, have turned in a signed parental consent form, and present a photo ID.
The quick and simple donation process includes registration, a health history survey, and blood pressure and iron level checks. A technician performs a brief medical screening to check blood pressure, pulse, and temperature and hemoglobin levels. This helps assure safe blood for patients, and also provides a quick check-up for donors. The entire process takes about 45 minutes, while the actual donation will only take about 10 minutes. Each donor also receives a free cholesterol screening.
The blood donated can be divided into platelets, plasma, and red cells. One pint can be used to help three different people. Blood is used for surgeries, emergencies, heart bypass, and cancer treatments. All blood types are welcome; however, Florida’s Blood Centers has a particular need of blood types O-negative and AB-negative, and of platelets.
For additional information about donating blood, contact NHS sponsor Mrs. Shawna Ahmad: ahmadsh (at) palmbeach (dot) k12 (dot) fl (dot) us
