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STEM Spotlight: Marshmallow Minds’ Salmon Migration Design STEAM Program

Imagine feeling unwell from a one-degree fever. Now consider California salmon, enduring daily 10-degree temperature changes during their migration—an incredible feat of survival. However, with rising temperatures due to climate change, even slight increases outside their thermal tolerance threaten their ability to reach spawning grounds. 

Harini Senthilvasan, Founder and CEO of Marshmallow Minds, is leading the way in integrating innovative STEM education with real-world problem-solving. In September 2023, her organization piloted the Salmon Migration Design STEAM Program, a hands-on project aimed at teaching students about the impact of climate change on marine life—specifically, the challenges salmon face during migration.

The program, titled “A Tough Trek – Salmon Migration Design in a Warm Planet,” used Sphero BOLT robots and littleBits kits to immerse students in the learning process. Students programmed the BOLT robots to simulate salmon navigating man-made obstacles during migration, such as dams and pollution. This interactive approach helped them empathize with salmon as they faced difficulties and encouraged the students to think critically about real-world solutions to support this challenge.

In addition to programming Sphero BOLTs, students used littleBits to create temperature sensors, simulating the environmental conditions that salmon experience. By integrating Design Thinking principles, the program empowered students to craft innovative solutions, such as creating salmon-friendly dam designs with fish ladders, pathways with littleBits loggers that monitor water temperature for taking informed decisions, and riparian habitats to create cool refuges for fish to hang out in.

Students working with littleBits.

The impact of Marshmallow Minds’ program was especially significant for underserved students. At Windmill Springs Elementary, where 58% of participants come from low-income families and more than 50% are English language learners, 100% of students successfully completed their design projects with a final team presentation. The program not only fostered teamwork and communication but also ignited a passion for environmental activism/stewardship in students like Tony T., who committed to preventing water pollution after learning about its effects on salmon.

By blending STEAM with social-emotional learning (SEL) and real-life challenges, Marshmallow Minds is shaping young minds to become thoughtful, creative problem-solvers who care about the world around them.

If you’d like to learn more about the Salmon Migration Design STEAM Program, you can reach out to Marshmallow Minds team at info@marshmallowminds.org.

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