It’s not every day that students get to compete against their classmates to see who can change a tire the fastest or conduct a chemistry experiment in the kitchen. Students at Gorham Middle School (GMS) had the chance to do that and much more during the first-ever Aspire Gorham seventh grade Try It Day.

The day brought professionals to GMS to share their career stories with students and lead them through a hands-on activity related to their chosen field.

In some cases, like Moody’s Collision Centers’ Pit Crew Challenge, students raced to complete tasks. In others, like Carter’s Landscapes Design Challenge, they worked collaboratively and creatively to complete the task.

Improv actor Bob Leblanc hosted the opening assembly and set the stage for the day by telling students, “Try It Day is just like improv. It’s all about saying yes.”

LeBlanc also led a set of sessions, introducing about 50 students to the joys of improvisation. Feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive.

“Probably the experiment in the kitchen was the best experience,” one anonymous student wrote as feedback. “It consisted of teamwork, thinking, and fun. It was fun to make and try, and it honestly was the most fun in school I’ve had for a while.”

In that session, food scientist Chris Astrauckas, of sauce and marinade manufacturer Schlotterbeck & Foss helped students make “fruit juice caviar.” Students performed a simple chemical reaction between calcium chloride and sodium alginate, resulting in edible small spheres of juice. An advisory committee of seventh graders helped design the day’s activities, which they determined needed to be 100% hands-on. And, of course, fun. Session leaders worked with Aspire Gorham staff to develop activities that encourage problem solving, creativity, and teamwork.