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Jun 05, 2023

This Hidden Gem turns STEM

Next up in 5 Example video title will go here for this video HOUSTON — From baking soda and vinegar volcanos to exploding sodas and batches of slime, more than 7,000 experiments await at Little

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HOUSTON — From baking soda and vinegar volcanos to exploding sodas and batches of slime, more than 7,000 experiments await at Little Beakers Science Lab for Kids.

"You don't have to spend $100 on ingredients," founder Dr. Cinttya Morgan said.

She came up with the idea for the labs, which are now in The Woodlands, Cypress and the Memorial area of Houston, during her career as a chemical scientist in aerospace polymers.

"(It is) very, very male-dominated," Morgan said.

Not only was she often the only woman, Morgan said it was rare to meet any other Hispanic women in her field. The numbers back her up. A 2018 study found while Hispanic women represented 7% of the total workforce, they made up just 2% of STEM workers.

"I thought, ‘Why is this happening? Like, why is it that there's no other girls out there like me?’" Morgan said.

She theorized that more exposure to STEM early on might generate the reaction she was looking for.

"They are playing, they're making slime, but in the process, they’re doing actual research, even science equipment that we use in the lab," Morgan said.

Along with classroom space for school or daycare visits, the labs are also equipped with open lab space with a lot of different experiments for you to try.

"If you see like they're excited about science, they really want to learn and you have no means of doing camp or classes or anything like that, that was my thought," Morgan explained.

You can book a location and time on Little Beaker’s website for $20 an hour or $25 for two and a half hours. That gives you access to the lab space, equipment, ingredients, experiment book and someone else to clean up afterward.

"We like to say we love making an impact and everyone that works here is just as enthusiastic about the goal," Morgan said. "They understand what our mission is and they work really, really, really hard to make that happen."

Learn more about Little Beakers Science Lab for Kids here.

Hidden Gems is brought to you by Dairy Queen.