Woolslair Elementary School Outreach Event

On February 10th, our chapter had the privilege of visiting Woolslair Elementary School—a vibrant STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) magnet school in Pittsburgh dedicated to nurturing young innovators. We designed an engaging outreach session to introduce the curious 5th-grade minds to the world of Operations Research in a way that was both educational and fun.

Through hands-on activities and interactive games, students dove into fascinating combinatorial challenges like map coloring, vehicle routing, shortest path puzzles, and probability problems. It was incredible to see their enthusiasm as they tackled real-world-inspired problems, strategizing like little logisticians and data scientists.

From figuring out how to color a map without overlapping shades to solving who gets to ride in which vehicle for the most efficient delivery route, the young learners showed impressive teamwork and creativity. Their excitement reminded us that it’s never too early to spark an interest in analytics and structured problem-solving.

We left Woolslair inspired by the energy in the room and hopeful about the next generation of thinkers who might one day shape the world through Operations Research. We can’t wait to return!