Tildenville Elementary students learn about STEM careers by building 'chocolate asphalt'

Lesson on road building uses chocolate

Engineers used chocolate to demonstrate to school students how asphalt roads are built.

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - Dozens of students at Tildenville Elementary in Orange County learned what it takes to build a road from the ground up in honor of National Engineers Week.

Engineers with Florida’s Turnpike showed fifth-graders how to use sugar, oats, walnuts and chocolate to make “chocolate asphalt” as a way to inspire them to think about STEM careers.

“For us, it’s really important for us to emphasize, science, technology, [engineering and] math careers [that] some of the students are never exposed to those,” said Josiah Banet, P.E. program director with Florida’s Turnpike.

Banet said STEM careers are more important now than ever with the challenges we face in society.

Banet said, “If you’re curious about the world around you. You want to make the world a better place. You want to encourage collaboration and talking with other people. That’s what engineers do. We’re looking to provide those solutions. We’re problem-solvers.”

This is the Florida Turnpike’s seventh year celebrating National Engineers Week at Tildenville Elementary.