Fairfield High School FBLA member Caroline Van Pelt (left) helps children melt Jolly Ranchers and turn the liquid into cotton candy by blowing it through a straw. The children pictured are, from left, Riley and Aubrey Clark, and Zoe and Cameron Haigler. (Andy Hallman/The Union)

FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield Public Library hosted a STEM Day Monday morning where children played games that involved science, technology, engineering and math.

The event was put on by Fairfield High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and spearheaded by FBLA member Caroline Van Pelt. Van Pelt put together a similar event at the library in February when she organized a STEM event for girls.

Van Pelt was one of 10 FBLA students who helped run the booths that morning, along with other adult volunteers. Van Pelt said she was pleased with the attendance and variety of booths her group could offer. One that she worked at involved melting Jolly Ranchers, dipping a straw into the liquid and then blowing through it to create a bubble that can be wrapped and eaten like cotton candy.

At one station, kids played with a giant Jenga set. At another, children made structures by sticking raw spaghetti noodles into playdough. Van Pelt’s mother Kate ran a booth that instructed children in how to make a circuit board. In the middle of the room was a maze, and kids took turns trying to maneuver a remote-controlled robot through the maze.

Van Pelt said one of the booths involved putting water, dish soap, glitter and dye into a bowl and then trying to mix them.

“The glitter and dye are just in there to show how water and dish soap don’t mix together,” Van Pelt said.

After FBLA did its first STEM event in February, the members hoped to put on a second one in the near future. The Fairfield Public Library inquired if the group could put one on in July, and they agreed.

Van Pelt is going into her junior year at FHS, and said FBLA will continue to host STEM events at the library as long as they keep getting invited back.

“I definitely think we want to do something else, too, like a pasta supper to raise money for state,” she said.

FHS students can get community service credit hours for working at these events, which goes toward the 10 hours of community service they need to graduate. Students who amass at least 60 hours of community service are honored on graduation day with a Silver Cord.

FBLA’s main fundraiser is selling cookie dough, and group members also raise money by working at concession stands and through bake sales. The money they raise goes toward paying for their trips to the state and national FBLA conventions.

This year’s FBLA National Leadership Conference was held in Orlando, Florida, from June 28 to July 3. Teams have to be in the Top 4 at their state competition to qualify for nationals, and this year 20 students from FHS qualified. Van Pelt was among those who went, and said she had a great time.

“We went to Universal Studios and Disney Springs,” she said. “I’m a state officer for Iowa, and our state officer team did a seeded volleyball tournament. Our [FHS FBLA] chapter did Top Golf and mini-golf while we were there.”

Van Pelt said she’s hoping FBLA can do well at state again next year so she and the Trojans can attend nationals in Anaheim, California.