TE Connectivity Volunteers Test Student Slime Project

By Amy Cowen on September 21, 2026 8:00 AM

Volunteers test a slime chemistry engineering project as part of TE Connectivity's Nelson Mandela Day–International Days of Service.

TE Connectivity Volunteers test slime project

Volunteers Get Hands-on with Slime Project Testing

As part of TE Connectivity's recent Nelson Mandela Day–International Days of Service, employees had the opportunity to participate in individual or team volunteer activities.

Employees from TE Connectivity's Asian Heritage Employee Resource Group (ERG) chose a "Done in a Day" volunteer activity for Science Buddies. A team of materials scientists focused on polymer R&D at TE Connectivity's Corporate Technology Center in Fremont, CA, tested the Design Your Own Slime project, a middle-school chemistry project that uses the engineering design process.

In the project, students first use contact lens solution to make a batch of slime following a basic recipe. They are then challenged to design their own slime and investigate how the properties of slime change when other materials are added or the recipe is altered. What happens if they add glitter, iron filings, or fluorescent pigment? What changes do they observe? Do the ratios of ingredients in the basic recipe need to change?

TE Connectivity Volunteers test slime project

Above: TE Connectivity volunteers testing slime formulations for a student project.

The slime project was a natural fit for the team of materials scientists, who approached the testing with curiosity and enthusiasm.

"Everyone had great fun during the event," says Pallav Jani, Sr. Scientist, Polymers & Composites Development. "As most of us do formulation work in our roles, it was exciting to try out different slime recipes and come up with ideas to test."

The testing also gave the scientists a chance to experience the project from a student's perspective. “We were fascinated by the science behind the project and enjoyed most the process of mixing ingredients and checking out what was working and what was not," says Pallav, adding that, like students, scientists sometimes get excited and jump straight in before carefully reviewing a procedure.

"Some teams started to mix based on their knowledge of ingredients without looking at the actual recipe, and that did not turn out well. The slime was gooey and did not gel, so they had to go back to the drawing board."

With several teams testing different slime formulations, Pallav says that some good-natured competition unfolded as teams iterated on their formulas.

TE Connectivity Volunteers test slime project - examples

Above: Examples from TE Connectivity volunteer testing.

"We are incredibly grateful for the time TE Connectivity employees devoted to testing and improving the slime project. It is a popular project, but as happens with content over time, we knew it could benefit from being updated," says Teisha Rowland, Ph.D., Director of Science and STEM Content for Science Buddies.

"The volunteers' expertise in materials science was especially helpful. They applied their knowledge and skills to suggest changes that greatly enhanced the student project. Science Buddies has been around for 25 years. Working with volunteers from companies like TE Connectivity is important for helping ensure our resources for K-12 students continue to remain relevant and engaging for many more years to come."

"By giving back, we help strengthen the future talent pipeline and create a positive impact in our communities," says Pallav.