Bringing science to life for Kootenay youth
By Contributor
“For a child there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does ‘just for fun’ and things that are ‘educational.’ The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play.” -Penelope Leach
Science, like all subject matter in life, can be taught, read in textbooks, and memorized. To truly learn in a meaningful manner, however, science must be experienced and incorporated into everyday life. Making science fun and applying it to real life scenarios is a sure route to instilling the spark in today’s youth and tomorrow’s scientists.
On Wednesday, March 25th, 27 boys and 43 girls from seven schools came together to live, play and learn at the School District #20 Science fair. The Stanley Humphries school gym came alive during the event with research projects and experiments ranging from how paper is made to regenerating severed limbs. Fourteen judges including local biologists, engineers, physiotherapists and teachers chose Megan Bursey and Israel Millar both of Stanley Humphries as the overall most outstanding projects on stem cell research and Huntington’s Disease respectively.
KAST’s GLOWS program (Growing Learning Opportunities With Science) will soon be hitting the road around the region with the Family Math Road Show. Travelling to four schools in the district; family teams will race from one continent to another using real life math skills. Skill testing problems such as international currency exchange, deciphering map coordinates, tangrams and more will challenge participants as they collect stamps from each continent in their passports. Kids from kindergarten to grade 7 can participate with different skill level categories for each age group.
Family Math Nights
- Kinnaird Elementary School Castlegar
Wednesday April 7th - Rossland Secondary School, Rossland
Tuesday April 13th - Webster Elementary School, Trail
Tuesday April 27th - Fruitvale Elementary School – Fruitvale
Wednesday April 28th
Following last year’s Community Science Celebration which was attended by thousands of people, this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever. The Celebration will include eye-popping science shows from Science World, various demonstrations from the portable Vancouver Aquarium, the Solar Power Road Show will teach kids to make solar powered cars , as well an opportunity to meet all the people in your community doing cool science every day.
Through engaging demonstrations, informative booths and inspiring scientific game and experiments the Community Science Celebration aims to instil a love of science in Kootenay youth and bring out their inner Einsteins and Newtons.
“I love helping to organize the science celebration. It’s so great to see kids getting excited about science and technology,” commented Terry Van Horn, KAST’s program coordinator. “It’s events like this that can be the spark for these kids to get excited about science now and perhaps carry that further as they grow up.”
Community Science Celebration
Date: Saturday, April 10th
Location: Selkirk College Gym, Castlegar
Time: 10:30am -4:00
For more information please visit www.kast.com or contact Terry at the KAST office 250-483-5052 or terry@kast.com
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