Science Night at Birch Lane

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Last Thursday night was Family Science Night at Olly's school. These jamboree type events are organised periodically by the PTA who gamefully exploit the large reservoir of scientific professionals in the parent community (federal, state, and university).

The set up was similar to events we attended at the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas in Ciudad Universitaria (for our Buenos Aires readers), only substitute keen young students behind tables offering attention grabbing experiments, for mums and dads behind tables offering attention grabbing experiments and all manner of equipment, posters (non-political), freebies and general enthusiasm on display.


The school set up also added an incentive for the kids who went with their parents, to make them keen on completing the circuit. Each was given a "passport" (think booklet) where they would receive a stamp after completing the activities on all the tables. At the end of this process, after the passport was duly certified, they would receive a 'treat'!

The science on offer included, health sciences, nutrition sciences, biochemistry, recombinant DNA technology, chemistry, climate and forestry, fire ecology and safety, astronomy, poultry science, and the salmon life cycle!! While aimed at a middle school audience of 12 to 14 year olds, my middle school science knowledge benefited quite a bit too! There was a genuine enthusiasm on the part of the parents staffing the exhibits to share the 'cool stuff' about their work with the kids who seemed to be enjoying it as well, fortunately overcoming an inherent suspicion towards covert 'learning'!

           

As well as science, there was a lively and positive attitude on display, which reminded me that schools thrive when they are the centres of the communities they serve and represent.

 

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