Release: Jan. 10, 2019
GAMBIER, Ohio — This winter brings a chance for middle schoolers (grade 6-8) to have an extraordinary, sensory, hands-on science experience on Kenyon College’s campus. BLAST (for boys) and ATHENAS (for girls) provide students with the opportunity to associate fun with science, be introduced to a community of scientists from all levels (including college and postgraduate), and gain exposure to fields of science and experiments not often taught at the middle or high school level.
Both programs are free for students and include lunch and snacks. Each program includes two hour-long sessions where participants will play and explore with different experiments related to the day’s theme; these sessions are broken up by a snack break. After lunch, students participate in a larger group demonstration session, an activity, and/or an “Ask-a-Scientist” Q&A with a professional scientist.
The ATHENAS program for girls (which Aims To Heighten her Experience Near and Around Science) takes place on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Kenyon’s Science Quad, 201 N. College Road. In this session, called “Lifting, Landing, and Everything In-Between,” participants will launch projectiles into the air and bring them down safely with ballistas and parachutes, and they will investigate and visualize the wonders of how air makes planes and birds fly. Registration and additional information can be found at kenyon.edu/athenas.
The BLAST program (where Boys Learn About Science Together) takes place on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Kenyon’s Science Quad. In this session, called “Bursting, Banging and Bubbling,” participants will explore the bursting world of chemistry. Exploding volcanoes, make-your-own gusher candy, and rockets are just a few of the activities students can enjoy. Experiment with the mystical world of color-changing liquids while having an explosively fun Saturday; registration and additional information can be found at kenyon.edu/blast.
Registration is first-come, first-served. For information about either program, contact Kenyon’s Office for Community Partnerships at communityinfo@kenyon.edu or 740-427-5419.