Students all over the Kentucky community were invited to Asbury University’s “Kids College,” hosted Saturday, March 4 by Asbury’s chapter of the Sigma Zeta Honor Society.
Kids College brings science to life for elementary and middle school students. The kids participate in hands-on chemistry experiments, watch physics demonstrations, and get up-close views of plants and animals in the biology lab.
“My favorite part of helping with Kids College was seeing how excited and interested the kids were about science and math,” said Asbury freshman Natalie Ison.
Children fill the halls for two high-energy sessions jam-packed with hands-on science. During this day of events, students are given some basic information related to science. They also learn about the different species of animals.
“By showing them different subject areas, and different topics within each subject area, we aim to help spark an interest and appreciation for science/math,” said sophomore Eliza Crawford.
This event isn’t just intended for students who have an interest in science and math. It’s an event for students to gather and have a good time.
“Even if they don’t want to go into science, we hope they can gain respect and appreciation for the subjects at hand,” said Crawford.
Throughout the day, students participate in experiments such as making their own bouncy ball, seeing dissections of fetal animals and more.
“I believe this event created an interest for going into a future of science and math by showing them the joys of science experiments and how mixing chemicals creates “magic,” said freshman Catrina Cablish.
Students were able to jump right in and be a part of the three one-hour classes in the subjects of biology, chemistry and physics.
“It showed them the power of science to create and use creativity to achieve our goals and learn more about the world around us,” said Cablish.
In the kindergarten classroom, along with science experiments, the students danced to music and played with balloons.
“Seeing the kids play with the balloons and dance to the music was my favorite part of the event,” said junior Ewing Wiley.
The kindergarteners and elementary students may have struggled to grasp some of the context of human anatomy, but they enjoyed the trivia of being able to match the piece of paper with the correct bone on the body.
“I loved seeing the kids have fun with science even if they might not know what that means yet,” said senior Cora Pack.
Parents have said in past years that “Kids College” offered inspiration, practical science experience and the excitement of being on a college campus.
“I think this event opened the minds of students, starting at a very young age, implanting a seed of curiosity for all the future classes and ambitions that they will explore in the future,” said freshman Emme Johnson.