The Cambridge Science Festival is an annual event held at the Cambridge Public Library to celebrate science for all ages. The Science Carnival and Robot Zoo hosts demonstrations and interactive exhibits, and in 2019, NSYCC hosted two demonstrations: one showing the acidification of ocean water from carbon dioxide, and the electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen and oxygen gases. The festival is always enjoyable for the demonstrators and the attendees, and we hope to continue participation in the future!
For our main outreach event of the year, we hosted an event titled “The Magic of Science” at the Brighton Public Library on December 5th 2015 with over 50 children in attendance.. Valerie Ivancic, NSYCC Webmaster, designed four experiments for the participants that were simple and safe for ages 12 and under. Each table was decorated like the four Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. At the Gryffindor table Matt Rosienski and Alicia Lee (Clark University) showed the kids how to make their own silly putty using cornstarch, Elmers glue, Borax, and food coloring dye. Meanwhile at the Slytherin table Felicia Lucci (NSYCC Chair) had set up a nanoscience demonstration with toy fuel cell cars and a scanning tunneling microscope that showed students atoms. Valerie was at the Hufflepuff table showing the iodine clock reaction using iodine, Vitamin C, and starch. Last but not least the Ravenclaw table had a milk dispersion experiment with food coloring dye and dish soap demonstrated by Sarah Lach and Astha Bilimoria (Clark University). Each child was provided their own pair of glasses and glove to be “safe like a real scientist”. There was also arts and crafts table where they could paint their own magic wands and decorate their safety glasses. It was great to see the children show so much enthusiasm with the different experiments! Approximately six different K-8 schools were represented, many from Winship Elementary which is a block away from the library. We received great feedback from parents and children alike for this event and we already looking to plan another one for 2016!
Thanks to our Career Chair, Ray Borg, we made a connection with graduate student Jerry Gilligan who has fostered connections with local schools, especially East Boston High School. He works closely with Dr. Kristen Cacciatore's Advanced Placement Chemistry class to bring a more diverse and interactive perspective to the science curriculum. The three of us spent an afternoon in November performing demonstrations of chemistry kits from Flinn Scientific such as “The Disappearing Rainbow” and “Amorphous Monster Foam”. These same kits will be used by the students for their annual Science Day where they will conduct and explain the experiments in front of the parents and teachers. We hope to continue this connection with Jerry and East Boston High School in the future!