Among other things, kids can dissect a cow’s eyeball and learn
the composition of slime
By Julie Engelhardt, Special To South Valley Newspapers
By the time the weekend rolls around, most kids are ready for their two-day break from school. But there are some students who just can’t get enough of reading, writing and arithmetic, so they’re willing to give up a portion of their 48 hours of freedom to expand their minds and learn even more.
These young scholars will be at Gavilan College on Feb. 11 as they attend the college’s “Science Alive!” workshops. Gavilan’s MESA program – which helps educationally disadvantaged students with math, engineering and science achievement – and the Natural Sciences Department host the workshops for students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. About 275 students are expected to attend this year’s conference.
The program began as an annual seminar hosted by the Gilroy chapter of the American Association of University Women. Initially, it was held just for middle school students in Gilroy until Gavilan began running the program in 2002. Now, along with serving students in Gilroy, the program is open to middle school students in Morgan Hill, Hollister and San Juan Bautista.
Eduardo Cervantes, MESA program director, and Hope Jukl, a full-time math instructor at Gavilan, head up the conference. They both said they feel that the workshops are the perfect way to get kids interested in these particular academic areas.
“It is our belief that math and science education needs all the help it can get, and it is important to light the interest and passion at an early age,” Jukl said.
The conference is from 8am to 3pm. Students can participate in three different workshops, and they are also given breaks for a snack and lunch. At the end of the day, they listen to a keynote speaker and participate in a raffle and prize giveaway. The fee for the event is $10 per person.
There are 18 different workshops. Course titles include Build a Racer, Slime Time: the Chemistry of Polymers, the Secrets of Strawberries, Why is the Sky Blue?, What Tree am I? and The World Through a Bug’s Eye. Instructors for the sessions include Gavilan professors, current and former Gavilan math and engineering students, and members from the surrounding community.
Dennis Harrigan from Gilroy Veterinary Hospital will present A Cow’s Eye View. Students will learn about the eye’s function and form by dissecting a cow’s eyeball. Other presenters include Kathy Machado of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, Anna Hurst of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Gilroy High School math teacher Matthew Hungerford and Yvette Phillips of the Gilroy Fire Department.
The college is also offering two workshops just for parents. The first discusses preparing for high school and understanding options for college financial aid, and the second is a more general overview of the college experience. Both workshops are offered in English and Spanish.
“Part of the idea for the adult workshops came from … a math and science conference for middle school girls,” Jukl said. “We chose to offer the workshops because a child’s education and academic success is really about the whole family.”
Science Alive
What: Science Alive! workshop
When: 8am to 3pm, Saturday, Feb. 11
Where: Gavilan College Gilroy campus, 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd.
Cost: $10 per person
Activities: A variety of math- and science-related classes with hands-on lessons
Transportation: Students who need transportation to the college should report at the following locations at 7:30am:
Gilroy
– Brownell Middle School, 7800 Carmel St.
– South Valley Middle School, 385 IOOF Ave.
– MACSA Center, 7400 Railroad St.
Morgan Hill
– Gavilan College Morgan Hill campus, 17060 Monterey St.
Hollister
– Marguerite Maze Middle School, 900 Meridian St.
Registration: Participants must register by 5pm Jan. 31. A check or money order may be sent directly to the college (5055 Santa Teresa Blvd., Gilroy, Calif. 95020), or register online at www.gavilan.edu/sciencealive.
Info: (408) 848-4887
