Marshall University is looking for children in grades 3 through 9 to participate in the West Virginia Science Adventures program on April 3 and 10.
The university’s Sustainability Department and College of Education have joined together to host two learning sessions taught through green sustainability concepts and nature-based activities.
Dr. Suzanne Strait, biology professor and director of the West Virginia Science Adventures program at Marshall, said the program offers interactive learning challenges through summer camps and individual home-school sessions. Now they are expanding their activities to the weekends.
“Since 2014, the West Virginia Science Adventures Program has provided an opportunity for local K-12 children to experience fun, hands-on activities that enrich their educational development. We don’t do worksheets and lectures here, we provide much more,” Strait said. “The partnership with Marshall’s Sustainability Department is so important for future collaborations related to our youth’s consciousness of planet sustainability. We need them to care about making a difference.”
Eve Marcum-Atkinson, research and community outreach assistant for the Sustainability Department, said the April 3 session would focus on plants and nutrition and the April 10 session will teach children how to grow their own food.
“We want our students to ask what part do the nutrients in the soil play in growing lots of food? Where does our food come from? What do we need in order to grow healthy, local produce?” Marcum Atkinson said. “Students will answer these questions through outdoor activities in our Marshall University Student Vegetable Garden. They will look at plant parts and identify which parts we eat. They will measure soil nutrients, moisture, pH levels and assess the effects of pests. They will also explore the benefits of pollinators, and make their own butterfly feeder.”
Both April sessions will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sundays, in room 207 of the Science Building on Marshall’s Huntington campus, as well as in the Student Vegetable Garden, behind the MU Career Services Center (weather permitting).
Organizers request that participants dress for outdoor garden activities. Program fees for these sessions have been reduced to $10 per day per student, or both days at $15 per student. To register, visit http://ssawv.com/weekend-science or email wvscienceadventures@gmail.com.