The University of New England will once again bring free pop-up science programs to Armidale in celebration of National Science Week.
National Science week runs from 12-20 August nationwide, and there are a wide range of in-person and online events that you can get involved in with the whole family. Held annually since 1997, it is now one of Australia’s largest festivals. UNE says that last year about 1.9 million people participated in more than 1650 events and activities.
UNE’s Discovery program is well known in the region. Their mission statement is “cultivating curiosity, creativity, confidence and collaborative can-do attitudes.” They act as an outreach program, focusing on engagement and education in STEAM (science, technology, engineering arts and math) learning for schools and the broader community.
This year the team from UNE’s Discovery Voyager will be heading out to hold two separate events in Armidale, the first of which was yesterday at the Armidale Farmers Markets. The stall was a hit with many budding young scientists and their parents.
The second workshop will be held next Saturday, the 19th of August at the Armidale Central Shopping Centre from 10am-4pm.
Both events will run the same program including Science Craft sessions in the morning and Magic of Physics sessions in the afternoon.
Science Craft is aimed at children and will offer young visitors the opportunity to create a piece of take-home science-based craft. Sessions at Armidale Central will be run at 10.30am and 11.30am.
The Magic of Physics sessions are for all ages. This is a science show, created to demonstrate the notion of “is it magic or science”. Sessions at Armidale Central will be run at 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm.
The team will also have an intriguing display of specimens from UNE’s Natural History Museum, including animals, rocks, fossils and more.
If you can’t make it in person, there are a great range of online workshops, and DIY projects available on the official National Science Week website.
UNE Discovery also offers a range of online activities and games to help little ones learn about the natural world.
The Discovery Voyager Team are always very active in the local community, with regular school visits, and appearances at most major public shows featuring prominently on their calendar. To find out more about their work, or to find out when they’ll next be in your town, visit their website.
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