NanoSAFE at West Virginia University has teamed with the Children’s Discovery Museum of West Virginia to sponsor a day of special hands-on activities as part of a nationwide festival of educational programs focusing on nanoscale science and engineering.
Called “NanoDays,” the event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 2 at the Children’s Discovery Museum of West Virginia at 5000 Greenbag Road in the Mountaineer Mall.
NanoDays celebrations bring university researchers together with science educators to create new and unique learning experiences for both children and adults to explore the miniscule world of atoms, molecules and nanoscale forces.
Children who participate can make their own nanomaterials, investigate thin materials used in solar cell technology, discover how a Blue Morpho butterfly gets its color and learn about how computer hard drives and liquid crystal displays work.
Jennifer Robertson-Honecker, a teaching assistant professor in the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, has participated in NanoDays since 2009.
“Children really respond to this program,” she said. “The experiments are fun and they create excitement and curiosity in kids. Ultimately, events like this help engage West Virginia students in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, which is increasingly important for our state and nation.”
Members of the museum will receive free admission. A donation of $4 per child is suggested for non-members. Proceeds benefit the Children’s Discovery Museum of West Virginia.
NanoDays is organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net) and takes place nationally every March. This community-based event involves science museums, research centers and universities from Puerto Rico to Alaska.
Most NanoDays events combine fun hands-on activities with presentations on current research. A range of exciting NanoDays programs demonstrate the special and unexpected properties found at the nanoscale, examine tools used by nanoscientists, showcase nanomaterials with spectacular promise, and invite discussion of technology and society.
For more information on NanoDays 2013, visit http://nanosafe.wvu.edu/outreach/nanodays.
The NISE Network and NanoDays are supported by the National Science Foundation.
For more information on the event, contact Aniketa Shinde at 304.293.7382 or via e-mail at aniketa.shinde@mail.wvu.edu.
