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In the News - October 2008
Arkansas youth kick off National Youth Science Day
LITTLE ROCK - Youth across Arkansas will join their counterparts across the
country in an experiment with hydrogels that will launch the first annual 4-H
National Youth Science Day.
"We want our youth to be excited about science," said Willa Williams, 4-H
STEM instructor with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. "This
is all part of the ‘One Million New Scientists, One Million New Ideas’ effort by
4-H to attract 1 million youth to 4-H science, technology and engineering
programs by 2013."
Local 4-H members, youth organizations and parents will participate in 4-H’s
National Science Experiment - an initiative to teach youth about the importance
of water conservation.
The experiment is being carried out at two levels. One will be carried out
locally at schools across the state. The second will be on Saturday, Oct. 11, as
youth from across Arkansas will conduct the experiment at Arkansas State Natural
Expo at the State House Convention Center in Little Rock.
The experimenters will examine the properties of water-absorbing polymers,
which are long chains of molecules that can be used in environmental
applications such as agriculture, erosion control, soil management and
environmental cleanups.
Several counties in Arkansas are conducting the experiment:
- Faulkner County Extension Agent Leigh Helms will conduct the
experiment on Friday, Oct. 10, with 132 members of the eight third-
and fourth-grade 4-H clubs at Woodrow Cummins Elementary in Conway.
- Jefferson County Extension Agent Pia Woods will conduct the
experiment on Oct. 8 with eighth-grade science students at Jack
Robey Jr. High School in the Pine Bluff School District.
- Lafayette County Extension Agent Terrie Treadway will work with
the Bradley Elementary Science 4-H In-School Club, which will
conduct the experiment with about 80 fourth-, fifth- and
sixth-graders.
- Lawrence County. At Walnut Ridge Public School, Charlotte Wheeless’ sixth-grade students will participate in the experiment on
Oct. 8 and will share data from their experiment with other students
all over the country on the 4-H Web site.
- Newton County Extension Agent Leadra Martin will lead the
experiment with fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders at Jasper
Elementary School.
- Pope County. Kathy Brunetti, who teaches fifth- and six-grade
science at Hector, is planning to let her students work on the
experiment.
- · Pulaski County. Will Felton, a teacher at the new e-STEM school
in Little Rock, will conduct the 4-H experiment on Oct. 8 and will
provide other activities involving water conservation on Oct. 9-10.
Felton is organizing a 4-H club at the school. In addition, Melissa Donham’s class at Central High in Little Rock will participate in
the experiment.
- Sevier County Extension Agent Terrie James will conduct the
experiment with about 150 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students
at Horatio.
Science education expert Steve Spangler worked closely with 4-H and Dr. Bob
Horton, 4-H science education specialist for The Ohio State University
Extension, to create the National Science Experiment and related activities. Six
million 4-H youth as well as parents, teachers, students and youth organizations
nationwide were invited to participate in 4-H National Youth Science Day.
"The National Science Experiment is a hands-on project with practical
benefits that educate youth about our environment - all the while making science
fun," said Dr. Horton. "The experiment helps youth understand not only how
superabsorbent polymers can be used in horticulture, gardening, landscaping and
specialty crop farming, but also how they can address water conservation and
groundwater contamination issues in their own communities."
For more information on 4-H National Youth Science Day, please visit
www.4-H.org.
About 4-H:
4-H is a community of 6 million young people across America learning
leadership, citizenship and life skills. National 4-H Council is the national,
private-sector, non-profit partner of the 4-H Youth Development Program and its
parent, the Cooperative Extension System of the United States Department of
Agriculture. Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org.
About Steve Spangler:
Steve Spangler is a science author, teacher, speaker, toy designer and Emmy
award-winning television personality. Spangler and his design team have
developed more than 140 educational toys and science-related products. For more
information, go to
www.SteveSpanglerScience.com or to his blog at
www.SteveSpangler.com.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture.
October 8, 2008
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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