23 Oct Kids embrace science at Hands-On Expo
Seated at left, Amy Prevost, education director with the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute, smiles as seventh-grade student Payton DiNardo practices using a pipette. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Swarms of children from across Wisconsin buzzed from booth to booth at the Wisconsin Science Festival’s Hands-On Expo on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Spread throughout the main floor of the Discovery Building, the event offered kids the opportunity to hold brains, make objects float with superconductivity and jump into an immersive virtual reality experience.
At its busiest, about 1,000 students were taking part in the interactive science displays, many of which were run by students studying in research labs on campus at UW–Madison. Like many of the teachers there, Janelle Nelson, who teaches 5th grade in Edgerton, brings students to the expo every year.
“The kids are always so excited to come. For some it’s the first and maybe only time they get these hands-on experiences,” Nelson said.