Science springs forward at annual Lake Tahoe family Expo

UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, the Tahoe Expedition Academy, other community partners, and with sponsorship from the Rotary Club of Tahoe-Incline, will host the eighth annual Science Expo on March 18 - 21, 2013 for students from the region.

The Science Expo is open to the general public on the evening of Wednesday, March 20 from 4 – 6 p.m. for children of all ages together with their families at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences in Incline Village. Ice cream will be provided by Susie Scoops of Incline Village. Admission is free.

The event will feature dozens of hands-on, interactive science experiments, activities and demonstrations emphasizing Physical Science concepts such as physical and chemical properties of matter, density, energy, electricity, magnetism, light, and sound:

H2Olympics
It’s a Gas
All Stacked Up Density
Phase Change Poppers
Bubble Trouble
Super Spectroscopes
Cloud in a Bottle
Laser Light Show
And much more!

Students from Kings Beach, Incline Village, Tahoe City, Truckee and South Lake Tahoe will be attending during the school days of March 18, 19, 20 and 21. High school students participating in the Youth Science Institute will facilitate science investigations with the younger students in the community. UC Davis AmeriCorps volunteers and docents will also be staffing some of the activity stations, and other volunteers and parents in the community are asked to participate. Additional volunteers are still needed.

If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please contact UC Davis TERC AmeriCorps member Hannah Leigh at 775-881-7560, ext. 7474 or hkleigh@ucdavis.edu. All volunteers will be trained and will have all activity materials required for their 2 – 3 hour shift. A science background is not necessary and you might even learn something new while sharing science with our local youth.

“The Science Expo provides a great opportunity to increase student excitement and interest in science,” said Heather Segale, education and outreach director for UC Davis TERC. “The Science Expo is fun for the entire family and a great educational experience for kids. Come learn with your child!”

The Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences is located at 291 Country Club Drive in Incline Village (between Tahoe Boulevard/SR 28 and Lakeshore Blvd.) on the campus of Sierra Nevada College. For more information or directions call 775-881-7566, or go here.

About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center is dedicated to research, education and public outreach on lakes and their surrounding watersheds and airsheds. TERC presents monthly lectures on science topics and organizes various educational programs including the Youth Science Institute, Science Expo, and Children’s Environmental Science Day. The center is committed to providing objective scientific information for restoration and sustainable use of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

—Writer Heather Segale is the public education and outreach coordinator for the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center. She can be reached at hmsegale@ucdavis.edu