The open-house environment will feature activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Naraghi Hall of Science, the Science 1 Building and the greenhouse. There will also be tours of the Trans California Pathway, an outdoor arboretum featuring plant communities native to a transect of California from the Central Valley to the High Sierra. With more than 20 activities available, students and their families will be provided with a “Passport to Science” booklet to track their activities throughout the day.
This year, a partnership with Turlock Irrigation District and Modesto Irrigation District will enhance the event and provide additional materials for the faculty, staff, students and community volunteers who make the day of activities possible.
Turlock Irrigation District will have their educational trailer on site with informational displays and materials on the Tuolumne River Basin, water cycle, solar power, energy conservation and more.
Organized by faculty in the College of Science with support from the Office of Service Learning, the event has drawn more than 2,000 visitors each of the past four years. Science Day was established and has been principally directed by Mark Grobner, a professor in the Department of Biology. He said one of the fundamental goals of the event is to expose young students to new fields of science, and especially to spark an interest in the areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
“We hope to excite future students about science and draw them to our campus to further their education,” Grobner said. “Having a strong background in the sciences leads to better informed decisions on current issues, such as climate change and stem cell research.”
Jesus Garcia, a recent graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, has participated in Science Day for the past four years. One of his roles as a student coordinator for the event has been to encourage student organizations on campus to get involved in sharing science with the community.
Garcia said that a number of the lab activities planned for this year’s Science Day were designed by CSU Stanislaus students as part of their coursework. They will also benefit from the opportunity to explain these science projects to children of all ages.
“Science Day is becoming a very important event for the community, especially for kids and families. This is one of the few events held in our area that teaches sciences to the community. It also gets students interested in becoming future scientists.”
With many new activities being added, Garcia encourages families to come back to Science Day year after year.
“There will be so much to do, you will spend the entire time learning something new.”