Students get up-close view of science at kids’ tech university

MDuhaime-SouthGeorgia

Registration is open for the 2018 Kids' Tech University (KTU) program at BGSU. The science-outreach program brings children between the ages of 9 and 12 together with nationally and internationally recognized scientists who present exciting, interactive sessions — including BGSU geologist Dr. Anita Simic, an expert on remote sensing.

The four-session program begins Saturday, Feb. 3, and ends Saturday, March 24, and is open to students who live within a one-hour driving distance of BGSU. To participate, children must be 9-12 years old as of Sept. 30, 2017.

There is a $90 registration fee to participate. Scholarships are available courtesy of the Ohio Farm Bureau.

Kids’ Tech U is designed to spark children’s interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics by introducing them to scientists who work in those fields, and providing hands-on activities that let kids explore scientific concepts. Topics covered in this year’s program will include surveying microbes and viruses in the oceans, how drones are used in research, improving human health in the developing world by producing plants that are better sources of the essential nutrient iron and how parasites control host behavior.

The morning sessions feature a talk and extended question period with the invited speaker. Afternoon sessions will include a series of hands-on activities relevant to the session topic that the children can participate in with their parents.

The four events in the 2018 program are:

Feb. 3 — “Global Change Microbiology: The Microscopic Organisms that Fuel Our Planet’s Global Carbon Cycle,” with Dr. Melissa Duhaime, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, University of Michigan

Feb. 17 — “Earth Through a Drone's Eye,” with Dr. Anita Simic, assistant professor in the School of Earth, Environment and Society, BGSU

March 17 — “Plants Are What They Eat, Too! The Science of Plant Nutrient Uptake and Assimilation,” with Dr. Terri Long, associate professor of plant and microbial biology, North Carolina State University

March 24 — "Sci-Fi Comes to Life: When Parasites Control Host Behavior," with Dr. Kelly Weinersmith, adjunct assistant professor of biological sciences, Rice University

Online registration will be limited to 150 children, and is first come, first served.

Kids’ Tech U at BGSU is directed by Dr. Paul Morris, a BGSU professor of biological sciences.

Updated: 02/24/2020 10:00AM