LONDON, Ohio – Hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities and demonstrations will be offered daily by Ohio State University Extension and 4-H Youth Development Extension Educators during Farm Science Review as part of an effort to “bring science alive,” organizers said.
The goal of the STEM activities and demonstrations is to spark young people’s interest in science, engineering and technology careers to help fill the growing demand for these jobs, said Patty House, 4-H Youth Development Extension educator.
“Seeing is believing and the wow factor helps also in capturing one’s interest in science, math, engineering and technology,” House said. “Ohio 4-H seeks to connect STEM to the world of agriculture for youth and adults in attendance.”
The demonstrations will be in the OSU Agriculture Education, Extension and Research Tent, daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The experiments are available through the support of the Ohio 4-H Foundation and the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Participants will be able to:
- Build or modify an “ag-bot” with common household items, then field test the prototype to see how well the design works.
- Mine a corn-based polymer to explore its unique properties in helping the environment and agriculture, then create their own corn-based polymer ball to take with them.
“Science innovation is at the heart of bio-product technologies, and agriculture commodities are being used in ways never once imagined,” House said. “Polymers made from corn and soybeans are making a difference in our lives.”
For a complete listing of Farm Science Review activities visit http://fsr.osu.edu/. To learn more about the Ohio 4-H program, 4-H STEM and the 2012 National 4-H Youth Science Day Experiment, visit www.ohio4h.org.
Farm Science Review is sponsored by Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, OSU Extension, and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Pre-show tickets are $5 at all OSU Extension county offices. Tickets are also available at local agribusinesses. Tickets are $8 at the gate. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 18-19 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 20.
For more information, see http://fsr.osu.edu. For the latest news and updates, follow Farm Science Review on Twitter (@OhioStateFSR) and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FarmScienceReview.