COLUMBUS, Ohio -- "Salicylate Sleuths: Finding Drugs in Everyday Materials" is the topic of January's Ohio 4-H "Science Saturday" program for kids.
Open to 20 participants, the program will focus on the uses of salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin. With assistance from representatives of Ohio State University's College of Pharmacy, the young sleuths will search for the drug using a chemical test by using everyday items such as shampoo and toothpaste.
The Science Saturdays program, which started in November, is designed for students in grades 3-6. Each session runs from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201Fred Taylor Drive, just across from the Schottenstein Center at Ohio State. The cost is $5 per person. Pre-registration is required. More information and a registration form are available at http://www.ohio4h.org/sciencesaturday/.
"The idea is to expose youth to the science of the everyday, and to do it in a fun, hands-on, experiential learning atmosphere," said Sally McClaskey, 4-H Youth Development program coordinator with Ohio State University Extension who coordinates the Science Saturdays program. More 2011 sessions are planned for March, April and May.
For more information on the Jan. 22 program or Science Saturdays in general, contact McClaskey at 614-247-8141 or mcclaskey.12@osu.edu.
Ohio 4-H is the youth development arm of OSU Extension. In Ohio, more than 300,000 children and teens participate in hands-on educational activities on more than 200 topics through 4-H clubs, camps and school-enrichment programs. For more information, see http://www.ohio4H.org.