Hundreds of public school children will visit the Yale University campus for educational and cultural programs this month, beginning on March 8 with the New Haven Public Schools’ 11th annual City–wide Science Fair.
Other events at Yale in March include a videoconference for high school students on March 10, a “Book Bowl” competition on March 16, and the first of a series of “Science Saturdays” on March 26. In addition, city music teachers will perform with Yale and community ensembles in a free, public concert on March 10.
The Science Fair is sponsored by Yale, in partnership with the Olin Corporation, the Bayer Healthcare, the Connecticut Pre–engineering Program and New Haven Public Schools. Integrated into the curriculum at all grade levels, it is designed to improve student achievement, stimulate independent research and increase interest in the pursuit of careers in math and science.
From 9 a.m. to noon on March 8, some 230 science projects will be on display to the media and to Science Fair judges in Yale Commons, corner of Grove and Prospect streets. These projects were created by more than 700 students in the New Haven Public Schools. More than 8,500 students from pre–kindergarten through 12th grade participated in preliminary competitions at 47 different schools, and the winners of those contests were selected to compete in this event. Seventy mentors—including 40 from Yale—guided the young scientists. Out of 120 judges of the Science Fair projects, 40 are students or faculty from Yale. From 3–6 p.m. the Science Fair will be open to the public.
On March 10, Yale will host the Hispanic Association of Communications Employees of SBC Communications’ annual High Tech Day, a conference for high school students, teachers and counselors about careers in technology and engineering. This year’s theme, “Technology: Creating a New Universe,” will bring together students from 23 locations in California, Texas, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, Wisconsin and Connecticut by means of an interactive videoconference. About 60 New Haven teens will gather in Linsly–Chittenden Hall for the session.
Book Bowl is a lively series of contests that challenge students’ understanding of what they’ve read. Participants in grades 4–12 compete against other students at the same grade level who have read the same 10 novels. Grouped in teams of five, students practice and prepare to battle their rivals on at least two of the selected books. The playoff on March 16 in Linsly–Chittenden Hall at Yale involves about 300 students in grades 6–8.
“This is a wonderful program, says Claudia Merson, director of public school partnership in the Yale Office of New Haven and State Affairs. “Students learn the importance of understanding what they read, and they have an incredibly good time while they do.”
Ainissa G. Ramirez, assistant professor of engineering at Yale, will host a series of programs for children—called Science Saturdays—to showcase scientists of various backgrounds, ages and disciplines. The series is designed to shatter stereotypes about who scientists are and what scientists do. Science Saturdays will be held on five consecutive Saturdays starting March 26, 10:30 a.m. The hour–long programs, designed for students in the seventh grade and older, are free and open to the public. They will meet in Davies Auditorium at 15 Prospect Street. The first program will feature Peter Salovey, the Chris Argyris Professor of Psychology and dean of Yale College, on “Emotional Intelligence: Is There Anything to It?” On April 2, astronomer Priya Natarajan will present “Mapping the Universe: A Quest for Dark Matter.”
In addition to programs for school children, musicians from the community will join to present a free concert, titled “Bridging the Gap Through Music,” on March 10 at 8 p.m. in Sprague Hall. Performers will include faculty of the New Haven Public Schools’ Music Department, along with members of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, graduate students in the Yale School of Music and faculty from the Neighborhood Music School.
Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo says, “This promises to be an outstanding evening of classical and jazz music. We invite everyone to come and enjoy a fantastic concert. Having our students on the Yale campus throughout the month of March is also a way of reminding our youngsters about the importance of college in their lives. We are pleased that Yale opens its facilities and collaborates with us in showcasing our students’ talents.”
