LPS leadership and scientist volunteers had a blast participating in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Family Science Days in DC over President’s Day weekend! Every year, AAAS puts on a two-day free event for families to engage with and learn about science and take part in various fun activities. The event hopes to open young minds to the endless STEM possibilities awaiting them.
LPS was selected as one of the 32 exhibitors chosen for the weekend and was lucky to have a number of DC metro area scientists volunteer that are currently participating in LPS! Our booth featured the “Draw a scientist” activity where we asked attendees to draw what comes to mind when they think of a scientist. The goal of the activity is to initiate conversations and break down stereotypes around what a scientist is and what they do. Our activity prompted a vast array of conversations with pre-scientists about various STEM careers and how they think about science in today’s world. Many attendees were surprised and excited to found out they were talking with real scientists!
We also had the opportunity to speak with parents about their perspectives on science and how things have drastically changed over the years. It was unfortunate to learn that some public schools in the area have stopped teaching science in elementary schools, so we hope many of the young Family Science Day attendees were able to partake in some cool science-related activities.
It was awesome getting to know each of the LPS volunteers and learning about their fields of study. LPS is extremely grateful for their dedication to the program and willingness to volunteer their time to help get youth involved and excited about science. We hope to participate in AAAS in the future!
Written by Anna Madden, LPS Program Manager
