District Participates in K-8 Next Generation Science Standards Early Implementation Initiative

To get a jump-start on the implementation in California of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), eight school districts, including San Diego Unified, have been selected to participate in the California K-8 NGSS Early Implementation Initiative.

Developed by the K-12 Alliance at WestEd, in collaboration with the State Board of Education, the California Department of Education and Achieve, this initiative will be a fast-start demonstration project to build local education agency (LEA) capacity to fully implement the Next Generation Science Standards in grades K-8. The initiative began its work August 4-8, 2014 with a weeklong academy in Southern California.

The LEAs will engage with the K-12 Alliance in the initiative over a four-year period to collaboratively develop and participate in leadership training for teachers and administrators, and in teacher professional development in content and pedagogy to meet the conceptual shifts required by NGSS.

Selected in a competitive application process, the other California include: Galt Joint Union Elementary School District, Kings Canyon Unified School District, Lakeside Union School District, Oakland Unified School District, Palm Springs Unified School District, Tracy Unified School District, and Vista Unified School District.

The members of the district’s NGSS Core Leadership Team (in photo, bottom to top) include Michael Goodbody, science resource teacher; Rosemary Cruz, principal, Ross Elementary; Felicia Ryder, Wangenheim Middle; Joe Frescatore, principal, Carson Elementary; Rachael Tarshes, Mann MS; Sharon Schmidt, Tierrasanta Elementary; Sara Church, Dingeman Elementary; Juliette Solis, Valencia Park Elementary; Christy Compton-Hall, Bethune K-8; Karal Blankenship, Emerson-Bandini Elementary; Rodger Ashworth, Washington Elementary; and Don Whisman, science program manager.

For more information, contact Don Whisman, science program manager and project director, NGSS Early Implementation Initiative, at dwhisman@sandi.net or (619) 725-7345.

Encanto Elementary transformed into cool EnviroSchool

Birds, snakes and even Dr. Zoolittle invaded Encanto Elementary and the students now know better how to care for their environment.

Snake says hi to Encanto students

"EnviroSchool" is a fun and educational workshop that features "scientists" performing a variety of fun and innovative activities for the students and student participation is part of the lesson. The program, which took a full morning, starts Students were greeted by Dr. Zoolittle -- the San Diego Zoo's zany and good-natured "animal researcher" character. During his introductory assembly, Dr. Zoolittle used magic and animals to teach students about wildlife conservation and recycling through audience interaction and lots of friendly humor.

Encanto students then had the opportunity to participate in three structured learning activities.

• The Splash Van: A mobile science lab featuring five different stations where kids use computers, microscopes, chemistry experiments and living creatures to learn about water quality and insect life. The lab teaches students the connection between human activities and the health of the environment. 
• The Green Machine: An interactive exploration program that teaches agricultural awareness at three stations: a soils research station with live earthworms, the water cycle station with dramatic role play scenarios and costumes, and an integrated pest management station with interactive role play and insect puppets. 
• Waste Reduction and Recycling Presentation, and the Recycling Relay: A hands-on presentation with displays of items made with recycled materials that teaches students the importance of waste prevention, reducing, reusing, composting, and recycling followed by a high-energy recycling race where the environment is the winner. 

The Green Machine, Splash Van and relay are operated by the San Diego County Office of Education. Find out more by contacting Debbie Baker, Principal Encanto Academic Academy, at619-344-6700.

Washington Elementary's exhibit at Science Festival Expo Day is unmentionable

Who knew owl "poop" could teach kids about science!

Students from Washington Elementary used the scientific method to help San Diego Festival for Science and Engineering EXPO guests understand the diet, habitat and ecosystem of barn owls. Kids and parents will have the opportunity to dissect and analyze owl pellets. They also compared and contrasted the skeleton of the barn owl to those of rodents, shrews, moles and other birds, expanding their learning at a higher level.

The Washington experiment was one of the the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering winners of the Bright Ideas Society award. Sponsored by the Kimmich Educational Foundation at the San Diego Foundation, the award was presented to one outstanding science and engineering club at the elementary, middle and high school level for their illuminating science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) ideas. Under the direction of their advisor, the students produced an interactive exhibit to share their findings with more than 25,000 EXPO DAY attendees from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at PETCO Park in downtown San Diego.

"We are fortunate to have a number of K-12 schools in San Diego County involved in STEM education, which means a brighter future for all of us," says Sara Pagano, managing director, San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering. "The selection of the winners was a very competitive process. Applications were initially reviewed by our education committee and then the top entries were sent to the Kimmich Educational Foundation whose members further reviewed the applications and selected the top three." ​

A program of the Biocom Institute, the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering presented by Illumina, aims to encourage and get kids excited about science and related fields so they might one day aspire to be tomorrow's STEM innovators. More than 55,000 kids, parents, scientists, educators and community members are expected to participate in the week-long event and EXPO Day. Several features and events are scheduled, designed to shine the light on how STEM makes an impact in our everyday lives.

Kearny, SD High students honored for creating videos, apps

Three San Diego Unified students have been honored by Careers in Energy Week for developing videos and apps to show benefits of a career in the energy-utility industry.

Matt Ferriera, a freshman at Kearny Construction Tech Academy, and Ian Romanas, a sophomore at San Diego High School of Science and Technology, received the state and regional winning awards. Another student, David Noon, from San Diego High School of Science and Technology was the Regional runner up. The contest asked for individual high school students and teams of community college and university students to develop video and apps describing why a career in the energy/utility industry is exciting, innovative and engaging.

The contest was part of a nationwide initiative to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Careers in Energy Week aimed to address the need for a qualified, diverse energy industry workforce. The Careers in Energy Week initiative has been proclaimed in 13 other states and was developed by the National Center for Energy Workforce Development. Supported by Gov. Jerry Brown, this was California’s second Careers in Energy Week designed to increase awareness about the role energy plays in our daily life at the student level.

San Diego Gas & Electric joined other California utilities in the annual event.

“At SDG&E, our goal is to support programs that provide tools and resources to students in hopes of engaging them in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math,” said Scott Drury, vice president of human resources, diversity and inclusion for SDG&E. “Careers in Energy Week is a great example of how we, as a community, are working together to develop our next generation of leaders in the region.”

For more information about Careers in Energy Week, please visit http://www.sdge.com/newsroom/2013-10-11/student-contests-careers-energy-week

An incredible week of science and engineering starts March 15

The annual San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering (formerly known as the San Diego Science Festival) features a week of interactive demonstrations, hands-on activities and dynamic speakers to engage kids and families in science and engineering. This year's festival begins Saturday, March 15, and culminates with EXPO DAY at PETCO Park on Saturday, March 22.

Hundreds of community businesses and organizations present more than 35 events throughout the county the week leading up to EXPO DAY. More than 55,000 kids, parents, scientists, educators and community members participate in annual Festival events. Most events, including EXPO DAY, are free and open to families of all ages.

The Festival's mission is to engage and encourage kids in science and engineering and work with parents and teachers to inspire today’s students to become tomorrow’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) innovators.

For complete information and a schedule of events, visit http://www.sdsciencefestival.com/

'Birney Bees' looking out for their namesakes

At Birney Elementary International Studies Magnet, students, teachers, and parents are showing some love for their school's mascot, the bee, by asking local stores to help save the honeybee.

As part of Birney's innovative Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Program, students have been studying the detrimental effects of neonic pesticides on bees. The program incorporates not only plant propagation and organic horticulture, but environmental and ecological awareness.

“From the first day, we teach students to say, ‘Thank you, bees,’" said Mindy Swanson, a Birney parent who also is an instructor in the environmental program. "Their first impulse is to be scared of bees when we see them, but then we talk about how 80 percent of the food in the grocery store is there because of the bees, because of bees’ pollination.

“After that, when we see bees in the garden, the students say, ‘Thank you, bees!’”

Students composed letters to Lowes and Home Depot, large hardware stores, asking them to remove neonic pesticides from their shelves as part of the Friends of the Earth U.S. campaign. Students delivered the notes on Valentine's Day.

As students of an International Baccalaureate World School, Birney students are encouraged to reflect upon how people affect their environments and take action respectfully to make the world a better place. Birney's garden program ties into the IB PYP's six transdisciplinary themes and reflects the specific units of inquiry for each grade level. The program has been so successful it has spun off a non-profit, Dig Down Deep, to teach others how to bring urban garden education to their schools. Contact Mindy Swanson at d3gardened@gmail.com or (858) 522-0687.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography partnership brings ocean to classroom

Ask any young student what a scientist might look like, and answers typically involve descriptions of older, frizzy-haired, bearded men wearing lab coats. A unique educational partnership between Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and the San Diego Unified School District directly challenges this notion by placing bright Scripps graduate students inside local K-12 classrooms.

In 2009, the National Science Foundation’s outreach program, Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12), awarded Scripps Oceanography a five-year, $2.5 million grant to fund the Scripps Classroom Connection fellowship. Each year, Scripps Classroom Connection partners nine Scripps graduate students with nine teachers in K-12 classrooms across San Diego County.

Over a four-week summertime workshop, Scripps graduate students collaborate with seasoned teachers to create yearlong lesson plans for earth science students. Read more from UC San Diego»

Bethune K-8 Geographic Bee champion crowned

Congratulations to Bethune K-8's 2013-14 National Beographic Bee Champion, eighth grader Apriljoy Payumo.

Apriljoy first tried out for the GeoBee in fourth grade, qualified as a top-ten finalist in seventh grade, and is now the school champion, showing that perserverance pays off.

"Our school champion and finalists will be recognized at an awards assembly later this year," said Tommy Flanagan, Bethune history-social sciences teacher. "Best of luck to Apriljoy who will now try to qualify as one of the top 100 California 4th-8th graders for the state finals that will be held in Sacramento this coming April."

The school's top ten finalists this year were: Apriljoy Payumo, school champion; Joseph Langindin, second place; Sierra Serrano; Brianna Arroyo; Mia McCarthy; Marcial Mamangun; Joshua Geronilla; Demaree Eastern-Flora; Robert Wilpitz; Dejon Miller-Blaine; Eria Sarne, alternate.

It is never too early to get ready for next year's GeoBee. Check out www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee and maybe you will be next year's champion.

Located in the residential community of Paradise Hills, Mary McLeod Bethune K-8 School serves 725 students from kindergarten through middle school. The school facility is clean, orderly, safe, and provides a climate that sets high expectations for students both in academic performance and behavior. Students who attend Bethune are provided with a comprehensive curriculum with an emphasis on reading, writing, science, mathematics, and social studies. In addition, the school offers music and technology programs that enrich the education of interested students.

Environmental lesson for Crown Point students

Wildlife conservation and waste prevention, reduction and reuse go hand in hand, students at Crown Point Junior Music Academy in Pacific Beach.

EnviroSchool brought in hands-on presentations, and displayed items made with recyled materials. Students had the opportunity to rotate throughout five different stations where kids used computers, microscopes, conducted chemistry experiments, and learned about the importance of maintaining water quality in order to support living creatures and insect life.

"I am going to tell my mom that we need to help keep our beach clean" said one student/ "I don't want to swim in dirty water!"

EnviroSchool, a service of the San Diego County Office of Education and City of San Diego's Environmental Services Department, gives students an overview of environmental issues in San Diego and beyond. The San Diego Zoo's own Dr. Zoolittle introduces the program, which includes: three hands-on rotating stations of the "Splash" Science Mobile Lab, where students will learn about watershed issues and become scientists to solve a water quality mystery; the "Green Machine," where students learn where their food comes from and the importance of a healthy environment to good nutrition; and the "Eco-Teacher," who will give students an in-depth look at the "three R's" of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

"I liked going to the the different stations," said another student. "I got to touch real worms."

Watch a video of the program.

For more information, contact 619-491-3183.

Summer trip with Scripps, Woods Hole takes Mission Bay and Lincoln teachers to top of world

Steve Walters

Science teachers from Lincoln and Mission Bay high schools were part of a team of researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that spent several weeks this summer investigating the origins of a cooling period on earth that began about 13,000 years ago.

Danny Blas, marine science teacher at Lincoln High, and Steve Walters, marine biology teacher at Mission Bay High, were part of a team of researchers on-board the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy collecting sediment samples on, and mapping of, the seafloor of the eastern Beaufort Sea, north of Alaskan-Canadian border.

"Science should be exciting, and being part of a large team of highly knowledgeable experts in the field makes me even more excited to share my experiences with my students," said Blas, who is serving as the project's blogger, targeting his blog to grade 11-12 grade marine science students. Walters is serving as a member of the seafloor sediment collection team.

Danny Blas

The cooling period, known by scientists the Younger Drays stadial, has been associated with sea ice in the Arctic and north Atlantic oceans, and the storage and release of fresh water from a large glacial lake in North America, yet its origin remains controversial.

Dr. Lloyd Keigwin (Woods Hole) and Dr. Neal Driscoll (Scripps), Principal Investigators for the mission, hypothesized the glacial lake (Lake Agassiz) released fresh water to the Arctic Ocean through the Mackenzie River, and if proven, the signal should be detectable in the oxygen isotope ratio in the shells of plankton found in the sediment.
The research mission ran from Aug. 14 to Sept. 9.

For more information, visit Blas's blog at www.dannyblas.com.

Institute, schools team to tout canyons

IN THE NEWS: Under a proposal that San Diego school trustees unanimously approved Tuesday, more than 30 acres of Manzanita Canyon in City Heights will be transformed into an $8 million living science lab for thousands of students. Read more from UT San Diego»

Bell Middle School students chart their career paths to medicine

Possible future doctors from Bell Middle School recently found out why doctors at the UC San Diego School of Medicine made their career choices.

Lekayla Noel, Leticia Alatorre, Kaye Bonifacio, Jazlynne Napoles, Jasmine Canedo, Darrell Buchanan, Marriya Uy, and Sharmaine Rosales, all in grade 8, visited the La Jolla facility along with their science teacher, Andy Morrison.

The visits were arranged as part of the Hippocrates Circle Program, , which is conducted at all of the Kaiser Permanente medical centers, reaches out to high-risk, diverse youth. Kaiser physicians mentor middle school students, and take them on a brief journey through our medical facilities and a local medical school. The goal of the program is to empower middle school students to believe that they can become a physician.

At UC San Diego, students meet with physicians and listened to their personal stories about the steps they took to become doctors. It was the first of five activities in the Hippocrates Circle Program. Other activities include: a field trip to tour a Kaiser Permanente to see several physicians at work in various specialties and gain insight into the life of a physician; financial aide counseling; a tour of UC San Diego Medical School facilities.

For more information, contact Morrison at rmorrison@sandi.net.

Mira Mesa High biotech students' "bright ideas" recognized

Jessie Garcia and Frank Pham helping
students to learn how to separate proteins.

Science kits designed and built by Mira Mesa High biotechnology students received the Bright Ideas Society award at the recent San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering.

After receiving the award from the San Diego City Council on March 19, students were on hand at the Festival on March 23 to show the 55,000 in attendance what they learned. The Bright Idea Society is sponsored by the Kimmich Educational Foundation at the San Diego Foundation. It recognizes three programs in San Diego county schools each year.

The students in the Mira Mesa High School biotechnology class were the recipients of the award not only for their own learning, but their effectiveness in passing on their learning to other science classrooms. In their biotechnology class the students learn both laboratory techniques and biological principals necessary for success in the biotechnology industry.

 Effects of Carbon Dioxide on ocean
ecosystems presented by Kristine
Lee and Manuel Lamug.

The students then apply their knowledge to manufacture four different interactive STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – science kits. The four kits are: ocean acidification, enzymes, bacterial transformation, and protein purification. Other high school students can benefit by using the hands-on STEM experiments. These STEM education kits are then distributed for free to more than 200 high school science classrooms throughout the year.

At the Petco Park event, Bright Ideas Society award winners from the Mira Mesa High biotechnology class presented their work to the approximately 55,000 children who attended the San Diego Festival of Science at Engineering at Petco Park. During the festival, the Biotechnology students had interactive STEM activities for children of all ages to learn about carbon dioxide effects on ocean mollusks, separation of specific proteins from a cell, changing DNA in bacteria to make them glow, and how enzymes work.

For more information about Biotechnology at Mira Mesa High School, contact Lisa Yoneda at 858-566-2262 or lyoneda@sandi.net.

Whitman Elementary science night takes to the skies

Paper airplanes soared kites were flying, balls were bouncing and roller coasters were looping. In fact, everything and everyone were moving around the packed auditorium at Whitman Elementary School during a recent Science Night.

More than 150 people were part of this event, arranged by Whitman science teacher Cathy Watson. Visitors rolled up their sleeves for hands-on force and motion experiments.

“This momentum for science as the center for student learning will continue,” said Whitman Principal Pamela Thompson. In addition to specialized teacher training and science nights, Whitman also opens its doors to students on Saturdays; the classes are consistently filled, an often have to turn away student scientists.

In addition to committing to 300 minutes of weekly science instruction, Whitman teachers are partnered with Ruben H. Fleet Science Center. They receive monthly professional developments in innovative ways in integrating science to other areas of the curriculum. They are also part of the district’s “Science Centered Schools” initiative that provides educators with training and collaboration time led by experts in the field.

Check out Whitman’s upcoming STEM activities on their website: http://www.sandi.net/whitman. Keep on moving Whitman Cougars!

Marshall Middle School student wins DuPont Challenge science award

Jake Yoshitake, an eighth grader at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Scripps Ranch, has won the grand prize in the DuPont Challenge, which calls on students to research, think critically and write a science essay that provides innovative ideas on our most pressing global challenges and demonstrates the application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to our daily lives.

His paper was based on his project submitted to the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair. It took a solar tracking unit an attempted to increase efficiency. Jake will also be presenting his Science Fair project at the upcoming State Science Fair competition and the Broadcom competition. 

His prize includes a $5,000 U.S. Savings Bond, an all expense-paid Orlando trip in April 2013, and numerous prizes from Encyclopedia Britannica. His paper was based on his Science Fair Project on a solar tracking unit, and an attempt to increase efficiency. Jake will also be presenting his Science Fair project at the upcoming State Science Fair competition and the Broadcom competition.

Jake submitted his paper about three months ago, as did more than 9,000 other students across the United States. Jake's paper was read by scientists, teachers, and members of the business community and has been awarded the grand prize in the junior division (grades 7-9).

Elaine Gillum, Jake's eighth grade science teacher, continually challenges her students to excel in science based activities. Gillum is an advocate for her students and supports them as they reach for new challenges.

For more information about the Thurgood Marshall Middle School Advanced Science program, contact Michelle Irwin, principal at mirwin1@sandi.net or Elaine Gillum at egillum@sandi.net.

Go crazy over the future with the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering

It's time once again for kids (of all ages!) to find out all about San Diego's science community with open houses, interactive exhibits and a big finale at Petco Park.

The San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering is coming up March 16-23 at locations throughout San Diego. Formerly known as the San Diego Science Festival, it features a week of interactive demonstrations, hands-on activities and dynamic speakers to engage kids and families in science and engineering.

Hundreds of community businesses and organizations present more than 35 events throughout the county the week leading up to Expo at Petco Park on the last Saturday of the festival. More than 55,000 kids, parents, scientists, educators and community members participate in annual Festival events.

For a full listing of events and information about expo day, go to www.sdsciencefestival.com.

Robotics teams package robots to ring it up

Nine student teams from the San Diego Unified School District will join over fifty other teams at this year’s FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, Ring It Up. Teams from Madison High, Scripps Ranch High, Mission Bay High, Kearny Complex, San Diego High Complex, Lincoln High, Henry High, Crawford High and High Tech High have been building their robots since the kits were distributed on January 5, 2013.

The students rely heavily on the concepts they are learning in their Project Lead The Way Engineering courses. Each team was supplied with a kit of parts made up of motors, batteries, a control system, a PC, and a mix of automation components – with no instructions. The teams work with adult mentors over a six week period to build, program and test their robots. The deadline for packaging their robots for the competition event was midnight February 19, 2013. No more work can be done on any of the robots until the day of the event.

This year’s event will be held at the Valley View Casino Center on Sports Arena Boulevard on March 7-9, 2013. This year’s game, Ultimate Ascent, is played between two alliances of three teams each. Each alliance competes by trying to score as many flying discs into their goals as possible during the two-minute and 15-second match. Discs scored in higher goals score alliances more points. Matches end with robots attempting to climb up pyramids located near the middle of the field.

At the launch event in January 2013, Dean Kamen, FIRST founder, said, “FIRST isn’t about competing, it’s about cooperating, and recognizing that if you have the right tools, you’ll be able to make this world a better place for yourself and for the county. This is not stimulus package that will have as much return as stimulating a bunch of kids to become the workforce of the future, the problem solvers, the creators of the future.”

For more information about the FIRST Robotics event in San Diego, please access http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/regional-events.

La Jolla High students raise, release seabass

La Jolla High is taking a hands-on approach to conservation, as students in Dave James’ marine biology class recently released into Mission Bay 18 young white seabass that had been raised from eggs.
The hope is that they will thrive and help replenish the depleted species.

James, a marine science and biology teacher, read online about a program where students were raising abalone and white seabass in the classroom and became interested in getting something similar started for his students.

After receiving a grant from the McCloud Educational Trust, he teamed up with Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute and set up a mariculture system. The students have been nurturing the juvenile white seabass in their classroom since September, learning about sustainability of natural resources, aquaculture, environmental science and the importance of water quality.

“We took turns taking care of the fish, feeding them and cleaning the water. We measured them before putting them in the tank so we could record their growth process,” said Jacob Gonzalez, a senior at La Jolla. “Hopefully when we release them, they will be ready to go out into the wild.”

Michael Shane, a research scientist with Hubbs-SeaWorld Research who has assisted LJHS with the program, remarked not only on the educational value, but the positive environmental impact as well.

“We’ve released almost two million fish up and down the coast of California since the mid-1980s." said Shane. "These students are helping to replenish the stocks of white seabass that have been declining since the early 1950s.”

Before releasing the fish, students carefully scanned nine fish at a time for tiny tracking tags implanted in their cheek. These tags will help Hubbs scientists track how far the fish have traveled, how big they got and how healthy they stayed. They then slowly poured the bucket of fish into the chilly Mission Bay water.

“This program is wonderful,” said James. “Students are getting to learn real-world skills that they can apply when they go to college. It helps them put everything they are learning together — chemistry, physics, biology, ecology — and they get to be responsible for fish being released into the wild.”

News Coverage

• Seabass Released Into San Diego’s Mission Bay, KPBS»
• It's Graduation Day for This School of Fish, CBS8»

– Photos and story by Brett Higdon

Worms bore path for future scientists at Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary

Christian, left, and Darin discover their worms.

When Dr. Michael Maxwell visited Mindy Norman's third grade class recently at Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary School in Clairemont, he brought along some friends.

Worms were Dr. Maxwell's pals, there to let the third graders learn about how insects, bugs and other creepy crawlies are very important to our environment.

The lesson was part of the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering’s Nifty 50 program; 50 scientists and engineers work together to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers. The program also focuses on getting girls interested in science.

The Nifty Fifty program is underwritten by Life Technologies Inc. Learn more about the festival and its week-long list of hands-on activities taking place March 16-23 at www.sdsciencefestival.com.

For additional information contact Media Production Assistant Julie Harris at jharris2@sandi.net or 858-496-8400.

Barnard Elementary’s Science Night Gets SPAWAR Visit

Building a robot, making ice cream and how rockets fly, along with other science topics were on the table as scientists from SPAWAR, the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, visited a recent science night at Barnard Mandarin Chinese Magnet School, which is located less than a mile from the research facility in Pt. Loma.

Dr. Randy Shimabukuro and Ana Borja, who are SPAWAR staff members and Barnard parents, were joined by Dr. Jim Rohr in the family science night event to stimulate the students' interest in STEM -- science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The scientists set up several experiment stations so kids could circulate and explore.

"This is the kind of great support that we get from not only our parents and our fine PTA, but our entire community," said Eddie Park, Barnard Principal. "We're hoping our students can use the Mandarin Chinese they learn here to be the leaders of tomorrow. STEM education helps them get that much closer to the kind of skills they need to compete in the world."

For more information, contact Bonny Sobiek at (619) 224-3306.