RPI SCIENCE AMBASSADORS VISIT VANDERHEYDEN FOR A DAY OF SCIENCE EXPERTISE
Contact: cyudzevich@vanderheyden.org
(518) 874-4901
RPI SCIENCE AMBASSADORS VISIT VANDERHEYDEN
FOR A DAY OF SCIENCE EXPERTISE
April 21, 2016 - The RPI Science Ambassadors brought their passion for science to the students at Vanderheyden, on Tuesday, April 19th.
Fifteen RPI undergraduate students traveled from the Jonsson-Rowland Science Center in Troy to our Wynantskill campus to meet with our students and staff. They participated in numerous hands-on science activities throughout the school day.
A popular activity was the exploration of the science of crime solving, and contrasting this knowledge with the portrayal of detectives and crime in the media. Chemistry and biology basic facts were discussed, before the students started their own investigations into solving a “fake” crime, which was created by the Science Ambassadors.
The RPI Ambassadors also presented a segment on bioluminescenence. In this exercise, our students explored the natural phenomenon of light in organisms in the natural world by using a pre-made bacteria culture in a petri dish, in order to cultivate their own glowing organism.
Students also learned the basics of particle simulation by viewing examples compiled from the Disney animation adventure movie “Frozen”. Some of the topics discussed included why snow is difficult to simulate, and how particle simulation is used in various scientific fields.
Vanderheyden’s President and CEO, Karen Carpenter Palumbo stated, “We are grateful and thrilled that the entire school community had the opportunity for a Science Day. RPI Ambassadors are such special mentors and to be able to collaborate with them in STEM education is incredible.”
The goal of the RPI Ambassador program is to inspire students to explore the role of science in society. The student’s positive reactions to the presentations and exercises were most definitely noted by their enthusiasm and eagerness to explore and participate in them.
RPI Science Ambassadors began in the Fall of 2013 as a Partnership between the School Science’s Center for Initiatives in Pre-College Education and Rensselaer’s Engineering Ambassadors. Science Ambassadors are a group comprised of select undergraduate students who work as teams to develop engaging and interactive science-related presentations developed for middle school and high school students.
Vanderheyden began as the Troy Orphan Asylum in 1833. Today Vanderheyden provides a safe haven for children, youth, adults and families who have experienced family disruption and trauma, emotional difficulty and learning problems. The Richard A. Desrochers Educational Center at Vanderheyden is a Regents accredited 7-12 grade program that provides education to individuals who are at risk of not succeeding at school and those in need of a special education.