‘WE LOVE SCIENCE’

Program hopes to inspire kids’ love of the subject

Sunday was a day for being outside, no doubt, with summerlike temperatures and sunshine. It also was a day for science in Franklinton.

Representatives from COSI and Covermymeds were handing out 500 human physiology-themed Learning Lunchboxes at Avondale Elementary School, containing everything kids needed to conduct experiments related to the human body.

For example: blood. Start out with corn syrup, representing plasma. Mix in rice (platelets), cinnamon candies (red blood cells) and a white bean (white blood cells). There’s your blood model, to teach kids in grades kindergarten through eighth grade about the “warriors” in your blood that are part of the immune system, at the forefront of everyone’s minds during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In 2020, we need people to go into science more than ever.”

The boxes also contained activity books that described the experiments involving the nervous, digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory and immune systems.

Covermymeds covered the costs of the boxes and worked with COSI. The company is building its new $240 million headquarters in Franklinton, where COSI is based. Sunday was Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Day.

“We know there’s an issue. There aren’t enough women and minorities in STEM,” said Erica Conroy, CovermyMeds vice president of specialty business and a COSI board member. “In 2020, we need people to go into science more than ever.”

Frederic Bertley, COSI’S president and CEO, was at Avondale on Sunday, and he said the boxes can help inspire children, whether white, Black or brown, to have a career in STEM fields.

“We can put COSI experiments in a box,” he said.

Conroy received her doctorate in

chemistry at Ohio State. She said she was one of the few women in the chemistry department, and she wants more children to be inspired by the sciences.

“It’s an amazing way to bring science

to kids that’s acceptable, easy to read, very well done,” she said of the Learning Lunchboxes.

The mask-wearing volunteers handed out the boxes to families driving

Erica Conroy

Covermymeds vice president of specialty business and a COSI board member

through the school’s parking lot.

Megan Meier of Franklinton appreciated it. Her son Milo, 4, wearing yellow sunglasses, and daughter, Quinn, 15 months, were in the back seat. She wasn’t planning on picking up the boxes, but was in the area and “saw the hype.”

“We love science,” she said, picking up a small bottle out of the box. “Food coloring, oh my gosh.”

“This is awesome,” she said. “It’s the kind of learning activities you can do at home.”

Eva Barnes of Franklinton picked up boxes for her grandchildren, Heavenly Cervantez, a 7-year-old second grader, and Salem Adkins-mcdonald, a 5-yearold kindergartner.

“I think it’s wonderful for children who are crazy about science,” said Barnes, 52. mferench@dispatch.com @Markferenchik

GAELEN MORSE/COLUMBUS DISPATCH COSI program manager Alex Wilkins pulls bags out of a bin for students to pick up. Covermymeds and COSI distributed 500 human physiology-themed “learning lunchboxes” at Avondale Elementary School to students in the Franklinton and Hilltop area on Sunday.

GAELEN MORSE/COLUMBUS DISPATCH Milo Meier, 4, holds his new bag of science experiments as his mother, Megan Meier, and 1-year-old sister, Quinn Meier, join him at Avondale Elementary School in Franklinton.