Spooky Science anything but intellectually scary
The eighth annual Spooky Science Weekend took place in the atrium at University of Lethbridge's University Hall on November 2-3.
“The feedback from parents is always amazing, they really appreciate the time that goes into planning such an event,” explained Rachel Stark, a M.Sc. Student in the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience Department of Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge and the Program Coordinator for Let's Talk Science, University of Lethbridge Site.
“The real proof is that we have repeat families come. One family I spoke to said that they have come for the past six years every year.”
The event, run by volunteers from the Let's Talk Science Lethbridge volunteer base, held three sessions, with 100 children and their parents attending each session. Stark says that the volunteer base reached over 3,200 youth in Southern Alberta last year through events that demonstrate the fun in science. Stark says that Spooky Science itself has been around since 2011 and it started because the site supervisor, Dr. Ute Kothe, saw a need in the community to have a science outreach group and started one. A year later, Dr. Kothe heard about Let's Talk Science and joined the National Group.
“We receive funding from the national office to ensure all of our activities are free,” Stark said. “We even get special funding to go to rural communities.”
This event, Stark says, is one of Let's Talk Science's larger events and takes such careful planning that the planning and preparation process begins in August.
“I love being involved in science outreach,” Stark said. “I have volunteered for Let's Talk Science, our parent organization, since 2013. And since then I have become a coordinator for our site here in Lethbridge. Spooky Science is one of the few events we put on for children this age. We typically do high school outreach in their classrooms at the request of teachers.”