Science administrators planned a Science Slam to provide visitors a variety of STEM and health related topics during an afternoon on the campus of a community college in South Central New Jersey.<br/>Methods: Organizers invited individual faculty to submit a proposal for their theme to be developed into hands-on, family-friendly activities and demonstrations for all school-aged children through the high school years. Criteria that were encouraged included meaningful science, playfulness, and intellectual engagement of the visitors. Proposal ideas were screened and reviewed for suitability to the venue and the program goal. Activities were planned by about 30 faculty.<br/>Outcome: Activities took place in classrooms, computer and science labs as well as outside for technology such as solar telescopes and atmospheric science. Visitors were free to drop into any location and explore as many themes as they wanted. Parents or other adults attended with most of the students and helped guide them through the event’s many offerings. Fun demonstrations on chemistry included chemistry of food and nutrients in the body. At the first annual event, 50 unique presentations attracted over 600 visitors. Undergraduate researchers were present at their projects, which were on display. The presence of faculty afforded opportunity for deeper engagement.<br/>Conclusion: Now in its second year, the Science Slam provides meaningful experiences, sparking curiosity in science, technology and their societal impacts. Visitors appreciate having informal access to faculty, who are present at each location to stimulate interest and answer questions about scientific research, and advise on career options in STEM and health professions. A strength of holding the free event on the community college campus is its accessibility for students in the county who would otherwise have to travel a long distance and pay admission to a science center for similar live, interactive activities.

Community college Science Slam: Activities to engage the public in STEM and health sciences

256th National Meeting (2018)

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