Crisp air and clear skies greeted the 7,600 Denver-area students who learned up close about how weather and science make up our climate. Colorado State University Extension, Colorado Rockies, 9News, and Steve Spangler Science teamed up for the seventh annual Weather and Science Day at Coors Field May 11.
An enthusiastic crowd of students, teachers, and chaperones were treated to concepts such as Bernoulli’s Principle, the Magnus Effect and more as Colorado 4-H Youth Development staff and volunteers helped to set the stage with baseball science. Designed to help students explore hands-on science with a real-life application, this long-standing partnership often brings more than 10,000 school children to Coors Field to learn about weather and science by participating in interactive experiments that incorporate physics, math and meteorology.
“We were thrilled to teach so many students about how STEM really is part of our everyday lives, including careers and recreation.” said Annette Haas, 4-H Youth Development Specialist for STEM and K-12 Programs. “This was an amazing opportunity for us to share science, technology, engineering, and math with thousands of youth in the Denver Metro area.”
CSU Extension 4-H STEM leaders helped with activities on the field, and volunteers in the stands helped guide students in performing the science activities using “Baseball Science-on-a-Stick.”
Participating in this year’s Weather and Science Day provided great exposure for Colorado State University, Extension Office, and the 4-H program to residents of the Denver metro area.
“We were able to share our passion for hands on and experiential learning with students ranging from elementary to high school aged children. As an educator, it’s always rewarding to see people get that excited about science,” said Toby Swaford, 4-H STEM Outreach Coordinator in Larimer County.
Swaford and Executive Director of CSU Public Relations Mike Hooker provided the on-stage direction of practical demonstrations to show how different scientific principles drive everything from the weather to the flight of a curve ball.
“When someone makes the connection between a concept and their day to day experiences, that’s when we move from simply providing facts, and really start the learning process,” said Swaford.
