Little Shop of Physics traveled to Denver on Thursday to spend the day with middle school students from Bruce Randolph School in North Denver. Two science classrooms were transformed into a light and dark room, where students had an opportunity to experience more than 100 hands-on experiments.
Colorado State University has been working within the school as part of a budding partnership to engage students and provide a glimpse into potential programming that could be a part of the new National Western Center, slated to begin redevelopment in the neighborhoods surrounding Bruce Randolph School, in the coming years.
“Little Shop of Physics is excited to bring science to the kids who need it most,” said Adam Pearlstein, assistant director for Little Shop of Physics. “We have traveled the country and journeyed internationally with our unique style of hands-on exploratory learning; but there are students right down the road who need this experience just as much. Many of the children we work with in Denver do not know anyone with a scientific background, and because of this these students might not realize that a career in science is even an option to pursue. By exploring our experiments, many children discover that science is something that they themselves can do, understand, and even love. Even if they don’t pursue a career in science, I believe that this positive foray into scientific inquiry will foster an appreciation and interest in science general which can help these children down the path of becoming well informed citizens.”
Colorado State University and the National Western Center
Colorado State University has made a long-term commitment to the reimagining of the National Western Center in North Denver, and the communities surrounding the project. Efforts are under way to create partnerships with community schools, non-profits and businesses, and to actively engage in the community.
A key and founding partner in the National Western Center, CSU will have three buildings within the 250-acre campus upon completion. The project, which will break ground in the coming years, expands and regenerates the current National Western Stock Show site, turning it into a vibrant, year-round experiential, community-centric, life-long learning destination in the heart of Denver.
As Colorado’s land-grant university, CSU’s mission of research, service, and access, fits with the outreach mission of the National Western Center. CSU’s plans at the new campus focus on research and education programming in the areas of food systems, water, environment, energy and health. The university has initiated programming and service outreach efforts before buildings are constructed, as part of its commitment to the area. For additional information, visit nwc.colostate.edu.
