Bungee Jumping TROLLS???

Chris Lindberg - Science ALIVE! 1995 Director

3... 2... 1... BUNGEE! The cry echoes through the hallways of the East Academic Annex as 24 children eagerly await their opportunity to test out their Bungee Troll. A sickening Thud! followed by raucous laughter indicates that yet another Troll has met his maker on the edge of the Bungee Bucket, a dizzying 15 feet below. (which, in 6" Troll terms, is the equivalent of a 180 ft. jump!)

What the Heck am I talking about, you might ask? Why, Science ALIVE! of course!!! Science ALIVE! is a new science outreach program, founded by 2 ex-members of the EUSS, a bio-chem student and a bunch of psyched-up volunteers. Our goal: to show kids the FUN side of science: glowing pickles, pop bottle rockets, home-made alarms, steam powered boats and MORE!

There are 3 components to the Science ALIVE! (SA) program. Classroom Workshops: SA staff venture into elementary school classrooms for two hours of action-packed, interactive activities which illustrate the everyday applications of science. Teacher Workshop: Elementary teachers spend a weekend on campus discussing science education and learning about SA's fun & successful ways of teaching science. Summer Science Camps: A fun-packed day camp for students entering grades 5-8. Each day is full of exciting projects, university tours and hands-on/brains-on science activities.

1995 was Science ALIVE!s first year. What did the kids think? "Science ALIVE! is AWESOME!" "You showed me Science can be FUN!"

1995 was a great success! We conducted 116 workshops around the Lower Mainland, entertained 20 teachers for a weekend and hosted 192 kids for a week of science experimentation and excitement. Every single evaluation we received was positive, and impressed upon us the great need there is for science education programs like this.

Is Science ALIVE! working ALONE?? No! There are 19 different camps across the country that are all members of YES (Youth Engineering & Science) Camps of Canada. YES Camps are all student run, motivated and founded, and collectively reach close to 75,000 students every year! That's quite an impact! Our national motto: "I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand."

What does this mean to you? Science ALIVE! is student run and motivated and requires volunteers to keep it going! SA will also be providing 5 (or more!) co-op jobs for interested students in the 96 Summer Semester. It's not just a job_ it's a way of life!!! It's a chance to be a kid again and spend time blowing things up and making things work. We'd like to thank everyone in Engineering and Applied Science (especially the CSSS and EUSS) for their generous support!

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please contact me, Chris Lindberg (1995 Director & co-founder) at 291-5912 or through email: yescamps@sfu.ca.

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