The international year of chemistry and Grand Valley State University’s 50th anniversary come together to bring Super Science Saturday: Celebrating Chemistry Past, Present, Future to Padnos and Loutit Halls Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In coordination with Sibs and Kids Weekend, the Super Science Saturday event gives the opportunity for K-12 students, teachers, parents and others from the community to participate in hands-on experiments and lectures about the importance of math and chemistry in the work field. This event is held once every three years and began when Padnos was first built on the Allendale Campus.

“In our economy and society, we really need students to enter the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) professions,” said Karen Meyers, director of GVSU’s Regional Math and Science Center. “We still do not have enough students entering those fields to keep pace with what the international competition is going to be in those fields. So we need to, at a young age, let kids know that science, math, chemistry and all of those things are fun and also hold potential for careers that they may go into in the future.”

During the event, there will be almost 60 activities for attendees to participate in which will fill all available labs and classrooms within the two halls. Special events include a play called ‘Me and Marie Curie,’ a Gentex presentation called ‘Amazing Chemistry’ and guest speaker, Lynn Hogue, Associate Director of Center for Chemistry Education at Miami University in Ohio.

“I think chemistry is the coolest thing you can learn,” Hogue said. “Everybody likes to have fun. I think it would be very boring if I was up there for over an hour, giving them a lecture on chemistry.”

Hogue said she will be doing some hands-on presentations such as taking apart a simple toy that kids can take home and showing them the difference between science and magic. She will also be lecturing on the potential careers that students can pursue that use math and science.

“There are so many careers that involve math and science that people don’t know about,” she said. “Usually when you say science or scientist, all they think of is somebody in a lab with a white coat on, and that’s not true. If you stop taking math and science classes you are aced out of all of those really cool things that you might have wanted to do.”

The event is open to the public and does not require registration or a fee. Parking will be free the entire day. Secretary of the Regional Math and Science Center, Shelly Micho, said they are expecting 1,500 to 2,000 people and asks that there is one adult chaperone for every five children.

“It is usually a fun day for the kids and adults,” she said. “It gives (the adults) something to participate in with the kids.”

For more information including a listing of scheduled and open events with times and location please visit http://www.gvsu.edu/rmsc/ and click on Super Science Saturday in the Upcoming Events box on the right-hand side of the page.

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