Sensational Science

RONAN — The circus rolled into town and made a stop at K. William Harvey Elementary — the Circus of Science that is.

The traveling program is provided by a Missoula non-profit, SpectrUM Discovery Area, offering a hands-on science experience to students throughout the state. From kindergartners to high schoolers, home schools to private schools to church groups — the grant-funded group through the University of Montana attempts to turn kids and families on to science.

“We try to help them realize that science surrounds us all in our daily lives, and it’s not too elite or inaccessible for anyone,” SpectrUM Outreach Coordinator Emily Crawford said.

The group hosted a “Motion” exhibit in the elementary school gym all day Monday, including a free Family Science Night on Monday evening  from 6-8 p.m. Through fun gadgets and hands-on experiments, students explored the concepts of mass and gravity, air pressure and Newton’s Laws of Motion.

“We take hands-on science exhibits around the state — year-round — to transform gyms, cafeterias, conference rooms, and playgrounds into science learning experiences,” Crawford said.

The science advocacy group was in Polson, Libby and Kalispell already this semester and will be making a two-month tour of Montana’s seven Indian reservations starting in May.

The group has two staff members and relies on community volunteers and grant funding from the Montana National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research to make these free educational events possible.

For more information log onto www.spectrum.umt.edu.