Colorado State University Native American Cultural Center, Little Shop of Physics Visit Four Corners Region March 17-22

Note to Reporters: A photo is available with the news release at news.colostate.edu.

Colorado State University students will spend part of their spring break, March 17-22, on an educational outreach tour showing children in the Four Corners region how science can be fun.

Students from CSU’s Native American Cultural Center, the Little Shop of Physics and the College of Engineering Women and Minorities in Engineering Program (WMEP) will travel to schools in Arizona, New Mexico and southwestern Colorado.

For the participating K-12 schools, the week-long program enhances student interest in the sciences through experiments with everyday objects that demonstrate scientific principles. The program also engages parents and the community, provides teachers alternative methods of teaching science, and fosters student development in cross-cultural and global awareness as well as civic and social responsibility. CSU’s student volunteers also are provided experiential learning opportunities, which are especially helpful for those considering a career in teaching.

“When I was in high school, not many colleges visited us,” said Rachelle Lee, a sophomore majoring in Animal Science. “I am excited to come back over spring break and spark interest in science and college.”

Schools participating in the program, include Saint Michael Indian School in Saint Michaels, Ariz.; Borrego Pass School in Crownpoint, N.M.; Aztec High School in Aztec, N.M.; and Cortez Middle School in Cortez, Colo.

Accompanying the students are Ty Smith, director of the Native American Cultural Center, and Brian Jones, director of the Little Shop of Physics.

“Outreach to Native youth is a priority of my office,” said Smith. “We look forward to interacting with the next generation of bright minds and meeting their teachers and community.”

Each school visit involves hands-on science experiments for children and after-school workshops for teachers to enhance the curriculum.

All experiments were built by undergraduate students at CSU. This is the 10th year the Native American Cultural Center and the Little Shop of Physics have traveled to the Four Corners Region for spring break.

For more about Colorado State’s Native American Cultural Center, visit www.nacc.colostate.edu. For more information about Little Shop of Physics, visit http://littleshop.physics.colostate.edu.

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