Feature article

Country comes to town at Ashland

Article and pictures by Tammy Lane
April 16, 2008

  Daisy got a lot of attention at Ashland Elementary School, where the kids sampled farm experiences during Science Fun Day.
  The black and white fiberglass cow, set up in one corner of the gym, drew a crowd as the children took turns “milking” her. Then they saw how much easier and quicker the job went with a milking machine.
  “We believe the best way to learn is through hands-on activities,” said Breanne Heitkamp of COSI, who stressed that science can be an active and engaging topic.
  COSI on Wheels: Agriculture Adventures Kentucky is an outreach program of the Center of Science and Industry, a science museum in Columbus, Ohio.
  Whether it was learning how to notch a pig’s ear or brand cattle, grind wheat into flour or plant corn seeds in a row, the Ashland kids were enthused about life on a farm. They also learned about pH soil testing, byproducts from livestock and the importance of preserving farmland amid development.
  COSI brought a truckload of equipment to Ashland for Tuesday’s event; after lunch, volunteers helped break it all down to make room for the after-school activities.
  More than 200 students stayed for exhibitors and educators from the Louisville Zoo, the Explorium, Starlab (an inflatable dome with projected constellations), Bluegrass Pride and the UK engineering department, to name a few.
  “I just think it’s something to be celebrated,” Principal Schuronda Morton said. “To promote science and show children how important it is.”
  The fun day began with an assembly in which COSI’s “Chef Parmesan” talked about the steps from the farm to the dinner table. Later, the children came back to the gym by grades and fanned out to the learning stations in small groups. In the afternoon, the kids also enjoyed pizza and door prizes.
  The Ashland Elementary event was born two years ago after a teenager won a State Farm leadership grant for a youth group project at Temple Adath Israel, which this spring helped sponsor Science Fun Day.
  Kaitlin Graff, now a senior at Henry Clay High School, said fond memories of science fairs during her elementary days prompted her to organize this event for Ashland, which is only a few blocks from the temple.
  “They’re also learning about Kentucky and its agriculture, so they’re gaining an appreciation of their state,” she said as youngsters rotated through the COSI stations.   Graff and fellow Henry Clay students volunteered to help, along with community members including Graff’s mother, Anne.
  “Our goal is to get the kids exposed to different aspects of science,” she said.

     Printer friendly view