Middle School

Robolink, a start-up in Sorrento Valley, is encouraging students to learn about programming with robotics kits that are cute, fun, and packed with real tech. After buying a kit, students can either learn through online lessons at robolink.com or come to our Sorrento Valley or 4S Ranch center to learn how to program their robot. We would like to showcase our products and student work at our booth. Students will be on hand to interact with festival attendees, and we can also demo our robots.

Make paper cherry blossoms and tie them to our tree standee! Then, learn about the stages of bloom, the science of grafting, and the cherry blossom trees at our very own Japanese Friendship Garden.

The UC San Diego Biomedical Engineering Society strives to promote early STEM engagement for students by introducing the exciting field of biomedical engineering. With activities and demonstrations, UCSD BMES seeks to provide hands-on experiences that teach kids about biology, engineering, and medicine. Kids will enjoy the interactive experience, while at the same time learning how these three fields of science play an integral role in our society under the broader field of bio-medicine.

As part of our commitment to education, the National Marine Mammal Foundation participates in outreach efforts at local San Diego schools and public events. By educating children and the community about our exciting marine mammal discoveries, we hope to inspire future generations for years to come. Science education is incredibly important, and we hope to do our part by exposing students to the unique and rewarding work that we do with the animals.

Natural History

Our booth will contain preserved marine invertebrates and fish and we will use these to explain how the City uses marine life to monitor the health of the offshore environment. We will also have some of our water quality oceanographic equipment on display, as well as underwater survey videos showing various forms of fish and invertebrates encountered near the sewage outfall pipe as well out in the open water.

We would like to showcase some of the CaSGC sponsored activities within UCSD, including, but no limited to, Near Space Ballooning and Arduino and Micro-Controllers. We will be displaying posters of aerial photography taken from the balloons as well as explanations of the science behind Near Space Ballooning. We will also have Arduino displays which are often used as sensors for climatic data in the payload.

Ever wonder how scientists see inside tiny cells and organisms to study them? Fluorescent, or glowing, proteins are the answer! These useful proteins can light up the insides of cells and tissues. Researchers from UCSD will demonstrate, through simple games, how scientists engineer fluorescent proteins and what kinds of questions they can help to answer. These glowing proteins can also make biological samples into beautiful art, which you will see at our booth.

Our booth will have the same activity as least year, where we have the student make "sling-shot rockets" using paper, straws, tape, rubber bands, and paper clips.

Come explore how your amazing brain and cognition helps you to perceive, remember and navigate your world. Can you trust your perceptions? What do illusions teach us about brain processes? How much information can you hold in your short term memory? If you are fascinated by people, are interested in how we think and why we act the way we do, these activities will inroduce you to the exciting field of Psychological Science.