Base elementary science fair provides hands-on science experience

These volunteers showed the students that even rocket science isn't that hard.

For the second year, the Base Elementary PTP (parents organization) held an all-school science fair on April 24.

PTP coordinator, Kristin Finley said the organization offered the day-long program as a way of adding additional science experiences for the children, since the school district does not offer a specific science program until children reach fourth grade.

She noted that the teachers do include science topics in their curriculum and the science fair is offered as an additional support and enrichment opportunity for the children.

All of the fair projects gave the students a hands-on opportunity to participate in activities demonstrating various scientific principles.

Volunteers set up stations in the Stephensen Building (the former middle school) and classes moved from one demonstration station to another.

From a BLM representative they learned about and observed raptors up close, they built and launched bottle rockets, learned how bridges work, why bread has holes in it, the body's circulatory system, surface tension, static electricity and many other observable phenomenon.

Finley said that some of the volunteers were parents, and they were augmented by 75 active duty personnel from Mountain Home AFB who responded to her request for help.

The kids said they enjoyed the experiments and one said he, "learned a lot of interesting stuff."