“What did you do this summer?” A student’s default answer would be in the lines of as far away as possible from school --- so the answer would most likely be “Oh, in <insert place here>” or “Oh, at home <insert unproductive activity here>”.
Except if you were a Junior Mind Mover (JMM) who spent an ENTIRE MONTH in a SCIENCE MUSEUM.
If you were a cool kid who couldn't get enough of science, the Junior Mind Mover Program would be on your to-do list for the summer. On its second year, the Junior Mind Mover Program hosted kids ages 10-17 who experienced what it was like to be a Mind Mover of the Mind Museum. As junior scientists, the Junior Mind Movers (JMMs) performed experiments and explored the science behind the exhibits of the Atom, Universe, Life, Earth and Technology Galleries.
With the lab as one of the scientist’s playgrounds, the JMMs were told stories about the strange and mesmerizing world of science by the different resident scientists of the Mind Museum --- stories told through scribbles of numbers, the busy yet very important lives of microbes, and the vibrant colors and explosions of chemical reactions. The JMMs also learned to tell their own stories through a theater workshop by the Mind Movers as well as free-flowing song and dance by arts and movements’ groups, My Masterpiece and Storyhouse.
It’s never too early to start science --- so our 32 JMMs have shown proudly at the end of our program. Even a 10 year old can teach what we can learn from science --- and that is to never lose your childish sense of wonder toward the world.