I should probably start by explaining what Skype a Scientist is. Their homepage states:
"Skype a Scientist has a database of thousands of scientists and helps them connect with classrooms, families, libraries, scout troops, and more all over the globe! We give students the opportunity to get to know a real scientist and get the answers to their questions straight from the source."
In October I had signed up to be matched with one class this year. I had just started working on my application for a grant that focuses on Women in Stem and thought to myself that I need to do more Science outreach (not for the grant but for myself). I had heard about Skype a Scientist a while back but have been hesitant to sign up; On the one hand, being a PhD candidate and TA is stressful as it is and on the other hand, I was worried that I would do a bad job.
Well, about a month after I had signed up, I got matched (exciting) with a teacher of a virtual 4th grade in Canada. We found a date for me to present in early December. So, I started preparing for the big day. Creating engaging slides for 4th graders is very different from how I typically make slides - it was very refreshing! Haha
I was able to use a lot of pictures and colors - something I typically don't do when I present my research.
I had asked the teacher to send me some questions beforehand, so I could get an idea what kind of
topics the kids were interested in.
I was quite nervous before the presentation. I think we all know how ruthless kids can be but there was nothing to worry. The kids were polite, extremely engaged and asked really smart (wicked smaaht) questions. One kid even brought up Horsehair worm parasites (click) and I am still astonished how he knew about those.
One topic that seemed to be really important to many kids in the class was climate change and what we can do to protect our environment. As someone who cares about these kinds of topics, it made me happy to see this - maybe not all hope is lost?
My conclusion: I absolutely loved my Skype a Scientist session and will definitely participate in more in the future! If anyone wants to chat about my experience, feel free to contact me :-)
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