5th Annual, for K-5 Families
Reflections on Curiosity Unleashed 2024
The actual two hours of activities are over now and, by all measures, it was a great succeess! There were
- 51 different activities run by 70 presenters
- 396 children and 386 adults who came through the doors and engaged in activities
- 21 wonderful high school volunteers who set up, counted kids, go-fer’ed and assisted with activities
Best, though, were the faces and comments and questions and connections among children and families and presenters. The excitement and curiosity were palpable!
Photos here.
Getting Ready for Curiosity Unleashed 2024:
Listen to our spot on Juneau Afternoon for more ideas and inspiration.
Come join us! We’re looking for:
- STEAM Experts to lead activities
- General volunteers to help plan and prepare and/or help the day of
- Teachers to help spread the word among families and students
- Families to attend the day of
Survey for presenters and volunteers.
How it works: Children and families filter in and out of rooms and through activities led by community STEAM experts and enthusiasts. Ideal activities are easy to explain, interactive, and quick to enter into. Children typically spend 5-30 minutes at the stations they choose. If you have a general idea about an activity but don’t know how to make it work in this setting, or you want to help but don’t know how, please reach out to us (via the form or email) and we’ll figure it out with you.
We’re super excited this year to be exploring the theme, “Imagine If.” How do we and how could we use STEAM to imagine a better future? Help us highlight the creativity and design thinking that are fundamental to so much STEAM work and celebrate the A(rt) in STEAM. As children “grow up,” let’s encourage them to imagine the problems they want to solve (and not just “what career they want to have.”) Here are some of our current ideas:
- A room with materials & inspiration for children and families to make and design (Imagine … a use for old homework, if stethoscopes were more beautiful, if sneakers were more ethical, if there was no more plastic)
- A room highlighting current inventions and projects in Juneau (Imagine if … we could save porpoises from dying in fishing lines, … we could get power from the tides)
- Individual presenters adding an Imagine if component to their activity
For more background, information and ideas about Imagine If, check out our December newsletter.
Help us explore these questions – and more!
- Why are halibut hooks designed that way?
- How can you make a bulb light up with a few wires and a battery?
- What’s inside an (old) computer?
- What happens when hot and cold water mix?
- What does it feel like to hold a snake? Or a mealworm?
- How does a marine mammal react to entanglement?
- How do crab pots work? Why are some different from others?
- How can you build the strongest bridge out of paper?
- Can you program a robot to complete a maze?
Questions or comments? Email us at juneausteamcoalition@gmail.com