Science Expeditions Basic Briefing

The two main ways are by sponsoring and developing an Exploration Station at the kickoff Whys and Wows event April 3, 2004 or by having a stand-alone public event during April, 2004. If you have an existing museum or facility, you can extend your hours to participate in Science Expeditions.

What's an "Exploration Station?"

An Exploration Station is a booth containing highly interactive educational content based on the science activity of your organization, with people present engage the interest of passers by and answer questions. The interactive part does not have to be directly involved with the science, but can be allegorical. For example, if you work with Nuclear fusion, you're not going to let people mess around the high-temperature plasma, but you might suspend a piece of metal in mid-air with magnetism, illustrating some of the principals of how a plasma is contained. We have a whole page to guide you in creating an Exploration Station.

I'm about to fill out the event submission form, and I don't understand all the questions, or I don't know how to answer.

In general, it would be better to fill out the event submission form partially, and indicate your questions on the comment area, than to wait. Planning for Science Expeditions is progressing rapidly, and some publicity materials are already near deadlines. The form is so campus-wide planners have a chance to compare events and make decisions, so fill in what you can. You can also email us with your questions about the form. No Exploration Station which has not filled out the online form will be participating.

What if I have an existing science outreach event planned for 2004?

That's fine, especially if it's scheduled for April. If it's already scheduled for April, 2004 and you want to enroll your event to benefit from the publicity that will be developed through the campus-wide effort, talk to us as soon as possible.

How do I fund my group's participation in Science Expeditions?

Mostly through your own existing outreach funding. And by scrounging and borrowing hardware, asking for help with graphics, etc. There is a small amount of funding that is available for developing or hosting an Exploration Station on April 3, 2004. In 2003, each station got $200. We're working on grants and foundation support for 2004, but there may be more Exploration Stations or other projects. So the funding situation is fluid.

We're open to the public on regular hours, how can we participate?

Consider extending your hours on April 3, 2004. Then we'll include your museum or facility on the list of places people can visit while they are on campus.

Who can I talk to on the telephone about Science Expeditions?

Coordinators include Tom Zinnen (608 265-2420) and Ken Smith (608-262-8637 ). If they are unavailable, you can talk to anybody on the workgroup list on this site.

Questions specific to Exploration Stations

What sort of space will be allotted to my "exploration station?"

An area about ten by ten feet, in the lobby space of Engineering Hall. We estimate there is room for up to 30 stations, and we had 21 in 2003. However for 2004 we may hold the event in two or more buildings. Some exploration stations may be assigned more space as the date of the event comes closer. In 2003, location assignments were not made until the last week, and on the day of setup a few stations were moved or swapped positions for practical reasons. This did not cause a problem, but rather solved or avoided some, so expect similar flexibility in 2004. There is a map of Engineering hall showing how we divided the space in 2003.

What will be supplied and what will I have to bring?

You'll get an 8 foot table, a place to hang posters, at least one folding chair, and access to electricity. Plus if you checked off any items you needed on your registration form, they will be supplied. What you will need to bring will be almost everything else. If you are having difficulty obtaining something, contact your "mentor/guide." for help, we may be able to make arrangements. [See the spreadsheet for which planning team member has been assigned as your mentor /guide, by clicking on the link. If you haven't registered to participate, please go to the event submission page.]

When can I set up?

Engineering Hall will be open at 7:30 a.m. that Saturday. Since the public is not expected until after lunch, that should be enough time. If you think it will not be enough time, please discuss this with your guide/mentor.

To what age group should I target my information?

All ages will be attending. We're hoping there will be lots of hands-on, stimulating things for kids to do, some of which will also be enjoyed by adults, plus opportunities for older kids and adults to see, touch, and do things they don't normally encounter. Please keep in mind that activities for kids or adults do not have to be exact matches for the scientific content of your exploration station. For example, an astronomer working at the south pole might interest kids by having some arctic clothing they can try on, and then ask "why do we work in such an inhospitable place?" The more touching, handling, fiddling with, looking into and adjusting that people can do, the better. In biology, living organisms are better than "mounted" organisms.

What if I don't have all the wording for the title of my exploration station and the signs worked out?

That doesn't have to be a barrier. We've assigned "mentor/guides" partly to help with this. Sometimes two or there people getting their heads together can come up with some really snappy tag lines that don't distort the science but do attract the public. We'll work on that with you. Limited help with graphics and design may be available on a case-by-case basis.

In 2003 we provided uniform signs for each exploration station to help visitors find particular stations. The combination of a set of uniform signs for locating purposes and Uniquely-designed signs for each station worked well. It's likely that in 2004 there we will produce and mount uniform signs for each exploration station.

For more information, contact Tom Zinnen at 608/265-2420 or zinnen@biotech.wisc.edu; or Ken Smith at 608/262-8637 or kennethsmith@wisc.edu; or see http://www.science.wisc.edu

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