The Nanaimo Science and Sustainability Society (NS3) will kill two birds with one stone come Saturday (March 14) at Departure Bay Elementary School.
The non-profit, which aims to increase science interest amongst children, will not only host a Pi Day science event, it will hold the grand opening of a science studio on the school site, an unused classroom rented from the Nanaimo school district.
While happy to have a home base from which to operate, Liz DeMattia, NS3 co-founder and executive director, said it is part of the progression in the establishment of the science centre.
“We started with summer programs and then we increased the programs with a mobile science van that took in-school and after-school programs to the schools ... this year we’re getting a small, interim studio and it’s just one of the stepping stones to a permanent centre,” said DeMattia.
The studio will have a flexible schedule that will change over time. Initially, there will be drop-ins on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings. Spring break programs will be provided as well.
Bridge and tower building and 3-D printing will be amongst the Pi Day activities and there will also be a fundraiser in the school gym, according to Morgan Attwell, NS3 outreach coordinator.
“Community groups, science organizations like engineers at [Vehicle Mounted Air Compressors] and [Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C.] and these kind of groups, they will sponsor tables and all of the money that’s raised will go towards sponsoring programs for kids,” Attwell said.
It is not known where a permanent site might be located, said DeMattia.
“We don’t know exactly where it will be, but what we do know is we keep moving forward towards it.
For more information, please go to www.nanaimoscience.org.
reporter@nanaimobulletin.com