HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 2, 2015 – With eyes wide open and smiles on their faces, 75 local children “ooed” and “aahed” as orange foam spewed out of a miniature volcano at High Point University yesterday.
HPU’s Alpha Chi Omega sorority and Beta Theta Pi fraternity hosted the second annual science fair for the Boys and Girls Club of High Point. Children sunk their hands into liquid “goop” that turned into a solid when they picked it up, poked a pencil through a “magic bag” of water without it spilling, and learned how to inflate a balloon without blowing into it.
At one station, HPU students combined hydrogen peroxide, food coloring, soap, water and yeast to make “elephant toothpaste” – a green foam that overflowed bottles onto the table.
“Our fraternity’s philanthropy is called ‘Helping High Point,’ so we’re about helping the community,” said HPU student Nick Bellamy, Beta Theta Pi programming chair, moments before the excited children came pouring through the doors. “This is a great opportunity to help out the local community. I’m really looking forward to seeing the joy on their faces and how excited it’s going to make the kids.”
“This makes learning science fun,” said Zaria Smith, one of the children who attended the event. “I especially like it when things blow up like the volcano and the elephant toothpaste. It makes science interesting.”
“I’m excited today,” said Ty’Ral Craft, a fourth grader at Shady Brook Elementary. “My favorite station is the goop – it’s a liquid in the bowl, but when you pick it up it turns into a solid. I also learned that you can make new colors using food coloring and milk. I like all the activities.”
Alpha Chi Omega member Hannah Shaheen helped organize the event. She said she was excited for the children to be able to participate in hands-on experiments that would get them excited about learning.
“It’s really important to expose children to science, especially in today’s world,” said Shaheen.
Jesta Bouie-Lele, unit director for the High Point Boys and Girls Club, said the children will write and share about their visit to HPU for today’s weekly Friday writing assignment.
“We love our partnership with High Point University,” said Bouie-Lele. “I believe it takes a village to raise a child. We like this event because it’s an opportunity to come on campus, to create a partnership and educate our kids. And even I learned something today that I didn’t know before! Who knew baking soda and vinegar could blow up a balloon?”