Several times during the school year, Liberty Science Center holds Preview Days for teachers and PTO leaders to learn how our programs and hands-on experiences improve student learning.
Our first Preview Day of the 2017-18 school year was held on Sept. 23, and in addition to live demos, experiments, and raffles, our Preview Day included a special guest speaker: Maria Usewick, a mindfulness educator and founder of Anchored Minds & Bodies, LLC.
Maria presented an introductory session on how teachers and students can benefit from mindfulness, which is the practice of purposefully paying attention to your life experiences (internal and external), with kindness and curiosity, and how it is a life skill that is significantly based in science, neurology, physiology, and sensory processing.
The session was well-received, as at the conclusion of Maria’s presentation her table was swarmed with parents and teachers asking questions!
After Maria's presentation, guests spent their time exploring our labs at their own pace, spending as little or as much time they wished. Some of the activities presented included fingerprinting, gel electrophoresis, bee-bots, mineral and rock identification, owl pellet dissection, robotics, electrified Play-Doh, animal meet and greets, neonatal surgery, and more. Guests also attended a session to learn more about integrating videoconferencing into the classroom.
During this Preview Day, we also introduced our newest member of the LSC team, Mike Shanahan, who is the director of our new Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium and LSC Giant Dome Theater. Shanahan explained how in the 27 meter dome, guests will be able to view astronomical objects and celestial phenomena right here from Earth.
After a viewing of our film Hurricane 3D, our participants gathered once again, this time in anticipation of having the winning raffle ticket. After raffle and prize distribution, the group collected their professional development certificates and headed out onto the exhibition floors for a fun-filled day with their family and friends.
Interested in joining us for a future Preview Day? Click here to see our list of dates and to reserve your spot.