JLVernonPhD presents "American SciCo"

The buzz has even swarmed the White House where President Obama hosted a science fair to help launch the festival.  President Obama also recorded an episode of Mythbusters to be aired in November.  What a great way to pass on the excitement of science!

As a new resident to the DC-area, I really wanted to be a part of this exciting event.  So, I’ll be participating in the festival in two ways.  On Saturday, I’ll be a volunteer captain for the festival, which means I’ll be the guy carrying the radio and directing people to the shuttle buses, bathrooms and family reunification booths.  I’m also scheduled to work in a comfort station.  In the event that a five year old falls and scrapes a knee, I’ll be there with soothing lotion and band aids.  On Sunday, I’ll be manning a booth sponsored by Scientists & Engineers for America where we’ll be teaching younglings about the difficult decisions Congress makes regarding research funding.

In short:
- We’ll give the kids a very brief and basic intro to the way taxes are allocated by Congress
- Then dress them up in costumes and give them ‘Honorary Member of Congress’ name badges.

- they’ll also get some fake money to allocate
- The volunteers will then read out a dialogue which explains what four different science agencies (NASA, NIH, NOAA & EPA) do and why they should be allocated money
- The kids put their money in a box corresponding to the agency they want to fund and get an ‘I voted for …’ sticker.

Expect pictures!

I hope to see you and your little ones!
Have a great festival!