LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Living Arts & Science Center hosts a monthly Discovery Saturday with different themes for each month. For Women’s History Month, the center spotlighted women scientists.
What you need to know The Living Arts & Science Center hosts a Discovery Saturday each month
This month’s theme focused on women scientists
Center staff hope the event will empower girls to pursue careers in science
Roberta Burnes of the Kentucky Division for Air Quality had tasks for children to learn about air
Roberta Burnes, an environmental education specialist with the Kentucky Air Quality Division, was at the center talking with the kids and doing activities to teach them about the qualities of air.
“We’re going to trap air underwater, we’re going to play with air pressure and air force, how it can hold or hold things together, using air pressure,” Burnes said before his first demonstration. “We’re going to see if kids can pour air from cup to cup underwater and just explore some of the different hidden powers of air.”
There were other activities for children to explore at the center.
Shannon Wampler-Collins, who does community outreach for the science center, was thrilled with the number of girls who attended the event.
“I’ve seen a lot of girls who are passionate about science, which makes me very happy,” Wampler-Collins said.
Encouraging girls’ passion for science was one of the goals of today’s event.
“Visibility is crucial for all women in all fields, I suspect, but especially science,” Wampler-Collins said. “It’s extremely male dominated and the women have the brains and the power and the strength to do it, so we have to be there.”
Highlighting women scientists, like Burnes, is the center’s way of showing future generations that this is a space where women belong too.
Next month’s Discovery Saturday theme will be celebrating Earth Day.
