Science program for children, Saturday Gene-iuses, now offered on Kaua'i

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Carol Oshiro, (808) 956-2160
Research Associate, Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences
Posted: Feb 26, 2013

A Saturday Gene-iuses participant creates a model of DNA.
A Saturday Gene-iuses participant creates a model of DNA.
The popular Saturday Gene-iuses Program is now expanding to Kaua‘i! This program is offering a series of six unique, science-based “missions” for elementary-aged students between March and November of this year. Their first mission (DNA DETECTIVES!) will be held on Saturday March 30, 2013 (registration deadline is March 7).
 
Each two-hour mission will be held in a teaching laboratory at the Kaua‘i Community College and will run from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on select Saturdays. The cost is $21.50 per person. Participants who register for all six missions will receive a free Saturday Gene-iuses t-shirt, and students from Title 1 schools will each receive $10 off per mission. The Biotechnology Outreach Program of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) at UH Mānoa developed this educational program and is actively involved in science education throughout the state. Saturday Gene-iuses is a spin-off from their original Gene-ius Day Program, where O‘ahu elementary schools are invited to take part in field trips to the UH Mānoa campus.
 
Each Saturday Gene-iuses mission brings students and their parents onto campus for two fun-filled hours of exciting, hand-on activities that encourage scientific thinking and appreciation for all things science related. Every session focuses on a specific science-related theme, such as DNA, plant cells, insects, forensics, agriculture, and much more! Project leader Dr. Ania Wieczorek explains, “The Gene-ius Day Program was created to teach the concepts of genetics in a fun, easy-to-remember way. Each Gene-ius event is packed with hands-on experiments and activities that let students experience and enjoy science.”
 
To see what this program is all about, a video documenting the third mission (BUZZ OFF!) at the UH Mānoa campus can be viewed at: http://www.hawaii.edu/news/2012/12/04/future-scientists-inspired-by-gene-ius-day/.
 
Those interested in attending Saturday Gene-iuses on Kaua‘i (or O‘ahu) can find more information and register online at http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/geneius-day/saturday.html or contact the program’s coordinator, Carol Oshiro, at geneius-day@ctahr.hawaii.edu.