On Saturday, January 21st, a group of 12 University of Michigan chemistry graduate students from 11 different research groups participated in an afternoon event at the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum.

The Hands On Museum’s vision is to inspire people to discover the wonder of science, technology, engineering, art, and math through being a leader in imaginative and interactive learning experiences.  The event was led by Nichole Wright of the Hands on Museum and gave the graduate students the opportunity to see how the Hands on Museum was engaging the general public with science and education through entertainment.

The graduate students had the opportunity to participate in, observe, and help lead a number of activities at the museum including “Pop-Up Markerspace” and “Dowels and Rubber Bands.”  These activities are intended to allow children to explore the materials before them and create, build, and learn.  The event is allpart of an initiative by the graduate student group CSIEUM (Chemical Sciences at the Interface of Education at UM) to prepare a training for graduate student in the chemistry department to share their research with the general public through outreach events.

The training will consist of a 3 part series including workshops and outreach activities. The program will climax with an event at the Museum were research groups can demonstrate the actives they have created with the general public to give them a better understanding of what research at the graduate level looks like in chemistry.  This program will also equip the research groups to reproduce their activities at other events to increase the effect of the learning activities being developed here.