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EVENT LAUNCH: Mayor Clare McLaughlin (back) with students from Nicolson Avenue Primary School and organisers of Science Alive! Picture: Whyalla News.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Whyalla Mayor Clare McLaughlin was privileged to attend a special preview of Science Alive! this week.
The Mayor joined students from Nicolson Avenue Primary School for the sneak preview at the University of South Australia Whyalla Campus on Wednesday.
Science Alive! will be held at UniSA Whyalla on Sunday, September 22 from 10am-3pm and will include SciWorld's Spectacular Science Show, Animals Anonymous Shows, Questacon exhibits, roaming Daleks, robotics workshops and much more.
Whyalla Mayor Clare McLaughlin said Council was a keen supporter of Science Alive! as it was important for students to learn science in a practical and entertaining way.
"It's a great thing for them to be exposed to," she said.
"Science Alive! is a fun way for students to learn about science and a wonderful event in our city."
Science Alive! is a free hands-on science event presented in partnership with principal sponsor GFG Alliance and major sponsor Santos.
Ät Wednesday's sneak preview, students were given the opportunity to participate in an experiment where they pumped water into plastic rockets to launch them.
TAKE OFF: Nicolson Avenue Primary School students prepare to launch water rockets at this week's Science Alive! preview. Picture: Whyalla News
Science Alive! Event Director Brian Haddy said the water rocket launching was particularly relevant because of the recent launch of the Australian Space Institute in Adelaide.
"Space will be important for employment in the future, we've got lots of jobs coming up, not just related to space but of course in the renewable energy sector," he said.
"Kids have to be a bit more tech savvy for the jobs of the future. Science Alive! is about engaging people in science, getting kids excited about it, and giving them a sneak peek of future careers.
"We want everyone in Whyalla to be science-literate, to involve themselves in discussions about topics like climate change and better preparing young kids for the jobs of the future."
GFG Alliance Media and Communications Manager Sean Kelly said Science Alive! was important for piquing kids' interest in science careers.
"We've got a lot of opportunities out at the steelworks and the mines where they can pursue careers that have science backgrounds," he said.
REAL LIFE SCIENCE: Mayor Clare McLaughlin at last year's Science Alive! with orphan joey Bailey.