2012 Sci-Ed Conference & Expo

The 3rd Annual Sci-Ed Innovators Expo & Symposium was held on May 3, 2012 gathering students and teachers from more than 50 New York City public schools, as well as researchers, policy makers, leading educational, governmental, non-profit and corporate organizations, providing an opportunity to share innovative teaching methods for underserved schools.

The Expo was held at the Armory Track in Fort Washington, America's largest indoor athletics stadium. What better setting to backlight rampant teenage exhilaration about physics, chemistry, math, biology, the environment?

Sci-Ed Day 2012 began with Columbia Teachers College Professor Christopher Emdin receiving a roar of "GOOD AFTERNOON" from kids around 50 tables featuring science projects of Sci-Ed Fellows and their students. Taking a leaf from the Olympic games, Chris then dramatically stated:

"I hereby declare the 2012 Sci-Ed Innovators Expo OPEN."

"WHEE," went the kids!

Projects ranged from evaluation of starch and amount of grease in foods to comparison of density of liquids by flotation of eggs, to filtration and quality evaluation of water in and around the city, to robots in action.

During the Expo, Josh Thomases, Deputy Chief Academic Officer of New York City Department of Education, told the assembly of the DoE's on-going support of the Sci-Ed movement. The DoE has been a staunch ally of JBF and the Sci-Ed movement and we have plans of going far together.

There was a break during which kids went for the next best thing to science, food that is, and the setting changed to the Symposium.

Dean Mary Brabeck of NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, introduced Jhumki and her work at NYU where she grew astronomically. Then, on the Armory's giant Jumbotron screen, Mary launched
Jhumki's tribute video, which never fails to bring a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye.

Chris Emdin has made it his academic focus to entrench science in schools through music and what better way to showcase Physics Laws of Motion than rap? Chris's rap representation of Newton's Laws of Motion had the kids screaming in appreciation.

Finally, the event of the night - Dr. Ainissa Ramirez, Yale Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Host of Science Saturdays and Material Marvels.

Ainissa told the fascinated kids about her childhood, about growing up in New Jersey close to the Big Apple, growing up imbued with the dream of science. She spoke to the students and assembled guests of her heroes. She gave riveting
demonstrations of the magic of science and left her young audience with real ways to realize their dreams. Her description of nanotechnology and nano-gold for cancer research drew forth a storm of questions.

The night ended with Radha Basu, Jhumki's mother and co-founder of the Jhumki Basu Foundation, reading out a message from our First Lady, Michelle Obama, where she and the president expressed their deep appreciation of the work of Sci-Ed Innovators. And thus ended a starry night, and kids reluctantly packed their equipment and headed home - until next year! Thank you, Carnegie Corp, ExxonMobil, NYU and JBF, for sponsoring this happening.