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Idlewild Park’s Whiz Kidz get hands-on experience in scientific techniques, similar to these youngsters in an unrelated federal Park Service program.
Idlewild Park’s Whiz Kidz get hands-on experience in scientific techniques, similar to these youngsters in an unrelated federal Park Service program.
You mean you’ve never heard of 7-year-old kids studying chemistry and physics?
Well, that’s exactly what’s going on in the Whiz Kidz Science Zone, a weekly program sponsored by the Eastern Queens Alliance at the Idlewild Park Environmental Science Learning Center in Springfield Gardens. It runs on Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m. and is open to children ages 7 to 12.
“We’re trying to excite kids about science and having them think about science as a career direction,” the alliance’s chairperson Barbara Brown, said. The program, she added, offers them an “initial foray” into various branches of science, all adapted to be suitable for youngsters from second to sixth grades.
Instructor Kenton Archer, a native of Guyana and longtime borough resident, said the program began last year. Taking credit for its name, he said he thought it was a good one “to attract young ones,” and to convey the idea that the learning takes place in “a relaxed setting.” He is always seeking new participants.
Of his charges, he said, “They’re so smart, so inquisitive, innocently na•ve, and literal.” His main challenge as the creator of the curriculum is “to make the information simple for them to comprehend. Once they focus, they enjoy it.”
Already, the youngsters have been involved in conducting litmus experiments to identify chemical reactions, running examinations of ultraviolet light and identifying different species of birds while participating in workshops on avian migration along the East Coast, among many other activities, according to Archer. The suggested donation is $5 a session.
Perhaps most exciting for the participants is the hands-on approach.
“I let them do the work. They pay attention to me and to each other,” Archer said.
Archer suggested that the center is “a good place to learn about science and to meet others,” with many of the children’s parents getting involved in the lessons.
It’s a “whole interactive experience for everyone,” he said.
Looking ahead, Brown said she would like to see the program, which operates year-round, expand, giving youngsters experience in the sciences that they “often are not getting in school.”
The EQA has several other activities.
The Summer-in-the-Park program, focusing on Life on Planet Earth, is aimed at children ages 6 to 13. Each week they will explore a different branch of life science via hands-on activities, experiments and outdoor adventures.
The program, which runs July 8 to Aug. 16, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will cover such topics as microorganisms and fungi and the origins of life. The fee is $150 per week, with discounts offered for a half session ($425 for three weeks) and full session ($800 for six weeks).
Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Youth Brigade takes center stage on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A youth leadership and community service program, it is designed to empower teens and tweens (ages 10 to 20) to make decisions, use their voices and take actions that lead to positive changes in their communities. Membership is free.
Yoga classes, aimed at decreasing stress and increasing energy, take place every Saturday from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. Participants should bring a yoga mat and water. Suggested donation is $5 per class.
All the activities take place at the environmental science learning center, which is located in Idlewild Park, at 222-02 149 Ave., steps away from the intersection with Springfield Lane. For further information, call (347) 824-2301.
QueensChronicle.com
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