On October 23, 2007 more than 400 students from more than 34 area schools attended the third annual Science & Nature Conference, hosted by South Central Service Cooperative and held at the St. Peter Community Center and Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Peter. This event was full of hands-on activities and fantastic educational presentations from the Mankato Clinic;  Bolton & Menk, Inc.; St. Peter Food Co-op; professors from Bethany Lutheran, Gustavus Adolphus and Rasmussen Colleges;  experts in various fields of science; veterinarians, college students; professional naturalists from the  Minnesota DNR and Extension Services; local 4H staff; to name a few.  Students in grades three through eight were invited to participate in this enrichment opportunity.

After an explosive opening session called “Spin, Pop, Boom!” presented by Mad Science, students, chaperones and teachers attended three break-out sessions of their choice.  Students had the privilege to extract DNA from strawberries, taste and learn about organic food, find hidden caches using a GPS, examine x-rays, create their own constellations, build spectroscopes, simulate wolf packs, examine a multitude of creatures from the Minnesota River, build glaciers, participate actively in environmental awareness sessions, learn astounding facts about their bodies, and participate in other engaging activities.

St. Peter Community Center and Trinity Lutheran Church were passionately supportive.  The presenters, willing to travel and devote the day to the conference, delivered age-appropriate, rousing, enlightening, and creative programs. Teachers, staff, parents, grandparents, and supportive adults accompanied students and generously offered their assistance throughout the day.

"All of these collaborative efforts create an environment that speaks loudly to students!  The message is that they are important, their futures are vital; their needs are central and their education of utmost value. An overwhelmingly positive response to this conference convinces me the value of South Central Service Cooperative’s efforts to provide educational symposiums for youth.  I can’t say enough about the community’s eagerness to partner in this outreach effort,” said conference co-coordinator, Bridget Serig. 

To read the Mankato Free Press’ coverage of this event, please visit: http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/local_story_297002141.html?start:int=0

 

View photos from our 2007 event
(click on each thumbnail to get a larger view)