IMAS is looking for friendly and outgoing volunteers that
love science and want to help facilitate hands on science activities during our
Corning Connects: STEM Learning Day!
Volunteers will conduct simple STEM activities for visitors to explore and try
out themselves.
Depending on volunteer registration, volunteers will be placed in areas
dependent on the most need.
Volunteer Activity Areas:
1. Kinetic Impact: The kinetic impact table is all about kinetic energy and uses two metal spheres and small leaflet paper. Volunteers will first demonstrate how to use the metal spheres and then invite visitors to try it themselves.
a. First, ask a visitor to hold the leaflet paper out in front of them with two fingers and then the volunteer will quickly hit the two spheres together with the paper in between. The hard and fast impact creates heat energy and burns a small hole in the paper! Share the fun and let visitors try it out!
2. Conductors & Insulators: Conductors and Insulators table uses small loose objects to teach about conductive and non-conductive materials when creating a simple circuit with alligator clips, batteries and a LED light.
a. Volunteers will invite visitors to try out different materials and see which one works best to transfer electricity from one alligator clip to the other. We noticed the paper clip works but the rubberband and penny do not.
3. Art Bot Arena: The Art bot arena melds both science and art in this fun demonstration area that uses simple circuits and markers. The volunteers will assist IMAS educators as visitors swap out markers and add onto art bots.
a. Place the art bots into the closed arena and watch how they interact and bump into each other as they create abstract art with their marker legs.
4. Outdoor Fizzy Rockets: The Fizzy Rockets is an outdoor activity that creates an explosive chemical reaction when vinegar and baking soda are encased in a film canister. Volunteers will help visitors safely take part in the activity by ensuring they wear lab goggles, aprons or lab coats.
a. Volunteers will also show them how to make little vinegar packets that will be placed into the canister, closed tightly and then flipped upside down. When the pressure builds up, it will blow the lid off, and our rocket will go flying high!
