Last month, Oglethorpe University welcomed 150 families to the Cousins Center for Science and Innovation for interactive science exhibitions as part of the Atlanta Science Festival. The annual two-week celebration of world-class learning and STEM career opportunities in Atlanta features 100+ events throughout the metro area. Oglethorpe’s “Science Safari” sold out in just a few days.

OU faculty and students hosting one of the stations at the Atlanta Science Festival

Teams of more than 65 students, faculty and staff hosted a variety of family-friendly experiments, introducing young children to a variety of scientific concepts.

Throughout the event, children were able to view samples through microscopes, assemble crafts and observe chemical reactions. As part of the “Science Safari,” each station also presented information about animal species around the world, encouraging attendants to discover new creatures.

The university’s event was organized by Oglethorpe’s STEM faculty and staff: Lecturer in Chemistry Dr. Milana Thomas, Visiting Assistant Professor in Biology Dr. Megan Murphy, Visiting Assistant Professor in Biology Dr. Zack Deckner and Lab Coordinator Kayla Matta.

Oglethorpe joins other major Atlanta institutions, like Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, in the Atlanta Science Festival, which is sponsored by Delta Air Lines, Georgia Power, NCR Foundation, UPS, International Paper and others.

The Atlanta Science Festival is dedicated to expanding access to science learning opportunities for all in metro Atlanta. These events reach a wide variety of ages and help provide engaging STEM programming to participants.

Oglethorpe students get ready to present science experiments to visiting families