Flames, explosions and dancing bring 5,000 kids to campus for Energy and U shows Jan. 13-17

fire demonstration at Energy and U show

Contacts:

Rhonda Zurn, College of Science and Engineering, rzurn@umn.edu, (612) 626-7959

Brooke Dillon, University News Service, bldillon@umn.edu, (612) 625-0552

Media Note: Members of the media should check in with staff when arriving at the show to ensure that only students with media releases are photographed and videotaped.

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (01/13/2014) – Explosions, flames, rock music and screaming gummy bears—they’re all part of a unique and fun University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering outreach program that aims to interest elementary school students in science.

With three shows a day for five days, more than 5,000 students are expected at January's Energy and U shows, which are scheduled for 9:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 1 p.m. Jan. 13-17 in Smith Hall, Room 100, Pleasant St. S.E., Minneapolis. Due to space constraints, the shows are not open to the public.

About the show:
Everybody is talking about energy: What is it? Where do I get it? Where can I put it? The Energy and U shows literally blow the lid off these questions and highlight the many science and technology challenges that energy presents. Students learn about energy with an informative slide show set to music and demonstrations that include loud explosions, bright flashes, flames and a dance party!

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The show also brings students to the University of Minnesota campus, and gives them the opportunity to meet some University professors.

"We try to emphasize that they, too, could do what we do every day," said Chemistry Professor David Blank, one of the creators of Energy and U

Energy and U is a specialized outreach program of the University of Minnesota's College of Science & Engineering (CSE) and its Department of Chemistry and Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.

Outreach to schools with a high percentage of students of color and students receiving free or reduced-priced lunch—an indicator of poverty—is an important component of the Energy and U outreach efforts. The University of Minnesota Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) and a generous donation from Medtronic, Inc. offset bus transportation costs for participating schools. Energy and U is also supported by the University of Minnesota Center for Sustainable Polymers.

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