How You Can Use Science Alive’s Virtual Offerings for Distance Learning

Howdy everyone, and welcome to DRI’s Science Alive blog! Last time we gave you a quick rundown of what Science Alive does, with Green Boxes forming one of the core components of our educational outreach. While we appreciate the hands-on experience that each Green Box provides, current circumstances have changed the ways we can deliver STEM education content to educators and students.
 
Due to the need for social distancing, we’ve been working to find new ways to provide our current educational resources to teachers for both in-person instruction and virtual classrooms. Science Alive is still shipping Green Boxes to educators this fall, albeit in a limited capacity and only to schools with in-person instruction. If you are interested in reserving a Green Box for you and your students, click here to see what boxes are available. 
 
Teachers and students in Nevada have had to quickly adapt to changes to instruction, from hybrid models to fully online learning. This is why our team has also been hard at work converting Green Box content into virtual lessons and activities. With these virtual resources at your disposal, students of all ages can access fun STEM lessons from the comfort of their homes. You can find our current virtual resources here. More content is on the way, so check back frequently for updates! 
 
 Another in the works project  has been adapting STEM kits and STEM stations into easy-to-use online activities. Perhaps we should say “easy-to-enjoy,” as many of these resources are made to be fun as well as educational. Each online STEM resource we adapt includes a video component that explains the science underlying the activity, as well as a walk-through for each activity. Some feature links to online quizzes to pique learners’ curiosity – we love it when learners of all ages think and wonder! We will include these supplementary STEM resources alongside our lessons, to be employed and enjoyed as you see fit, as well as hosting them on our YouTube channel. 
 
On the subject of virtual versus face-to-face education, one of our biggest challenge this spring was our inability to bring our EnergySmart education to classrooms due to shelter in place orders. In partnership with NV Energy and Southwest Gas, Science Alive has adapted the face-to-face EnergySmart program into a virtual program! We hope that this way, more teachers and students across the state of Nevada may benefit from fun energy conservation education. If you would like to know more about Science Alive’s EnergySmart program, please follow this link to our webpage. EnergySmart resources are also listed on our Online Resources web page! 
 
Lastly, Science Alive acknowledges the power of videos to deliver quality information and education. Our YouTube channel features a variety of videos for learners, including interviews with DRI scientists, winning entries from our annual EnergySmart PSA contest, and videos of fun, DIY STEM activities. It encapsulates a broad range of our content, and will continue to grow as we refine and expand our educational offerings. Check out our YouTube channel and all it has to offer here!
 
Before we conclude this post, we’d like to point out that our new website is still a work-in-progress. Many of the most important pieces are in place, and most of our content is already available there; however, it will continue to expand as we create more resources for educators across Nevada. We urge you to bookmark our website as an easy, helpful resource you may use again and again. We invite everyone, including parents and families to make use of our virtual resources. 
 
Thanks for reading. Until next time stay safe, healthy, and have fun learning!