Super Science Cyber School Day

By Carolyn Belardo

The Academy and WXPN are teaming up to present the first Super Science Cyber School Day, Monday, Jan. 23, at Philadelphia’s dinosaur museum.

Super Science Cyber School Day at the Academy is open to cyber school and home-schooled students of all ages and their parents and features a full day of fun, hands-on science workshops tailored to different age groups, starting as young as pre-kindergarten. It takes place during National School Choice Week, Jan. 22-28.

A highlight, no doubt, will be the chance to meet popular WXPN Kids Corner host Kathy O’Connell who will lead students in a fast-paced dinosaur game show along with Academy paleontologist Jason Poole. The game show will be recorded and aired on the public radio station sometime in February.

Registration for Super Science Cyber School Day is available by visiting ansp.org. The fee, which includes museum admission, is $7 for each child and each adult.

Super Science Cyber School Day is a new collaboration of the Academy and WXPN, both dedicated to lifelong learning for people of all ages.

“We’re thrilled to partner with WXPN on this exciting day dedicated to promoting science, technology engineering and math education,” said Academy Vice President for Education Dr. Jacquie Genovesi.

Any time we can engage children and young adults in the excitement of learning science and show them the rewards of their efforts is a great day.”Kids Corner Producer Robert Drake noted the long-standing partnership between the two institutions and the shared educational goals.

As Kids Corner celebrates nearly 30 years of programming, our mission has remained true—to provide entertaining and educational programming for children by involving kids in interactive segments designed to educate, as well as to celebrate and respect their experience as youth. This mission is close to that of the Academy, and that makes this partnership so natural a fit,” Drake said.

While this event is new, the partnership between Kids Corner/WXPN and the Academy has been ongoing for decades. In fact, our first regular guest back in 1988 was from the Academy of Natural Sciences!” Drake said.

Super Science Cyber School Day kicks off Jan. 23 shortly after 10 a.m. when all the students get to meet each other and hear from the guest speakers. Then they are let loose from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to explore the museum and to pick and choose from a variety of hands-on activities with Academy educators; close encounters with the Academy’s live insects, birds and reptiles; special dinosaur and other fossil displays; animal dissection activities, diorama detective games, and more. There also will be a helpful resource fair for parents and educators.

In the event of inclement weather, the event will take place Monday, Jan. 30. For questions, visit ansp.org or call the Academy’s Education Department, 215-405-5061.