Brighter Horizons 2010 Workshops

  • Workshops are geared toward students in 5th to 9th grades.
  • Students will attend three different 50-minute workshops where they will perform some activities that are related to the leader's occupation.
  • Students are to choose their six top options and enter them in order of preference on the registration form.
  • Students will be assigned to their highest preferred choices until those workshops are full.
  • Since workshops will be filled on a first come first served basis, early registration is advantageous.
  • There will be no more than 30 students per workshop.
  • Students who use the on-line registration process will receive a confirmation form that they will print out, have a parent enter the emergency phone and have the parent sign the form before sending the form and the $10 registration fee to:
    • AAUW / Brighter Horizons, 2960 Keel Way, Oxnard, CA 93035

    Student Workshops

    1: Project Brainstorm: Your Brain and You
    See and touch (using gloves) real animal and human brains. Explore the function, structure, and importance of the brain.
    Sarah Madsen, Grad Student in Neuroscience

    2: From Athletes to Accidents
    Learn how to help people recover from broken bones, pulled muscles and other ailments.
    Kathy Diener, Physical Therapist

    3: What's Bugging You About Your Future.
    Students will be introduced to live millipedes, centipedes, crustaceans, insects, arachnids as well as puppets and models and learn about arthropods.
    Susan E Van Vorhis Key, Educator /Entomologist

    4: You Too Can Work at NASA!
    The Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA want your help exploring the universe. Find out what you can do!
    Joy Bottenfield, Sandra Dayan, Nora Mainland, Maria Schellpfeffer, Sherry Stukes, Engineers

    5: What's Your Vital Sign?
    Discover the role of the physician's assistant in today's medical profession. See why Money magazine named physician's assistant the second best job in the US.
    Amanda Jensen, Physician's Assistant

    6: Science Detective: Finding Hidden Stuff
    You can't see them, but there are all kinds of surprising materials in the air, your food and other everyday things. We will discover the clues that help identify them.
    Tina Salguero, Research Chemist.

    7: Helping People Through Life's Toughest Challenges
    Find out what it takes to become a social worker and participate in role-play activities using actual medical social work cases.
    Lyndsay Heitmann-Avery, Medical Social Worker

    8: Wild Life Rescue
    Meet live exotic animals from the STAR ECO Station's wildlife rescue center. Learn about careers in Animal and Environmental Science & Education.
    Chandra Comstock, Wildlife Director; Jeanne Tiggs Wildlife Instructor

    9: Park Ranger for a Day: Preserving our Native Ecosystems
    The largest urban park in the world is right in your backyard! Learn about its wild animals, native plants as well as its unique biodiversity, ecology, fire regimes and climate.
    Leilani Wayne, Mary Holmes, Park Rangers, National Park Service

    10: Recycling, the Environment and You!
    Learn through games how you can recycle and help save the planet.
    Lisa Hemenway, Environmental Specialist

    11: From OR to Grey's Anatomy
    What does a nurse really do in the operating room? Come meet an Operating Room nurse and learn about this fascinating field.
    LeAnne Schai, Registered Nurse

    12: Mathemagic !
    Learn a card trick, based on algebra, that will amaze your friends. See some other "tricks" that make math fun.
    Virginia Seaton, Math Teacher

    13: Discover Engineering
    Explore what engineers do … make asphalt cookies, run solar cars and remote control trucks and do other hands on activities.
    Jeannette Baker, Electrical Engineer

    14: Chemistry Solutions
    Explore melting points, endothermic and exothermic reactions and see how you can use this knowledge to make edible treats.
    Linda Narhi, Biochemist

    15: Colorful Kelp Beads
    Explore the chemistry of biopolymers formed from oceanic kelp and use them to make colorful beads to take home.
    Cari Meyer Joiner, Chemistry Professor

    16: Dental Engineering
    Design the perfect smile by mixing materials with amazing techniques.
    Robin McEwan, Orthodontist

    17: DNA Detectives---the Mysterious Case of Identical Strands
    What was once one has now become two! Using models, investigate how our DNA produces identical copies of itself in order to make us who we are.
    Beth Rose, Molecular Biology Grad Student

    18: Computers and Drug Discovery
    Learn how computers help discover, develop, manufacture and test drugs for patients
    Tracy Blois, Lorena Barron, Sarica Cohen, Johanna Mullen, Kit Shaw, Research Scientists

    19: Sumo Robot Wrestling
    Design and build a Sumo Robot using electromagnets and electrical circuits. Participate in robot wrestling competitions.
    Tanya Silva, Science Educator; Tery Arnold, Educator

    20: Keeping Your Pets Healthy
    Observe a pet physical exam and take a video tour of a veterinarian's office and how we work with pets.
    Kathy Jonokuchi, Veterinarian

    21: Obesity in a Bottle-Think Before You Drink
    Think you know what to eat to stay healthy and attractive? What about what you drink? Find out what is really in your favorite energy drinks, coffee drinks, smoothies and soda.
    Jennifer Ludlow, Behavioral Health Educator

    22: Super-soakers: Chemistry Facts & Future Directions
    Examine the science behind disposable diapers and the miracle chemical used to create this super-soaker.
    Victoria Choi, Chemistry Professor

    23: Discovering the Sea Range
    Discover the Point Mugu Sea Range, focusing on the capabilities of weapons testing, data collection and supporting our US military.
    Ilia Lyles, Kenner Odeghe, Lisa Barneby, Engineers/Rocket Scientists

    24: Dive Into a Giant Kelp Forest!
    Come experience what it is like to dive in a lush kelp forest! A marine biologist will share her knowledge and excitement of the underwater world that exists off the California coast.
    Kelly Moore, Marine Biologist/Park Ranger

    25: Star Lab !
    Journey into space in the Star Lab! Women have made record-breaking strides in the space program. "Could you be the next person on the moon?"
    Carmelita Miranda, Starlab Coordinator

    26: Horsin' Around
    Veterinary medicine can be more than just dogs and cats. Explore veterinary medicine for large animals.
    Marta Granstedt, Veterinarian

    27: The Forensic Science Side of CSI
    Forensic Science helps solve crimes by using knowledge and advanced technology. Learn what science tells us about the crime.
    Renee Artman, Forensic Scientist

    28: Cool Chemistry
    Learn how Chemistry is part of our everyday lives. Make "gak" and ice cream. Get a "gold penny" to take home and find out how it's made.
    Jennifer Kuo, Research & Development Scientist

    29: The Twisted Thinking of Topologists
    Explore and answer questions such as "What do paper dolls and time warps have in common?" and "Can you turn your pants inside-out with your feet tied together?"
    Christina Soderlund, Professor of Mathematics

    30: Urban Park Ranger Explore the role of urban Park Rangers in fire management, species preservation, trail building and meet some animals Rangers protect.
    Jane Fawkes, Park Ranger, Conejo Open Space

    31: Where Does Our Food Come From?
    Plants and soil provide our food. Learn to identify two soils by touch and link the botanical names of plant parts to foods we love to eat.
    Maren Mochizuki, Agricultural Scientist

    Contact us -> aauw.brighterhorizons@gmail.com