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Sofia Medina cautiously reached out her hand toward the yellow and black ball python drawing a crowd around the science fair booth at the California State University, East Bay campus. The python’s handler assured the 7th grader its scales would be dry to the touch, explaining to the families gathered there that unlike humans, most snakes don’t have oils on their skin.
“I was really nervous — It felt nice though!” said Medina, who is from Hayward. She learned that “there isn’t any reason for the snake to bite you if they’re not threatened.”
Students like Medina came from around the Bay Area to the Science in the Park fair in Hayward on Saturday. Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle was heartened to see the dozens of exhibits set up across the CSUEB campus after the every-two-years event, originally launched in Union City in 1997, had been on pause because of the pandemic.
“The whole concept is bring science to the community,” Valle said. “You walk away with a lot of knowledge and understating of how science works.”
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 1: Leonard Page, of Classroom Safari, shows off Dartgator, an alligator to visitors during the Science in the Park fair at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The science fair event featured educational activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 1: Ahmadull Habibi, 7, left, and his sister Bibi Zainab Habibi, 9, stay still as Sterling Johnson of Sterling Bubbles, covers their bodies with a giant bubble during the Science in the Park fair at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The science fair event featured educational activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 1: Ahmadull Habibi, 7, left, and his sister Bibi Zainab Habibi, 9, react as a giant bubble made by Sterling Johnson of Sterling Bubbles, pops during the Science in the Park fair at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The science fair event featured educational activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 1: Veeraj Tare, 7, of Fremont, follows the flight of the paper rocket he made during the Science in the Park fair at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The science fair event featured educational activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 1: Veeraj Tare, 7, of Fremont, prepares to laiunch his paper rocket during the Science in the Park fair at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The science fair event featured educational activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 1: Firefighter Justin McReynolds of Hayward Fire Department, drops an egg inside a recyclable plastic bottle filled with pillow stuff with a parachute attached to it during the 60-feet egg drop from an engine ladder as part of the Science in the Park fair at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The egg, which is from Hayward participant Autumn Bernal, 6, survived the drop. The science fair event featured educational activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 1: Firefighter Justin McReynolds of Hayward Fire Department, drops an egg inside a recyclable plastic bottle filled with pillow stuff with a parachute attached to it during the 60-feet egg drop from an engine ladder as part of the Science in the Park fair at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The egg, which is from Hayward participant Autumn Bernal, 6, survived the drop. The science fair event featured educational activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 1: Edward Bernal, left, is all smiles after his kid Autumn Bernal, 6, gave her a high-five with an egg that survived the 60-feet egg drop from a Hayward Fire Department engine ladder during the Science in the Park fair at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The egg was inside a recyclable plastic bottle filled with pillow stuff with a parachute attached to it. The science fair event featured educational activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 1: Ajeet Cheema, 5, of Union City, enjoys the bouncing house during the Science in the Park fair at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The science fair event featured educational activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 1: Kids play in the inflatable jumpers as parents wait for them outside during the Science in the Park fair at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The science fair event featured educational activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
In recent years, officials have made science, technology, engineering and math education a bigger emphasis in schools as U.S. students, in particular those of color, have fallen behind many of their international counterparts in “S.T.E.M” curriculum literacy.
Participants in Saturday’s event included volunteers from public agencies and educational nonprofits such as the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland.
Soni Johnson, community development coordinator with Alameda County Healthy Homes Department, handed out small potted plants for students to grow at home. The goal was to raise awareness about potential lead contamination in the soil in parts of the county that have many older homes. Students were encouraged to grow the plants in raised beds or plant them in the pots to avoid contaminated soil.
“They’re really interested in the information and the science of everything,” Johnson said.
Anna Dix, an engineer from Castro Valley, brought her 8-year-old son Nico to the fair to help spark an interest in learning about science.
“Just exploring all the different types of science that are out there,” Dix said. “There are so many booths, so many activities to touch and feel and do.”
Advick Malhodra, a 5th grader from Fremont, set up his own “science lab” booth at the fair. He showed off a mini hydraulic crane and lego rocket launcher that he built himself.
Malhodra said he also likes math and coding and wants to be a computer engineer when her grows up.
His favorite thing about science?
“It’s pretty amazing when you learn things,” Malhodra said. “It’s kind of awesome when you do experiments like volcanoes and fireworks.”
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