Wayne Community College to host Festival of Food Science
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on April 18, 2018 5:50 AM
A "Festival of Food Science" will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the campus of Wayne Community College.
Targeted to those in kindergarten through fifth grade, the free family event is affiliated with the 2018 North Carolina Science Festival.
"Food is the theme for the year, the science of food and drink," said Sondi Hoffman, biology instructor at WCC and organizer. "It's kind of a monthlong event hosted by the N.C. Science Festival. When I first got here I thought this would be a great thing for (WCC)."
There will be 17 different stations set up in Wayne Learning Center, a "carnival-style" arena with hands-on short experiments and displays incorporating science and math.
"Kids can come in -- most of the things are hands on, some are informational, some demonstrations," Hoffman said.
The activities spill over, as some experiments just lend themselves to a wider, more open space outside.
Like the Mentos Geyser and Elephant Toothpaste and strawberry slingshots, which teach about physics.
Inside, attendees can explore food from a chemistry perspective by making ice cream, gummy worms and edible water bottles.
Participants will also learn how food science is changing at the agricultural level, how food affects body and teeth and the connections between food texture and taste.
The WCC festival is one of hundreds of community-based events showcasing STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math, activities across the state.
Founded in 2010, the N.C. Science Festival is the first statewide science festival in the nation.
Each April similar versions are hosted by schools, colleges, libraries, museums, parks, businesses and other organizations.
The North Carolina festival is presented by the Biogen Foundation and produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Hoffman said she hopes this is an event that can be continued locally in future years.
"I like the idea of going with whatever the theme is because you can kind of play with something different, but I also like this kind of a carnival-style setup if you will where you can come and go as you please but enjoy all the different things," she said.
"The target is younger kids but absolutely, older kids and grownups will have fun."