SOEST Experience

Just dropping in for a quick post about our experience at the UH SOEST Open House this weekend. Spoiler alert: it was great! I would absolutely recommend attending in the future!  (I am NOT affiliated or associated with UH, SOEST, or this event. I'm simply sharing about our personal experience at the event in case someone is curious about it.)

In case some of you missed my earlier post about the event, the basic gist of it is that the University of Hawaii at Manoa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) offers an opportunity (once every two years) to experience "a diverse array of entertaining and educational hands-on activities and demonstrations", highlighting the research the school conducts. 
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We live in Central Oahu but the drive and finding and paying for parking was worth it. Both my girls loved the experience and Big Sis, in particular, said she was so happy we went and thanked me several times for bringing them. Even Baby Sis got to participate in a couple of activities. 

They had a lot of exhibits and we didn't make it to the Open House until midway through, so we didn't get to experience all that it had to offer. Nonetheless, I was impressed, especially since it is a free event (aside from parking costs). Every volunteer, student, and staff that we encountered was friendly, inviting, informative, interactive, and great with the kids. While some of the exhibits were simple, many were interesting, engaging, novel, and/or fun... often showing equipment or tools that the researchers use, most of which we would not otherwise have the chance to see, touch, or use. One department had an outdoor "explosive volcano" demo that drew an audience every 15-20 minutes and could be heard throughout the area as it tossed colorful plastic balls high into the air. It was a highlight of the visit, according to the kids. 

There was a lot of depth of information available, a plethora of learning opportunities, multiple hands-on experiences that enhanced my girls understanding of topics we've covered or opened their eyes to new things we haven't yet encountered. The researchers and university students inspired my kids to want to know more about certain branches of sciences and kindled their love of learning - which is always a wonderful thing!|

When the next SOEST Open House opportunity comes up (probably in 2019), be sure to check it out!