Society gets what it values! As a culture, we value movie stars, rock stars and athletes and we generate a lot of them, but we don’t give the same importance to science and mathematics. On April 27, 2009, President Obama declared that “science is more essential than ever before for the nation’s security, health, and economy.”
In a nutshell:
— according to Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley, by the end of 2010 (just months from now) 90% of the world’s scientists and engineers with advanced degrees will live in Asia.
— 80% of people being trained in the advanced physical sciences in the United States are from abroad.
— because the opportunities are now greater abroad, we are no longer retaining them in the USA.
— If we do not turn this trend around, we will have outsourced innovation.
And once we have outsourced innovation, our country’s ability to compete will be over. My concern over this is so great that I have devoted the past 12 years to reaching America’s students with the idea that science and math are not only necessary for their success, but exciting and fun.
Science museums often have travelling troupes that will bring shows to local schools. Local colleges also offer programs where their students present fun demonstrations for school assembly programs. Professional educators like Dr. Dennis Regling also travel and present engaging and educational shows.
For the past 12 years Dennis Regling has presented science and mathematics programs in over 1400 schools in 25 states. These are programs for elementary and junior high students that are FUN, entertaining and educational. Dr. Regling has developed presentations and workshops that spark the interest of students in the Sciences. Regling has poured his energy and imagination and effort into creating and presenting programs that are both motivational and curriculum based.
Not only are the programs geared towards getting students excited about science, but the assembly can be coupled with hands on work shops or an evening family science night.
Dennis Regling’s shows include physics, math, chemistry, optical illusions and much more as liquids change color, beach balls float in a stream of air, and teachers light fluorescent bulbs with a touch of their finger.
After the shows, teachers and students often replicate some of Dr. Regling’s experiments in the classroom. School librarians always report a spike in students checking out science, math and magic books after Dennis visits a school, too.