2015 Spring Virginia Tech KTU program!

Information for the 2015 Virginia Tech Kids' Tech University program is available for kids ages 9-12 (by Sept. 30, 2014) and their parents.

Want to know about how plants fight off a fungal attack, what is space weather, why is getting immunized so important and why 3D printing of plastics change the future?

Dates are: Jan. 24, Feb. 21st, March 21st and April 11th. 

Open registration begins Oct. 20th at 6 pm.

Important parent information linked here!

Fort Belvoir KTU program opens on Monday, 8/18 at 6 pm!

We are excited to announce the 2014 Fall KTU line up for the Fort Belvoir program in Fairfax, County. This program is funded through the Army ERDC TEC. ONLY kids who have a military affiliation (i.e. all Branches of Service, DOD Civilian, Contractors and Retirees) are allowed to attend the program.

See- http://kidstechuniversity-army.vbi.vt.edu/ for details!

Virginia Science Festival!

Hi Everyone,

Take a quick moment to look at this url and find out where the science festival will be near you. Events are happening all over the state of Virginia.

Both Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech and Virginia 4-H are participating in the Virginia Science Festival at Virginia Tech on Oct. 4th. Come on out and see us! For Virginia Bioinformatics Institute we'll be bringing out Virus Tracker so come on out and spread a zombie around the Virginia Tech campus!

Announcing the 2014 Fall Fort Belvoir Kids' Tech University program!

We are excited to announce the 2014 Fall KTU line up for the Fort Belvoir program in Fairfax, County. This program is funded through the Army ERDC TEC. ONLY kids who have a military affiliation (i.e. all Branches of Service, DOD Civilian, Contractors and Retirees) are allowed to attend the program.

See- http://kidstechuniversity-army.vbi.vt.edu/ for details!

Virginia Tech KTU exhibits on April 5th!

The exhibits below are for KTU registered kids and parents in the Virginia Tech Kids' Tech University program on April 5th! 

Exhibit title- "Sinkers or Floaters"

Solve this mystery: Will it sink or float? Make a prediction and test your prediction. Draw some colnclusions. Why do some objects sink? Why do some objects float? It has to do with the science of density and buoyancy.

Group hosting exhibit- VT Service Learning group

The undergraduate students presenting the activity are Virginia Tech Service Learning Students. As part of their classes, students participate in service projects where they donate a portion of their time and write a final report on their experience. Kids' Tech University is excited to work with these students!

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Exhibit title- "4-H Wildlife Habitat Education Program"

Are you an outdoor and wildlife enthusiast?  Do you enjoy birding and other wildlife viewing?  If so, then the Virginia 4-H Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) program may be for you.  4-H offers a WHEP competition in which youth can test their skills in wildlife identification and general wildlife knowledge.  This workshop will have a sample identification contest using wildlife pictures, skull, skat, track and pelt collections or specimens, and other general wildlife knowledge games.  See what you know about wildlife and wildlife habitat and learn more about the 4-H WHEP contest including how you can get involved in the program in your county.  

Group hosting exhibit- Montgomery and Bedford County 4-H

4-H is the youth development education program of Virginia Cooperative Extension.  Through 4-H, young people are encouraged to participate in a variety of activities that emphasize 4-H's "learn by doing" philosophy.  With volunteer support, 4-H offers many programs and activities for youth, ages 5 to 18. These include community clubs, special interest and project clubs, school enrichment programs, after-school programs, day and residential camps, and leadership and citizenship opportunities.  To learn more about the Montgomery County 4-H program, contact Michelle Dickerson at (540) 382-5790 or adickerson@vt.edu.  To learn more about the Bedford County 4-H program, contact Beth Hawse at (540) 586-7675 or bhawse@vt.edu.  

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Exhibit title- "Get Ready for Spring Gardens! "

Stop by to make these gardening projects:

Make Pinecone Birdfeeder

Decorate Plant Journal

Plant seeds

Save the Bees Bookmark

Group hosting exhibit- NRV Master Gardener Booth

Master Gardeners are committed to learning and to communicating their knowledge of gardening to others. Master Gardeners will direct their efforts to creating and maintaining an awareness of the need for intelligent stewardship of the environment.

Virginia Tech KTU exhibits on April 5th!

The exhibits below are for KTU registered kids and parents in the Virginia Tech Kids' Tech University program on April 5th! 

Exhibit title- "Origami Animals"

Lions, tigers and bears...and Math! Practice mastering math skills by making origami animals!

Group hosting exhibit- VT Service Learning group

The undergraduate students presenting the activity are Virginia Tech Service Learning Students. As part of their classes, students participate in service projects where they donate a portion of their time and write a final report on their experience. Kids' Tech University is excited to work with these students! Special thanks to Holly Grant for leading this booth!

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Exhibit title- "Of Predator and Prey – Who’s In the Food Chain?"

As the commercial says: “You Gotta Eat!” The big question is, “who gets to eat whom?” It’s called the “Food Chain,” and that’s what this presentation from the Science Museum of Western Virginia seeks to uncover. Using the real skulls or predatory mammals and their prey, you can discover how, and why, both ends of the food chain-starting with plants right up to the top predators–have evolved and adapted to be really good at who they are. As an added bonus, the Science Museum will bring along a living Raptor –a bird of prey–so that you can see how this spectacular animal is well-equipped to make a living. By the way, mankind has been both predator AND prey in this constant struggle to survive. You’ll see how WE have adapted over hundreds of thousands of years to prosper along the food chain.

Group hosting exhibit- The Science Museum of Western Virginia

The Science Museum of Western Virginia has been delivering interactive science to Virginia’s southwestern region since 1970.  The museum delivers SOL-based science lessons to students in the seven surrounding school districts, and attracts tens of thousands of visitors annually to its location at Center in the Square, downtown Roanoke, VA.  

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Exhibit title- "Ocean in a bottle"

Every droplet of water that is currently on the Earth has been here since before the dinosaurs. The ocean is a major player in the water cycle as it provides us with water on land in the form of rain. It is also the body of water into which many of our lakes, rivers, and tributaries feed. With 75% of the Earth’s surface covered by water, the ocean is its largest aquatic biome (group of ecosystems within a region that have similar types of vegetation and climatic conditions).

Each of the areas in the marine (saltwater) region of the aquatic biome are at risk from global warming and pollution. The temperature of the ocean affects the level of algae that can grow in salt water. With an increase of algae, more carbon dioxide is produced which contributes to global warming.

Group hosting exhibit- Da Vinci and Curie Science-based Living Learning Communities

Da Vinci and Curie are part of Virginia Tech's inVenTs living-learning community, a combination of four STEM communities focused on engineering and life, physical and quantitative sciences.  See http://www.housing.vt.edu/llc/communities/invents.html  for more details!

"Virginia Tech KTU exhibits on April 5th!"

The exhibits below are for KTU registered kids and parents in the Virginia Tech Kids' Tech University program on April 5th! 

Exhibit title- "Robtic Extraterrestrial Mining"

Mining in Space is the first step to substantial space travel and colonization. The extra-terrestrial minerals that have been studied have proven to be an effective fuel source. This is a must in the endeavor that is deep travel. Colonies on other planets would need to have a local fuel source. The first step in this would be in developing robots that can harvest regolith in the harsh environments found on Mars and Asteroids.

Group hosting exhibit- Astrobotics at Virginia Tech

The Astrobotics team is a senior design team in the Aerospace and Mining engineering departments that is participating in the NASA Robotic Mining Competition. This is the 5th year of the competition formerly known as the Lunabotics competition has be held at Kennedy Space Center, but as space exploration has shifted from the moon to Mars and asteroids. The team is tasked with designing and building a robotic rover capable of mining Martian or asteroid regolith.  

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Exhibit title- "New River Valley Rocketry "

Our booth will have static displays of rockets ranging in height from 3” to over 12 feet. We will have on display different types of model and high power rocket engines as well as payloads from altimeters to video cameras. We will show short video segments of rocket launches from our launches in the New River Valley and from other sites around the world. Come see the Virginia Tech themed rocket which went from 0 to 619 miles per hour in less than 50 feet and is signed by the original rocket boy, Homer Hickam. 

Group hosting exhibit- New River Valley Rocketry – TRA prefecture #143 

New River Valley Rocketry is a prefecture of the Tripoli Rocketry Association, Inc. Our mission is to educate, enable and inspire students and the public on safe construction, launching and recovery of all sizes of hobby rocketry. We provide event insurance through our parent organization, file all proper FAA waivers and NOTAM and fly with permission of land owners. We strictly follow our safety code which has proven itself in over 50 years of hobby rocketry experience with an estimated over 500 million rockets flown without any serious injury or death. NRVR strongly encourages and supports outreach and activities to generate excitement and enthusiasm for the next generation of scientists, engineers, and rocket and space enthusiasts. 

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Exhibit title- "DNA Extraction from Strawberries"

The Biochemistry Club hosts this hands-on experience with DNA. DNA is the genetic material that gives living organisms their characteristics. The Biochemistry Club of Virginia Tech invites all KTU participants to engage in a hands-on DNA extraction from strawberry. We use strawberries as a source for extracting DNA because they are soft and easy to pulverize, and they produce enzymes which aid in breaking down the plant cell walls.  Strawberries have enormous genomes.  They are octoploid, which means they have eight of each type of chromosome (which equals abundant DNA). At the end of this experiment participants can take their strawberry DNA home.

Group hosting exhibit- Biochemistry Club

The Biochemistry Club of Virginia Tech is an  undergraduate Biochemistry majors group that sponsors events for career development of students. One important activity is the engagement of elementary school students in science activities.

Virginia Tech KTU exhibits on April 5th!

The exhibits below are for KTU registered kids and parents in the Virginia Tech Kids' Tech University program on April 5th! 

Exhibit title- "Flavors of Physics"

At our booth we will be showcasing the following activities:

1) Electricity and Magnetism Demonstrations

2)  Aluminum Barge Challenge                                     

3) Non-Newtonian Fluids

Group hosting exhibit- Enriched Physics Outreach Students

This group is a class led by Dr. Mary Norris. Eric Hahn, Kade Monnell, Sandy Brothers, and Mehdi Himmiche will be leading the booth!

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Exhibit title- "The Geotechnical Student Organization of Virginia Tech "

The Geotechnical Student Organization will be performing two demonstrations; the first being a reinforced soil demonstration and the second being a liquefaction demonstration. The reinforced soil demonstration will allow the kids to build multiple blocks of sand, some being reinforced with paper and some not. They will then get to stand on each block and compare the results. After observing how different the two outcomes are, students will be asked to hypothesize how the reinforcement is working. Posters with simple explanations of what is happening will be used to ultimately explain the reinforcement. The second demonstration will show what liquefaction is and how it actually occurs. Volunteers will place small objects on sand and a machine designed to cause liquefaction will be used to simulate an earthquake. This test will be run when the sand is dry and when the sand is saturated, and it will be observed that when water is present the sand will liquefy and the objects on the sand will sink. An explanation will then be provided as to why liquefaction is occurring. Both of these demonstrations are designed to involve the kids in hands on activities as well as challenge them with questions. Virginia Tech key chains will be given out to students who participate in answering questions.


Group hosting exhibit- The Geotechnical Student Organization of Virginia Tech


The Geotechnical Student Organization (GSO) is a student-led body that functions to enhance the educational and personal experience of students in geotechnical engineering at Virginia Tech. The organization is committed to increasing student awareness of the geotechnical engineering profession as well as Virginia Tech’s reputation as a leader in graduate geotechnical engineering education. The GSO works to connect with the undergraduate civil engineering population at Virginia Tech as well as promote participation in student activities organized by the Geo-Institute.

The organization consists of a president and six officers, who work together to organize field trips, open house for newly accepted students, as well as outreach activities to educate younger students about geotechnical engineering. The GSO coordinates with professionals to obtain guest speakers for seminar classes where students can see geotechnical engineering from an industry perspective. An annual trip to the Geo- Congress conference is coordinated by the GSO as well. All students in the geotechnical
engineering program are invited to attend and the conference provides great networking and educational opportunities.

Virginia Tech KTU exhibits on April 5th!

The exhibits below are for KTU registered kids and parents in the Virginia Tech Kids' Tech University program on April 5th! 

Exhibit title- "Virginia Career VIEW"

Learn about environmental scientists, park naturalists, veterinary technicians, wildlife biologists,soil and water conservationists, and other careers that work with animals, conservation, and ecosystems!

Group hosting exhibit- Virginia Career VIEW

Virginia Career VIEW (Vital Information for Education and Work) is recognized as the Commonwealth's Career Information Delivery System for all students in grades K-8 in Virginia.  We are located at Virginia Tech as part of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences in the School of Education.  As part of the Office of Educational Research and Outreach, our mission is to inform, encourage, and support the education and career development of the people of Virginia. Virginia Career VIEW is supported by State funds from the Virginia Department of Education, directly through Virginia Tech. Our efforts combine independent research, engaging activities, in addition to hands-on statewide training and outreaches with the most current data presented using the latest technology.  

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Exhibit title- "Dig in Deeper: Natural Connections"

Life cycle analysis is research that tracks the full life cycle of things. This analysis measures and accounts for all the costs associated with a product. Costs include the product's manuafacturing (including the raw materials and energy used to make the product), packaging, transportation, use, possible re0use or recycling, and complete disposal of the item. Life cycle analysis shows us that the costs of disposing of the things that we use are much highter than previously expected. Check out how long it takes for various items to break down in a landfill and make predictions at this booth!

Group hosting exhibit- VT Service Learning group

The undergraduate students presenting the activity are Virginia Tech Service Learning Students. As part of their classes, students participate in service projects where they donate a portion of their time and write a final report on their experience. Kids' Tech University is excited to work with these students!

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Exhibit title- "The Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society at Virginia Tech"

At our booth we will have specimens that the kids can touch including skins, skulls, and possibly 2 live specimens. We may also have coloring pages, a game and prizes.

Group hosting exhibit- The Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society at Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech Chapter of The Wildlife Society is a student organization for those interested in wildlife and becomeing a proffessional in the wildlife field.   Our mission is to promote professionalism in our membership through experience, networking, conservation awareness and education in an enjoyable atmosphere.. Our members develop and promote sound stewardship of wildlife resources and of the environments upon which wildlife and humans depend.