On November 2, UCLA’s student-led Exploring Your Universe (EYU) took place on campus. Now in its 16th year, LA County’s largest science fair introduced K-12 students and the public to science through hands-on activities, demonstrations, and lectures. A new video highlighting this year’s EYU is now available to watch.
At this year’s EYU, many members of the UCLA Chemistry & Biochemistry community hosted interactive booths and gave engaging talks. An article with photos and details about those specific booths and faculty presentations will be posted soon.
From UCLA Newsroom (by Jonathan Riggs | Video by Steven Ruiz ’22)
‘Science is for everybody’: Exploring Your Universe fair connects the community to UCLA
The volunteer-led event drew more than 12,000 visitors in its 16th year
Israel Flores, 4, peered into a plastic cup, studying three tiny insects he’d found. In his hurry to discuss them with UCLA experts, scientist to scientist, he only had time to answer one question.
“Yes,” he said, carefully holding the cup — he did want to become a scientist when he grew up.
Flores was in good company at UCLA’s Exploring Your Universe, a volunteer-powered event that turns campus into a free community science fair every November. Founded and run by Bruin students with faculty and staff support, EYU creates opportunities for visitors to participate in hands-on learning experiences, including launching rockets, creating tinfoil boats, stirring up glittery bubble tornados and controlling robots.
With more than 500 volunteers and 12,000 guests in attendance Nov. 2, EYU’s 16th year marked its largest and most impactful installment to date under the theme of “Stand up for Science.”
“This has been a difficult year for science and for our community in general, but the fact that EYU has been able to respond with more programming, more attendance and more enthusiasm than ever speaks volumes,” said Megan Grace Li, doctoral student in planetary science and EYU president. “Our mission and message have never been timelier: Science is for everybody.”
Guests were treated to 70 interactive science booths, 18 science talks, nine planetarium shows and laboratory tours of the California NanoSystems Institute. For the first time, EYU included tours of the Mathias Botanical Garden and an Inventors’ Alley, which featured booths displaying UCLA faculty creations and companies. And the fun wasn’t restricted to campus — certain elements were livestreamed and Li has even hosted 22 episodes thus far of an EYU podcast highlighting volunteer stories.
An additional highlight of the day came when Terence Tao, UCLA’s James and Carol Collins Professor of Mathematics and Fields Medal recipient, was honored with EYU’s Science and Education Pioneer Award, bestowed upon individuals who have “demonstrated a stellar commitment to empowering the public — especially children — to pursue education and success in the sciences.”
“Science is a public good; it creates an ecosystem out of which all the technological advances we have come from, but the general public isn’t always aware of this,” Tao said. “Science outreach is very important and I’m always happy to be involved explaining what we do and how it helps us all.”
Seeing that outreach in action and experiencing it firsthand meant a lot to attendees and volunteers alike.
“I have a 10-year-old who loves science and math; we had a wonderful time at EYU last year and he wanted to come again this year,” said Sheila Shea, a project policy analyst for the department of integrative biology and physiology, as she raced after her son, who was eager to get to the next booth. “I think it’s especially amazing that kids get to learn from UCLA undergraduate and graduate students because it provides role models for them — you can see firsthand how their curiosity and passion inspires the next generation.”
As laughter, excited shouts and countless questions rang throughout the Court of Sciences and across campus, it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement of the day, according to Diana Vaca, a microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics major who volunteered at the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science booth.
“We helped kids make lava lamps and walked them through all their questions about the scientific reasons why oil and water don’t mix,” Vaca said. “I loved seeing how genuinely excited they all got when the bubbles came up. It’s been thrilling getting to reach and teach so many kids.”
That experience has been so transformative for the student volunteers that many have served at multiple EYUs.
“I like that EYU unites all the scientific departments across UCLA; it’s well organized and everybody always has a great time,” physics doctoral student Stefano Roccasecca said. “And the best part is that kids get to interact directly with us and do different experiments and demos together instead of just being talked at. We hope it will encourage them all to grow up to value science.”
Ultimately, whether you’re a world-renowned mathematician, a 4-year-old aspiring entomologist or somewhere in between, science matters to us all. And that should be at the heart of the ongoing discussions about its funding in the United States, concluded Miguel García-Garibay, senior dean of the UCLA College and dean of physical sciences.
His EYU presentation, “Stand Up for Science!” explained how science is the country’s most impactful national investment, funded by every taxpayer.
“It’s crucial to remember that the science and research that we do at UCLA and at universities across the country belongs to each and every one of us — and to each and every one of you,” García-Garibay said. “You are not just the beneficiaries of scientific innovation and entrepreneurship, but you are also a stakeholder.”
Exploring Your Universe is made possible by the generosity of donors, including Mani L. Bhaumik, and a cross-campus collaboration of science experts and enthusiasts.
