ENGAGE AND INVOLVE OUR YOUNG GEOSCIENTISTS
By Penny Patterson
The month of February for the Houston Geological Society strongly focuses on organizing and hosting events for our young, blossoming elementary-school and high-school science students and our emerging geoscientists studying at universities. Hence, this is a perfect time for our more experienced geoscientists of all ages to work with our Houston-area students to engage them and get them excited to learn about our earth and its many dynamic processes.
The first student-focused event to be held in February is the HGS Scholarship Night, which will take place on February 10, 2025, at the Norris Conference Center. The HGS Scholarship Night is a highlight of the year for HGS because HGS proudly presents two levels of scholarships. The HGS Undergraduate Fund awards scholarships to our winning undergraduate students. The Calvert Fund awards scholarships to our winning graduate students. Another highlight of this year's Scholarship Night will be hearing guest speakers Andrew Madof and Cody Miller's talk on "The Day the Dinosaurs Died."
The next student-focused event to be held in February is the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH), scheduled for February 15, 2025, at the Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas. Dorene West published an excellent article in the January 2025 HGS Bulletin, and I highly recommend reading her article to get detailed information. HGS's team of judges reviews projects related to earth sciences and presents Special Award certificates to winning student projects. Our Houston-area students work diligently and present extremely well-thought-out and informative earth science projects. This is an excellent opportunity to encourage and involve our young geoscientists. In addition, through HGS's membership with the Engineering, Science and Technology Council of Houston (ECH), HGS funds three summer internships for high school students at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS). HGS selects three top students from the SEFH competition to receive these coveted HMNS summer internships. Both the science fair awards and internships help inspire our Houston-area students to pursue careers in the field of geoscience.
On March 22, 2025, HGS will be teaming up with the YMCA for a Volunteer Day at Camp Cullen to work on "sprucing up" the camp for this year's summer programs. Camp Cullen hosts children from across the greater Houston area and provides a wide variety of outdoor activities, including participating in geological field trips to a unique, onsite rock quarry, hands-on lessons with camp counselors to learn about rocks, minerals, and fossils from Camp Cullen's collection; and "gold" panning opportunities for younger children. Camp Cullen is looking for ways to improve the quality of its geoscience educational programs. If you are interested in helping, please get in touch with HGS member John Adamick or see the page in this month's HGS Bulletin for more information.
Throughout the year, HGS members and volunteers organize and host numerous student-focused activities. I want to highlight and also thank all the members of HGS's Educational Outreach Committee who work tirelessly yearlong to bring excellent, hands-on learning to our young scientists. Educational Outreach Committee members Phil Caggino, Chuck Caughey, Keith Thies, Janet Combes, Letha Slagel, Debbie Caperton, and Steve Johansen are currently working on two programs: the "Bones in Schools" program, which includes hands-on learning about Pleistocene mammals and their environment; and STEM workshops, which are being held in Houston-area schools and institutions. If you would like to help with HGS's Educational Outreach programs, please contact any committee member. They will be glad to engage you!
In summary, HGS has many opportunities to engage with our budding geoscientists of all ages. I invite everyone to get involved and nurture our next generation of geoscientists.
I will close with a quote from Benjamin Franklin: "Show me, and I forget; teach me, and I remember; involve me, and I learn." Let's work together to engage our young geoscientists and get them excited to learn about our vibrant earth and its ever-changing dynamics!
I look forward to seeing you at HGS's student events!
Penny Patterson