04/28/2008

Weekend Mystery Kindles Youth Interest in Science Behind Sleuthing

Writer:

Martha Filipic
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu
(614) 292-9833

Source:

Ron Sanderson, OSU Extension, Marion County
rsanderson@cfaes.osu.edu
(740) 223-4040

Sally McClaskey, OSU Extension, Licking County
mcclaskey.12@cfaes.osu.edu
(740) 670-5325

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Middle-school students will converge on the Ohio State University campus on the weekend of June 13 to solve "An Ohio 4-H CSI Adventure: Who Kidnapped Brutus Buckeye?"

The program, open to students entering the seventh, eighth and ninth grades in the fall, is designed to give youths hands-on experiences in basic biotechnology and forensic crime scene investigation skills in a fun, informal atmosphere.

"We're calling it 'The Case of the Missing Mascot,'" said Sally McClaskey, 4-H Youth Development program coordinator for Ohio State University Extension in Licking County and one of the event's organizers. The program will center on disappearance of Brutus Buckeye, and the student sleuths will use scientific techniques to solve the mystery.

"It's a perfect opportunity for curious kids -- kids who are interested in science, biotechnology or detective work. They'll have the opportunity for hands-on experiences to learn about the science behind fingerprinting and DNA extraction," as well as other mystery-solving activities, she said.

The program is limited to 60 participants. Registration is $130 and includes accommodations, meals, crime kit with investigation supplies and all other materials. A registration form is available by clicking "CSI Adventure: Who Kidnapped Brutus Buckeye?" at http://www.ohio4h.org/youth/EventsandOpport/index.html.

Ron Sanderson, 4-H Youth Development educator for OSU Extension in Marion County, is coordinating the event with McClaskey. He said the program is designed to spark enthusiasm for science-related careers among participants.

"I know that there are engineering internships available in the area that aren't filled because not enough of our kids are going into those careers," Sanderson said. "Ohio needs more students interested in science and technology -- we think this program will show them what they can do with those kinds of skills."

Ohio ranks 15th in the nation for total employment in high-tech industries, according to a new report by AeA, the nation's largest high-tech trade association. However, according to the National for Public Policy and Higher Education, fewer than half of Ohio high school students take upper-level math courses, and just 20 percent take upper-level science courses.

Most of the weekend's activities will be held at the new Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, the university's first environmentally friendly "green" building. College students will participate as camp counselors and will stay in a university dormitory with the students overnight. Participants will work with DNA in a lab at the nearby Metro High School, a public school with a special emphasis on science, math and technology, created in 2006 by Ohio State, Battelle and the Educational Council of Franklin County. A Battelle scientist will lead that activity, Sanderson said.

"We'll also bring in law enforcement and other professionals for different activities," Sanderson said. "We want to open their eyes to career possibilities -- there are many different avenues open to them."

Sanderson and McClaskey also believe the students will have fun exploring Ohio State's campus. "A lot of high schoolers start visiting college campuses when they're juniors or even seniors," McClaskey said. "These students will actually have the experience of staying in a dorm and seeing what living on campus is like. But the core idea is that they'll have a chance to experience hands-on science -- not reading it from a book or being lectured about it. They'll actually be doing it."

For more information about the CSI Adventure, download the brochure at the above Web site or contact Sanderson at rsanderson@cfaes.osu.edu or (740) 223-4040 or McClaskey at mcclaskey.12@cfaes.osu.edu or (740) 670-5315.

The program is made possible through a grant from the Ohio 4-H Foundation.

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