“Do you know where that address is?” asked the taxi driver when PSI’s Sanlyn Buxner gave him the address of the youth center she was headed to. Along with eight other researchers and science communicators from all over the United States, Buxner was on her way to the FAN-DC building in Washington, D.C.
Yes, she and the three other people in the taxi knew exactly where they were going, and they were loaded down with snacks, meteorites and myriad hands-on activities. Thanks to a collaboration with the Let’s Go program, they would spend their Monday night at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting bringing science to foster kids in one of D.C.’s under-resourced communities.
This event was the first of an ongoing series of events that bring together scientists attending research conferences and children who might otherwise never meet a scientist in person.
“Children don’t get to choose where they live,” said Buxner, a PSI Senior Education and Communication Specialist and Senior Scientist. “We do get to choose where we do outreach and we are grateful to the local partners who supported us for this opportunity.”
The Let’s Go program’s name is short for “Leadership Engineering Technology Science Generating Opportunities.” This Baltimore-based 501(c)3 non-profit creates opportunities for youth STEM learning and growth, and they partner with community non-profits in historically under-resourced communities.
The next science conference-aligned event, planned for January 2025, will take advantage of the American Astronomical Association meeting in Washington, D.C. Buxner said she looks forward to hearing that same question from a taxi driver as she and her astronomy colleagues head out to reach more kids in hands-on school science activities.
“I will buy as many snacks as are needed and tip as many taxi drivers as are required to keep getting scientists into these safe spaces where kids can connect and engage,” Buxner said.
Along with Buxner, PSI’s Pamela Gay also participated. They both hope to “get the band back together” and take this experience on the road for next year’s AGU meeting in New Orleans. Also participating were Nicholas Gross of Boston University, Christine Shupla and Grace Beaudoin of the Lunar and Planetary Institute, Jeanette King of McREL International, Andi Pearl and Lindsey Bartolone of NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe mission, and Joelle LeMar of Northern Arizona University.