Marshall Foundation Grant Awarded!

Stephanie Pearmain, with Co-P.I. Dr. Colleen Kelley of UA Chemistry, has been awarded a $28,000 Marshall Foundation Grant for the project proposal "Cooking up Science: Engaging Kids 3-5 in Scientific Thinking". From their proposal:

Our mission is to change how families think about science education for kids ages 3-5, especially regarding how science is presented in books for kids. We will create, publish, and distribute our book, Charlie's Kitchen Chemistry Adventures.  This book is a combination storybook, cookbook, and science book. After publication (in both Spanish and English), the books will be distributed to underserved AZ populations. 

Often books categorized as STEM for this age-group are not STEM at all.  Instead, this space is crowded with descriptive, observational, and biographical books about nature, historical events, and prominent scientists. We believe science books for children should go beyond that and guide readers through scientific thinking. We are changing how science is presented in books for children ages 3 – 5 (when the brain has the greatest amount of neuroplasticity) by presenting science as a way of thinking and a way of doing.