LCC Fair Brings Science Fun To Keiki, Safety Tips To Adults
By RASA FOURNIER
Chemistry, biology and physics can be introduced to keiki in a way that is approachable and exciting – and you can see for yourself from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Leeward Discovery Fair on the Leeward Community College campus.
Featured at the fair for the second year is Weed and Seed Hawaii, with exhibits and hands-on activities aimed at teaching ways to keep the community safe.
Weed and Seed Hawaii director Maile Kanemaru noted that October is National Crime Prevention Month as designated by the National Crime Prevention Council under the U.S. Department of Justice.
“We were looking for a way to inform the community and celebrate safe communities,” she said. “Different cities do it differently – some have parades, some have a birthday celebration for McGruff the Crime Dog, the signature mascot for the Crime Prevention Council.
“What we decided to do on Oahu is to involve as many different agencies as we can that can talk about safety in the community.”
That’s where the Leeward Discovery Fair comes in. The college’s already established, yearly educational event was the perfect fit as a partner for Weed and Seed.
“Our faculty members put on interactive activities where kids learn – it’s for all ages really, 0 to 100,” said LCC professor and staff development coordinator Cindy Martin, a co-chair of the fair.
The discover fair will have more than 50 interactive activities from Leeward Five-0, where participants solve a crime using forensic techniques, or build tetrahedral 3-D kites, blow giant bubbles to encase a child, make a personalized DNA necklace, fashion boomerangs that work, make snow, climb onto a fire truck or visit a bug city (getting up close and personal with huge insects).
Live entertainment, food booths and carnival games are also on the lineup.
Weed and Seed’s contribution is the booths and activities by the Honolulu Police Department, the K-9 unit’s dogs that sniff out drugs, the SWAT team, anti-terrorist operations, FBI, DEA, federal marshals, the Fire Department, Civil Defense, a keiki ID booth and presentations on the latest street drugs that parents need to be aware of.
“We also want to focus on the elderly, the kupuna,” said Kanemaru. “We will have a presentation on fraud and safety.” In addition to a kupuna ID booth for the elderly, there will be a prescription drug disposal service so that expired drugs don’t end up in the wrong hands, and a shredder for personal documents.
“Our part is ‘How do you keep your home safe, your family safe and your community safe?’ ” said Kanemaru.
“Our parameter is that it has to be hands-on, fun and educational,” added Martin. “Kids love science museums where learning is fun. We’ve made that happen right here.”
Most activities are free, with some having a small fee to recoup the cost of the materials.
For more details, visit www.leeward.hawaii.edu/LeewardDiscoveryFair
