In this 3-part workshop, students were introduced to the basics of air quality and the different types of pollutants we measure and regulate. Students then built simple air quality monitors to track the concentration of ozone, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter. We deployed these monitors outdoors for …

This activity consists of two parts: an experiment and a design challenge. The experiment is designed to teach concepts of hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity, and how we can learn from hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions in nature to design materials with these distinct properties. The design challenge is a building competition, where …

In this activity, participants design an attachment for a flower pot, complete with water sensors, irrigation pump, and red LEDs to help the plant grow. For the control of this “Programmable Garden,” participants will program a microcontroller (a simple computer) called an “Arduino” - the “brains” of the garden.

There is …

Oil spills are hazardous to human and marine life. Aerogel is a novel material that can be used for water remediation; it has a strong affinity for oil and can be used to absorb oil from the surface of water. Aerogel is very porous which makes it extremely light, allowing …