Bayer Volunteers Bring Hands-On Experiments to Hundreds of Children at AT&T Park
Bayer’s West Coast sites recently came together to host a booth at the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day. This University of California-San Francisco event attracted over 30,000 children and parents who enjoyed more than 150 STEM-related activities at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Throughout the day, 25 volunteers with Bayer’s Making Science Make Sense initiative from Berkeley and West Sacramento locations conducted hands-on science experiments with local children.
Visitors to the Bayer’s booth were able to participate in two interactive experiments focused on the various components of blood. Approximately 800 children made blood models with yellow-dyed water serving as plasma, Cheerios as red blood cells, mini marshmallows as white blood cells, and dried beans as platelets. Afterward, these young scientists were thrilled to learn they could take their vial of “blood” home with them! Children also listened to volunteers describe the importance of iron in blood and how it helps to transport oxygen throughout our bodies. To reinforce that eating iron-rich food adds the mineral to one’s blood, a hands-on demonstration showed a piece of iron-enriched cereal moving by a strong magnet when placed in water.
In addition to sending a team of volunteers for the sixth consecutive year, Bayer was proud to be a sponsor of the 2016 Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day. Situated along the third baseline and next to home plate, Bayer’s booth was the anchor of “Life Science Alley” – a row of booths from local biotech companies such as Amgen, Novartis and Boehringer Ingleheim.
The children – and even some parents – were excited to put on Making Science Make Sense lab coats and colorful safety goggles for the hands-on experiments. As one child proclaimed after her visit to the Bayer booth, “Today is my first day as a scientist!” After experiencing all that Discovery Day had to offer, it just might not be her last.