PINHEAD INSTITUTE IN 2012: A REVIEW

17 Dec PINHEAD INSTITUTE IN 2012: A REVIEW

Fun with Pinhead Punk Science

Pinhead completed one more wonderful year inspiring students about the wonders of scientific discovery: In 2012, nearly 5,200 students participated in over 7,500 hours of quality programming.

Why is Pinhead so important – and not just as a Telluride institution?

Here’s a noteworthy fact: the U.S. currently ranks just 29th in science education worldwide, yet demand for qualified scientists to fill jobs in science and technology continues to grow. In this highly competitive global environment, it should be obvious that a strong background in math and science will open doors. To underline my point, statistics show that 60 percent of new jobs in the 21st century will require skills possessed by only 20% by the current workforce. Pinhead sees an opportunity in those numbers. In fact, we nurture future scientists.

Our engaging programs offer direct interaction between students and scientists. The research-centered internships we offer are also unique. Allow me to explain in greater detail.

Pinhead’s Scholars in the Schools program brought in esteemed scholars from MIT (Dr. Michael Otte, robotics), UCSB (Dr. Joan Shea, Alzheimer’s research), Harvard (Dr. Andrew Berry, evolution), U.S. Naval Observatory (Dr. Chris Crockett, astronomy), and NASA (Joe Tanner, former astronaut) to the Telluride region.

Pinhead intern at Montana State

Our Pinhead Internship Program sent high school students off to incredible summers of learning at leading institutions: MIT, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, Montana State University, Denver Genetics Lab at the University of Colorado, and UCSB.

We hosted students in our popular summertime Pinhead Punk Science series covering topics such as “Marvelous Molecules of Wacky Water,” “The Soaring Science of Rip Roaring Rockets,” and “Fantastic Physics Fun.”

We continued our No School Science Project program at Telluride’s Wilkinson Public Library and the Naturita Public Library.

And, for those who wanted to continue their learning at home, kids got to check out our Pinhead Packs from regional libraries to learn more about scientific topics such as snow science and geology on their own time.

Kids celebrate Pinhead

In 2012, Pinhead leverage the strength of those ongoing initiatives, but  introduced new programs as well.

We organized our first Astrophotography Camp at the Naturita Public Library which gave students the opportunity to control telescopes based in Arizona remotely via the Internet. They took images of nebula, galaxies, and planets, then manipulated them using software to create outstanding artistic interpretations. We also ushered in our new Rockin’ Robotics Lego League, hosting three different camps that gave students an opportunity to learn how to program robots and better understand engineering and physics concepts.

Yes, 2012 has been an incredible year at Pinhead, but we aren’t looking back for long. We have big plans in store for 2013, with plans for additional program offerings that allow kids to experience science in fun and exciting ways.

Pinhead, not an experiment, a success

Check out our plans on our website and continue to visit Telluride Inside… and Out to learn more.