PHILADELPHIA--(June 8, 2017) – Twenty-eight students from Sunrise of Philadelphia will play with their food and experiment with their senses as FirstHand’s Taste Test returns on July 10th. Using culinary tools, the students will dive into the complex world of molecular gastronomy to create bubbles out of grape juice and turn fruit into spaghetti. After visiting labs at the University City Science Center where real-world scientists study taste, perception and smell, and meeting with mentors from Monell Chemical Senses Center, they’ll have the chance to design their own culinary innovations and present them to the Science Center community.
Project Inquiry is also back for the summer. From June 12th through June 16th, students from School of the Future will participate in an intensive, week-long version of the program for high school students that FirstHand piloted last year. Up to eight students who participated in Project Inquiry’s inaugural program during the school year will return to the FirstHand Lab to work on independent projects of their own design. Originally designed as an eight-month program for high school sophomores exploring concepts in engineering, design, technology, and entrepreneurship, Project Inquiry was so popular that the student participants asked to return to the lab. This weeklong program will offer these students an opportunity to hone skills they learned during the original program.
Serving Philadelphia youth from under-resourced schools and the teachers, professionals and families from their communities, FirstHand aims to spark an interest in the STEAM disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math that students can explore and cultivate throughout their lives. By giving students the opportunity to ask more questions, create new solutions, and explore science and technology, FirstHand is opening the doors for the minds of tomorrow.
FirstHand is supported by generous donations from individuals and the following organizations, AstraZeneca, Chubb Limited, Cognizant, The Lenfest Foundation, The Christian and Mary Lindback Foundation, The McLean Contributionship, William Penn Foundation.
About the Science Center
Located in the heart of uCity Square, the University City Science Center is a dynamic hub for innovation, and entrepreneurship and technology development in the Greater Philadelphia region. Founded in 1963 as the nation’s first urban research park, it provides business incubation, programming, lab and office facilities, and support services for entrepreneurs, start-ups, and growing and established companies. Graduate firms and current residents of the Science Center’s business incubator support one out of every 100 jobs in Greater Philadelphia and drive $12.9 billion in economic activity in the region annually. For more information about the Science Center, go to www.sciencecenter.org
