Physics is an amazing subject that can explain everything in the world, yet many people react to the word “physics” with hesitation due to preconceived notions of difficulty. Physics class in high school or university is often the first exposure for many people to physics and a concept taught abstractly during lecture with the intention of only passing equations robs us of the chance to explore physics in a magical way.
In front of the variables and calculations lies a phenomenon that has the potential to leave us with wonder and awe. As a Senior Outreach Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) and a NSF Graduate Research Fellow, I am committed to spreading that miraculous feeling to the next generation of scientists, inspiring them to maintain their sense of curiosity and to approach the unknown with passion and excitement. Over the past two years, I have taught and led with peers a few Wonders of Physics classes through Grandparents University (GPU) and Pre-college Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) where a multitude of physics topics are taught and many physics demonstrations are shown.
GPU is an amazing program where grandparents bring their young eager grandchildren to experience UW-Madison and focus on a “degree” of their choosing. This unique intergenerational course allows for grandparents and grandchildren to share their love of learning and enjoy together a course full of physics magic. PEOPLE is also a remarkable program that provides high school students from the greater Wisconsin area an opportunity to experience college life before applying to universities. I met around 20 bright students who were interested in pursuing a college degree and wanted to learn more about physics.
Both programs have greatly improved my science communication skills with the general public. Most of my communication with respect to physics has been either teaching physics classes or within the scientific community which requires a completely different skillset where the main goal is to transfer as much knowledge as possible and as fast as possible. The special thing about outreach and both of these programs is that the goal is to amaze people and instill a sense of curiosity.
I plan to continue volunteering with these programs next year as a Wonders of Physics Senior Outreach Fellow. In addition to these programs, a new physics program is making its debut this year where teachers from local schools can sign up for Wonder of Physics workshops during the school year. They can choose between a multitude of topics such as sound, quantum, light, air, and climate change. I’m looking forward to teaching for this program and am very excited to inspire the next generation.