Physics Fridays –10 Years of K-8 Outreach

One Friday afternoon in January 2011, a motley crew hurried down the streets of Cleveland carrying a giant spring, a jump rope, dozens of colorful slinkies, boomwhackers, and a homemade oscilloscope (the “Amazing Wave-Viewer of Science”). Who were these intrepid travelers? Members of the Department of Physics at Cleveland State University. What were they doing? Going to deliver “Makin’ Waves” – the first lesson of their new Physics Fridays outreach program. Where were they headed? To Campus International School (CIS), a Cleveland public K-8 school. Why? To bring physics, and the mindset of curiosity and discovery so integral to physics, to students who might not otherwise be exposed to science outside of the classroom. That first lesson, and those that followed over the next years, had a positive impact on not only CIS students, but also on the 55+ CSU student volunteers. Ten years later, (most) members of the outreach team have changed and the collection of lesson plans has grown substantially, but the passion for bringing science to kids has remained. This presentation will review the first ten years of Physics Fridays at CIS, highlighting our motivation and discussing the challenges and successes of our award-winning physics outreach program.