AMES, Iowa – Calling young scientists: sign up now for “Tinkering with Science,” a new Story County 4-H club and workshop sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University Extension 4-H Youth Development.

Tinkering with Science begins May 3 with a seven-week workshop on Sunday evenings in May and June from 4 to 7 p.m., said Mary Wilkins, Story County Extension 4-H youth coordinator. Youth in grades six to nine are eligible to participate. The workshop will be held on the Iowa State University campus in Ames.

“Have you ever wanted to take apart a DVD player? Here’s your chance,” Wilkins said. The seven workshops will present students with challenges, such as figuring out how something works or why something might be broken.

In July, Tinkering with Science will continue as a 4-H club, meeting once a month to further pursue the students’ interest in science, engineering and technology.

A good way for kids to learn about science is to tinker with everyday objects, said Marcus Johnson, president of EM Sensors Inc. “But you can’t just tinker. You have to know something.”

Johnson, an engineer and physicist who has worked with Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory, will lead the workshop. Each week he’ll present some basic knowledge to the students so they can figure out on their own how certain gadgets work — from something as simple as a flashlight to as complex as a DVD player. 

“Inspiring future generations by exciting them about science is one of the Ames Laboratory’s core values,” said Steve Karsjen, Ames Laboratory education director. “We’re excited to support programs that help spark student interest in science.”

The youth will experiment and observe, Johnson continued. They will learn about sensors and transducers so that they can build simple systems to make measurements. They’ll also get to use the latest software to design their own sensor system on a printed circuit board that will be fabricated by a professional manufacturer.

The $20 annual 4-H membership fee will be waived for new 4-H members who join Tinkering with Science this year, Wilkins said. The Story County 4-H Foundation will cover the cost of the membership fee for those students.

All Tinkering with Science youth will pay a $20 per-student fee for workshop supplies, Wilkins noted.

Iowa State University’s Center for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Education is funding the Tinkering with Science workshops through the Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership.

To sign up for Tinkering with Science, contact Wilkins at mwilkins@iastate.edu or (515) 382-6551.

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