Saturday AcademyExplore. Discover. Learn.Follow Your Curiosity!

audience-menu

Menu
  • Youth Programs (K-8 Grades)

    Summer Programs

    • 2025 Summer Programs Overview
    • Programs for Explorers (K-2)
    • Programs for Makers (3-5)
    • Programs for Creators (6-8)

    Days Off! (K-5)

    • Register for Days Off!

    Classes

    • Register for Classes!

    School Residency

    • About/Request School Residencies
    • Browse School Residencies

    Resources

    • Partners and Support
    • Meet Our Educators
    • Tuition Assistance and Scholarship Support
    • FAQs, Policies, and Permissions
  • Career Pathway Exploration (9-12 Grades)

    APPRENTICESHIPS IN SCIENCE & ENGINEERING (ASE) PROGRAM

    • ASE Program Overview
    • Selection Process
    • Testimonials
    • Additional Student Resources
    • 2024 ASE Interns
    • ASE 2024 Symposium

    FOR STUDENTS

    • Be an Intern
    • The ASE Experience
    • Internship Catalog
    • Current Interns

    FOR MENTORS

    • Be a Mentor
    • Current Mentors

    Days Off! Grades 9-12

    • Register for Days Off!
  • Support Community Impact

    For more than forty years, Saturday Academy has been trailblazing innovative education for the next generation of innovators in grades K-12 in Oregon and SW Washington.

    Our mission is only possible through the ecosystem of generosity present in our community.

    Development

    • Support our Winter Appeal
    • View Our Annual Report
    • Ways to Give
    • Become a Corporate Partner
    • Cultivation
    • Partner Acknowledgement

    Spring Soiree

    • Details + Buy Tickets
    • Sponsor our Soiree
    • 2025 Changemaker Award Honoree
    • 2024 Changemaker Award Honorees
  • About Us

    Join Our Team

    • Job Openings
    • Volunteer
    • Be a Mentor

    ABOUT US

    • Our Mission & History
    • Our Values
    • Our Equity Statement
    • Our Team
    • News & Events

Donate

  • My Account
  • My Locker (0)
  • (503) 200-5858
  1. Home
  2. News

Letter from Our Executive Director - April 2021

What's new with Saturday Academy
Apr 29, 2021

Spring has arrived! There is nothing like warm weather and sunshine to make me want to try a little chemistry. I’ve included a handout and instructions you can download below on how to do an easy elephant toothpaste reaction. This clever reaction is a beautiful demonstration of how a catalyst can speed up a reaction and create a glorious mess. I encourage you to try the experiment al fresco and watch the rainbow of foam brighten up your day!

 

This experiment along with our lava lamp, rubber band car, and instant ice experiments will be part of our Spring STEM Family Engagement Webinar series. The series will kick off May 6th with Saturday Academy instructor Guru Surya Kaur Khalsa presenting on "Nature Journaling: Ancient Technology for Modern Folks of All Ages”. I’ll be presenting "Small Experiments to Engage Your Mind and Your Family," May 27th, and you will get to see elephant toothpaste in action! Our series will conclude with a special storytelling performance by Ed Edmo, “Legends from Celilo Falls”. The date for Ed’s talk is TBD, so keep your eyes peeled in your inbox for more information. These webinars are 90 minutes long and are appropriate for all ages! We hope that this series will bring a little joy, spark curiosity, and engage the whole family.

 

Spring is also a wonderful time to grow and learn as an organization. As part of our equity journey, Saturday Academy will be starting a 6-month training on Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion led by LeRoy Patton and Neeraja Havaligi. We look forward to reflecting deeply, learning more, and becoming a more culturally responsive organization. We’ll share our progress and resources along the way, and I hope that you will have the opportunity to learn along with us.

 

Looking further into summer, we’re excited that our catalog of summer classes and camps is up! You’ll find everything from Artistic Programming in Java to Nature Comics, and we’re offering both in-person and online options. As always, we are committed to making it possible for all interested students to learn regardless of financial circumstances. Tuition assistance is available for all of our summer classes and camps – simply request it when you register, and it will automatically be calculated and applied to your registration.

 

This summer we are also excited to announce that 70 internships will be running in virtual, hybrid, and in-person formats. Our mentors have created such exciting internships as “Crating Algorithms and Programs to Teach Computer Science to Middle School Students” and “Characterization of Stem Cells in Tissue Regeneration and Cancer.” We can’t wait to hear about our interns work this summer at the Apprenticeships in Science and Engineering Symposium Thursday, August 12th!

 

With gratitude,

 

Jackie

Jackie Wirz, Executive Director of Saturday Academy

 

SA April Experiment - Elephant Toothpaste.pdf

Download SA April Experiment - Elephant Toothpaste.pdf (1.2 MB)

 

Share this story

Saturday Academy's SA Circle Logo

 

 

Verified-Vendor-Seal-2023-sm.png

Saturday Academy

5000 N Willamette Blvd
Portland OR 97203

503.200.5858

Follow us

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram

Our Programs

  • Next Gen Summer Programs
  • Classes for All Ages
  • Days Off!
  • In School Residencies (formerly SA2U)
  • ASE Internships & Workshops

About Us

  • Our Mission & History
  • Our Equity Statement
  • Our Values
  • Our Team
  • Our Locations
  • Job Openings
  • Volunteer
  • News & Events

Saturday Academy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and contributions are fully tax-deductible. Our Federal Tax ID# is 20-3770321. ©2021 Saturday Academy

Top