Happy New Year From Curieus!

Happy New Year! 12.31.2019

Dear Friends, Volunteers, Parents, and Supporters,

2019 was a special year for Curieus—one full of new relationships, exciting experiments, and learning opportunities. It was just the beginning of this year when we began this entire adventure in the corner of the EPA Library with our three-day Future Scientists workshops. That feeling of seeing kids come back the next day, talking about the previous experiment and ready for the next, was unforgettable and helped us kick off the year on the right foot! Don't get us wrong, we had our fair share of trials and tribulations. But with a whole lot of faith, brainpower, and teamwork, we’ve extended our community from 20 kids and 4 volunteers to more than 100 kids and 30 volunteers from all different schools. We've held 9 workshops in libraries all over the Bay Area. We've taught over 100 after-school classes in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. In these workshops and classes, we created explosions, facilitated discussions, and built lasting bonds with our students. Outside the classroom, we developed a foundation for our communication, curriculum, youth development, and high school chapter program.

Let’s relive some highlights from this year:

January: Curieus students with instructors Maya, Michelle, and Rachel (left to right) after our first Future Scientists Workshop at the EPA Library. Read our recap here.

February: Curieus student Lily fascinated with her homemade lava lamp during our pilot quarter at BGCP. Read more about the first few weeks of our first quarter here.

March: Curieus students Cordell and Briana demonstrating the aerodynamics of paper rockets during the pilot quarter showcase. Read more about the showcase and the final weeks of our first quarter here.

April: Students listening intently as one of our instructors, Mia, explains chromatography at our first Future Chemists workshop at the Redwood City Library.

May: We're featured in the local news! Check out Curieus instructor Michelle with students Jessica and Anaira on the front cover of the Almanac. Read the article here.

June: Proud Curieus student Sione holding up his intact egg as we wrapped up another successful quarter at BGCP with an exciting egg drop.

July: Workshops galore!

Top: Building a protective egg device at our Future Engineers workshop.

Bottom Left: Safety first! Waiting to launch mini rockets at our Future Astrophysicists workshop.

Bottom Right: Tallest of them all, Curieus instructor George tests the efficacy of a student group's helmet prototype at our Future Neuroscientists workshop.

August: Club rush! Successfully recruiting volunteers for the first quarter of our chapter program.

Left: Curieus M-A leaders Rachel, Emily, and Indie

Right: Curieus Menlo leader Gabby

Chapters were also established at Castilleja and Nueva Schools this month.

Sept-Dec: Chapters getting into the swing of things!

op Left: Curieus Castilleja students twisting their DNA candy models into a double helix.

Top Right: The Biology & Chemistry class and instructors Abbey and Lila posing with their class brain, made by connecting pipe cleaner neurons.

Bottom Left: Curieus instructor Gavin introducing the forces behind catapults to the Physics & Engineering class.

Bottom Right: Curieus M-A students and instructors Rebecca and Maya smiling after a fun experiment!

As we approach 2020, we look forward to expanding our vision with more programs and events. From chapters in other regions to summer camps, the common thread is our mission to create more opportunities for young students to get excited about science.

Thank you for making our favorite moments from this year possible, and for being a part of this incredible community. We hope your holiday season was filled with warmth and joy, and we look forward to seeing you in the new year!

With love, Rachel and the Curieus Team