June 1, 2016

This summer, students in Trinidad will be able to discover dinosaurs, find out about the brain, explore dance moves and more through programs taught by faculty, staff and students from the University of Colorado Boulder.

CU-Boulder is offering engaging workshops in Trinidad for students of all ages. Two of the programs will be held on the Trinidad campus of Trinidad State Junior College; College for Kids is for students ages 7-11 and Math Science Upward Bound is for high school students. In addition, Carnegie Public Library and Trinidad History Museum are hosting free drop-in programs. CU-Boulder's Office for Outreach and Engagement has coordinated educational programming in Trinidad for more than a decade.

College for Kids

The College for Kids program will be held on the Trinidad campus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Thursday in June starting June 9 and will include sessions on butterflies and their life cycle, fossils, dinosaurs and Colorado archaeology. 

Program registration starts June 3 and must be done in person at the college library from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; it will continue from June 6 – 8 until the program is full.

“Many kids from our area aren’t able to go to other places in the state, so these programs open their eyes to other places and pique their interest in new topics and ideas,” said Bonnie Ortega, dean of instruction at the junior college. “College for Kids provides the opportunity for kids to realize that learning is fun and learn about all that college has to offer.”

Math Science Upward Bound

For the first time, CU-Boulder is offering workshops as part of Trinidad State's Math Science Upward Bound program, which is designed for high school students interested in pursuing STEM careers, according to Debbie Ulibarri, academic coordinator at the junior college. Topics will include climate change, how exercise and sleep can create healthy brains, and movement and math.

“Put it all together, and CU-Boulder Outreach has been a tremendous asset to our community, serving community members of every age, and we couldn't be happier or more grateful for our continued relationship with CU-Boulder,” Ulibarri said.

Drop-in programs

In addition, Carnegie Public Library and Trinidad History Museum are hosting these free drop-in programs for kids:

• June 8: “Unearthed: Ancient life in the Boulder Valley” presented by CU-Boulder Museum of Natural History 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Trinidad History Museum, 312 E. Main St.

Technology has always been an important part of the way humans interact with the environment. A 13,000 year old stone tool cache will be the starting point for exploring how people have lived in the Colorado landscape. Students will be able to interact with replicas of stone tools, skulls of animals that populated ice-age Colorado and other examples of ancient technologies, and make their own projectile point replica to take home.

• June 17: “Brain Hacks” presented by CU-Boulder’s Intermountain Neuroimaging Consortium  10:30 – 11:30 a.m. at Carnegie Public Library, 202 N. Animas St.

Hands-on activities for children of all ages to learn how the brain works, how neuroscientists study the brain, and how kids and parents can help their brains grow stronger and healthier.

• June 24: “Groove and Move” presented by CU-Boulder Department of Theatre & Dance 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. (ages 6 – 7); 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (ages 8 – 10) Trinidad Community Center, 1309 Beshoar Ave.

Come explore the energetic, engaging and fun world of dance and boogie your way to a healthy body and active mind by exploring rhythms and dance styles.

• July 1: “Discovering Dinosaurs” presented by CU-Boulder Science Discovery 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Carnegie Public Library, 202 N. Animas St.

Through hands-on experience with fossils and casts, students will discover the adaptations and behaviors of some of Earth’s famous past residents, the dinosaurs. Students will examine fossils and explore the lives of dinosaurs, how they hunted, ate and defended themselves.