ALLENTOWN, PA. May 9, 2022— The Da Vinci Science Center team is excited to participate in Remake Learning Days Across America. This learning festival engages families and youth in 17 regions across the country with more than 1,000 hands-on events held in a variety of community spaces. This year’s festival is from May 12 to May 23, 2022. 

Da Vinci Science Center will be hosting or co-hosting an eclectic mix of events designed to introduce participants to the concept of STEAM – the integration of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. 

“We love to provide opportunities for children and grown-ups to play and learn side-by-side,” explains Ann Bebout, PhD, STEAM Education Program Manager. “Remake Learning Days is a great way for all these community partners to showcase the high-quality, innovative learning opportunities available to families in our area, and it’s a chance for the Da Vinci Science Center to show how we creatively find fun, relevant STEAM learning in almost everything.” 

There are an array of Remake Learning Days events taking place throughout the region. The five events hosted and/or co-hosted by Da Vinci Science Center are: 

Solar Party 
Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Da Vinci Science Center and members of the Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society (LVAAS) are co-hosting a solar observation party! Witness the Sun’s stunning features in incredible detail using solar telescopes. Staff and volunteer members of LVAAS will also offer an expert breakdown of the amazing features of the Sun. In addition, there will be stations where visitors can perform hands-on activities related to the Solar System, all outdoors. This event is included with the price of general admission.  

The Art and Science of Hair Color 
Sunday, May 15 from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. The Art and Science of Hair Color welcomes 7-12th grade students to meet a cosmetology educator who will explain the physiology of hair and its pigments. This event is co-hosted with J. Rose & Company in Allentown. This event is free, but RSVP is required, space is limited, and participants must be accompanied by an adult.  

Historic Nature Walk 
Co-hosted with D&L National Heritage Corridor and National Canal Museum 
Sunday, May 22, 2022, from 10 a.m. -11:30 a.m. Families with children in grades 1-5 will meet at the Sand Island Playground (near The Ice House) in Bethlehem, PA, and walk 1 mile on the canal path toward Allentown. A Science Center educator will demonstrate how to use a smartphone app to locate and identify certain plants and bugs, scavenger hunt style. An educator from D&L will explain how the lock system at Sand Island works and discuss the fascinating history of why and when the canal was built. Bug catchers, bug magnifiers, historic pictures, a conch shell, and a hunk of coal will be on hand to add to the fun! Reservation required. $10 per family. Rain date: May 23, 2022; 6-7:30 p.m. 

The Colorful Science of Pigments and Oil Paint 
Sunday, May 22 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Students in grades 5-8 (accompanied by an adult) will conduct investigations into the science of oil paintings with educators from the Allentown Art Museum and Da Vinci Science Center in this hands-on workshop. Explore and analyze Renaissance and Baroque era oil paintings, including Rembrandt van Rijn’s Portrait of a Young Woman and Ignacio De Iriarte’s Portrait of Tobias. Visit the Crayola Classroom to learn about the special chemical and physical properties of oil paint; then create a work of art. All participants — youth and adults — will conduct science experiments and create an oil painting on canvas and discover why pigments have colors and why artists have mixed them with oil for hundreds of years to create beautiful artworks with astounding physical properties. RSVP is required. 

The themes running through several of these events are color and light and coincidently, Playing with Light is the featured summer exhibit at Da Vinci Science Center. The exhibit invites guests to discover or rediscover how light plays a vital role in our daily lives through play, experimentation, and of course, creativity. Visitors can use a virtual paintbrush to create art with infrared light, build a telescope and use it to read secret messages from across the room, and harness their inner super spy as they maneuver through a maze of laser beams. Playing With Light, created by Scitech Discovery Centre, Perth Australia and produced by Imagine Exhibitions Inc. is now open and included with general admission. Timed ticketing is in place and reservations are highly recommended to ensure entry. 

Da Vinci Science Center is proud to partner with Remake Learning Days and provide kids, families and communities with hands-on learning opportunities that have the potential to turn interest into a lifelong curiosity. Visit remakelearningdays.org for a complete list of programs taking place throughout the Lehigh Valley and beyond. To reserve for any of the programs above visit https://www.davincisciencecenter.org/?s=remake+learning+days.

For more information on Da Vinci Science Center and to reserve tickets for Playing with Light, visit www.davinciscencecenter.org