Weather Day at Miller Park: Partying for Science, Children
On April 17th, approximately 10,000 schoolchildren descended upon Miller Park in Milwaukee to learn science, watch baseball, play with gadgets, and eat hot dogs.
Begun in 2009 as a collaboration between a local TV station’s meteorologists and the Milwaukee Brewers, this day should not be confused with national weather observers day, which is a different thing, and does not include hot dogs, or AcuRite weather stations.
A highlight of the meteorological presentation was local meteorologist Drew Burgonye creating explosions in plastic barrels using liquid nitrogen, all to illustrate the powerful updrafts created by "microburst" storm systems, which are exceptionally violent and localized. Presentations on extreme weather followed, as well as a drawing which gifted an AcuRite 5-in-1 Weather Sensor to one lucky science department at St. Matthew’s Parish School.
AcuRite Storm Spotter trucks were on the field; highlight clips were shown of their adventures, and their thoughts on the importance of atmospheric science.
The Science Fair
After these festivities, the science fair kicked off, which included presentations and activities from the Milwaukee Field Museum, the National Weather Service, Ready Wisconsin, CBS 58 Weather Ready Meteorologists, Discovery World, WE Energies, and, of course, AcuRite.
The AcuRite Team
AcuRite hosted a selfie station, which was a big hit with the kids, and perhaps a bigger hit with the grownups. Selfie station photos will be posted to Facebook early next week.
Our engineers also showed a transparent 5-in-1 Weather Sensor and explained to curious children how all of the internal precision measuring elements work.
The AcuRite team also hosted our very first live streaming video, which included an introduction from our company president, a sampling of kids from the crowd, educators and parents, detailed engineering walkthroughs of the 5-in-1, and an impromptu interview with weatherman Drew Burgonye.
So Why Weather Day?
The mission of Weather Day and AcuRite are so harmonious that involving ourselves is a no-brainer. Knowledge is power, and we want to help people know their environment. More importantly, people learn what they love at an early age, and we want to expose these thousands of boys and girls to the joy of weather, both for its own intrinsic value and for the science that helps us all understand our world.
If our presentations and displays help children discover a love of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) then we’d call this a very successful day.
Did you miss Weather Day? We have some neat ideas on how you can help your children learn about weather, and nurture their interest in STEM. Good luck, and happy weather spotting!
