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CARE Program Free Science Kits for Teachers.
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CARE Program

Ordinary flowers shatter like glass when dropped, a banana is used to hammer a nail into a board and clouds appear when a mysterious bubbling liquid is added to water. What's happening? These are just a few of the amazing demonstrations that are available to teachers in the Denver metro area as part of the CARE Program.

CARE is a community outreach program offered by the NIST Boulder Laboratories to promote math and science awareness in the 4th through 12th grades and shows teachers, students, and parents that careers in science and math are fun and within the reach of many students. Scientists and engineers give presentations to children in the classroom and at the Boulder Laboratories. In addition, educational materials such as publications, videos and science kits are loaned to teachers for classroom use.

All CARE services are free of charge.


NIST staff members provide 40- to 50-minute talks in the classroom or at the NIST laboratory. Most talks are adapted to meet teachers' needs. Please note that the appropriate grade levels for presentations are listed in parentheses beside the topics - (E) 4th-6th grades, (M) 7th-9th grades, (H) 10th-12th grades.

Science presentations are limited to a 40-mile radius of Boulder, Colorado.

A special cryogenics demonstration kit is available to teachers in the Denver metro area by calling the National Institute of Standards and Technology C.A.R.E. program in Boulder at (303) 497-3244 or you can go to the CARE website.

Science presentations offered by CARE include:

  • How Can We Tell If an Earthquake Is Coming or If the Continent Is Moving? (M,H)
  • Solar Activity (E,M,H)
  • What Happens When the Earth Shakes? (M,H)
  • Ins and Outs of Microwaves (E,M)
  • Cryogenics--The Magic of Supercold Temperatures! (E,M,H)
  • Optics and Lasers (E,M,H)
  • Chaos at the Carnival (H)
  • Women in Math and Science (M)
  • Special Group Presentations (E,M,H)
  • Lab Tours (M,H) (Groups of 12 or less)
  • Shadow Student Visits (H)
  • Career Talks (M,H)

How does it work?

Science kits are loaned to teachers for use in classrooms. Kits must be picked up and returned by a teacher. These kits are not mailed or shipped.

  • Materials Science Kit (M,H)
  • Solar Activity Kit (E,M)
  • Optics and Lasers Kit (E,M,H)
  • Cryogenics Kit (E,M,H)
  • Microwaves Kit (E,M)

Additional Info

For program information or to reserve materials, contact Phyllis Wright at 303-497-3244.

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