How to Build a Scientist

• Grow Curiosity
• Encourage Observation
• Instill a Love of nature

Young children can learn about science through play. Something as simple as organizing and classifying toys, candy, or household objects can be a way to develop early science skills. Even very young children can think scientifically. With your child or student, pay attention to the world around you. Encourage children to think like a scientist and use all of their senses to explore everything from insects, the color of the sky, phases of the moon, airplanes overhead. Ask questions like What do you see? What do you hear? How do the items inside your house work? Do a nature-based scavenger hunt to help explore the world around you.

The MagLab has a number of programs for early learners including an annual Open House event featuring dozens of mind-blowing demonstrations and the chance to interact directly with the physicists, chemists, biologists, and engineers who conduct research here. This event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the fun of science for visitors of all ages.

Also, Science Night is a FREE, fun, family-friendly, hands-on science event jointly hosted by the National MagLab and the Leon County Library. All ages are welcome (but Science Night is especially for those aged 5-10).

• Introduce experimentalism
• Develop Critical thinking skills
• Establish Math skills
• Start communicating science skills

As kids grow, look for ways to expose them to higher-order critical thinking skills and an understanding of processes. Try answering their questions with a question like What do you think it is? What makes you think so? or How could we find out together? Encourage experimentation with questions like What would happen if... or What if we tried...Science fair projects, robotics clubs, science-directed summer camps, tinkering with computers and mechanical assemblies, and even cooking can help kids understand experimentation and the processes that result in a whole. Integrate communications skills into science activities using photos, hand-drawn pictures, and writing.

The MagLab has a number of programs for early learners including an annual Open House event featuring dozens of mind-blowing demonstrations and the chance to interact directly with the physicists, chemists, biologists, and engineers who conduct research here. This event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the fun of science for visitors of all ages.

Also, Science Night is a FREE, fun, family-friendly, hands-on science event jointly hosted by the National MagLab and the Leon County Library. All ages are welcome (but Science Night is especially for those aged 5-10).

Also check out the lab's middle-school programs including SciGirls Camp, Camp TESLA and Middle School Mentorship.

• Cultivate Creative problem solving
• Introduce Career ambition and role models
• Narrower areas of interest
• High lever math & science courses

The late middle school and early high school stage is a great time for students to explore their interests and discover new ones. More advanced hands-on science exploration will serve students in this age range. Have they had the opportunity to meet a scientist and learn what real-life science jobs are like? Look for ways for students to learn about the many different science careers that are available to them - both inside labs and beyond. Advanced math and science courses, internships, summer programs, and even a part-time job can help them refine their skills and interests. Help them keep their career options open by taking courses in chemistry, physics and calculus: Remember today's 14-year-old aspiring physician could be tomorrow's great software developer!

Check out the lab's middle-school programs including SciGirls Camp, Camp TESLA and Middle School Mentorship. High school students may be interested in high-school externship that offers the opportunity to participate directly in lab research with working scientists. And the lab's annual Open House event features dozens of mind-blowing science demonstrations and the chance to interact directly with the physicists, chemists, biologists, and engineers who conduct research here. This event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the fun of science for visitors of all ages.

• Lab experience
• Thinking independently
• Narrowing field of study

Advanced high school and college students who are interested in science can keep diving deeper into core science principles and those specific skills in their field of interest. Exposure to hands-on experiments within a laboratory environment and to a higher-order understanding of both the experimental process and the concepts behind it are key during this phase of study. Students may start to specialize at this stage and focus on specific classes that will serve their path of greatest interest. Undergraduate research opportunities, summer internships and research experiences for undergraduate programs are great options to continue developing your science skills and begin networking with possible future advisors or collaborators.

Check out the MagLab's high-school externship that offers the opportunity to participate directly in lab research with working scientists and Research Experiences for Undergraduates. And the lab's annual Open House event features dozens of mind-blowing science demonstrations and the chance to interact directly with the physicists, chemists, biologists, and engineers who conduct research here. This event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the fun of science for visitors of all ages.

• Meeting collaborators
• Research questions
• Project ownership

In graduate school, students come into their own as researchers, pursuing independent projects or technology development under the supervision of an advisor. Generally, this is when specialization on a specific sub-field or topic is required. A good advisor, along with other mentors, can help a student select a research question they are passionate about and can help to guide the course of the student's career. Students often have their first poster presentations or publications at this stage. Consider a post-doctoral program to get additional training in the field you've selected or to help gain entry to the job market. Continue attending scientific conferences and reading and publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals to stay up-to-date on the biggest discoveries and emerging trends in your field.

Graduate students, postdocs and early career scientists can explore job opportunities across the MagLab's three sites. Also, the lab's annual Open House event features dozens of mind-blowing science demonstrations and the chance to interact directly with the physicists, chemists, biologists, and engineers who conduct research here. This event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the fun of science for visitors of all ages.