Good Afternoon Hubbard Brook Community,

The Vermont Institute of Natural Science is looking for someone from the Hubbard Brook community to participate as a Keynote speaker for the final day of their annual Science Symposium this May. Specifically they are looking for a speaker for their Life and the Lithosphere/Life and the Atmosphere themed day on the morning of Wednesday, May 8th

See below for more information on this speaking opportunity. If you or anyone you know would be interested in participating, or have any questions, please reach out to me and I am happy to provide you with more information or connect you with the event organizer. 

Thanks,

Brendan 

My name is Eleanor Hitchings. I am the Lead for School Programs at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) in Quechee, VT and manage the Science Symposium for VINS School Programs. The Science Symposium is an opportunity for students in grades four through twelve to research a problem in their community to investigate, design hands-on projects, conduct research and then present their findings at our event. I work closely with the teachers and students to help them prepare for this event that happens each spring at the VINS Nature Center. This culminating event brings various stakeholders from across the community to engage in an exciting day of interactive science activities.  

For our Science Symposium events this year, we have three themed days:

Tuesday, May 6, 2024: Equitable Climate Action Project

Wednesday, May 7, 2024: Life and the Hydrosphere

Thursday, May 8, 2024: Life and the Lithosphere/Life and the Atmosphere

I wanted to reach out to see if anyone from the Hubbard Brook community would be interested in being our keynote speaker for our Life and the Lithosphere/Life and the Atmosphere themed day on the morning of Wednesday, May 8th. The Experimental Forest seems like a fascinating initiative and something that would really capture the minds of the students who will be at VINS on that day.

The keynote talk format that we are looking for is:

-A short (20-25 minute) presentation, perhaps using a PowerPoint / Google Slides that could include:

-Why you chose this career

-What your work entails

-Stories of current / past projects, successes / discoveries

-How this affects our local communities / region

-What students can do to help

-You could also share some equipment that you use for your work

If you are able to participate as a keynote speaker, we would also love for you to stick around for the remainder of the day. You would also be welcome to run one of our Activity Stations to give students a chance to take a closer look at your equipment or other materials and ask you questions. Additionally, the students will be presenting their own research and action projects and would no doubt feel empowered to have their keynote speaker engaging with them, asking questions, and offering encouragement. We hope to have a little over 100 students attending the Life in the Atmosphere/Lithosphere Science Symposium on May 8th.  We also invite families of the students that are attending the event as well. 

If you are interested in being a part of the VINS Science Symposium on May 8, please let me know.