UMM mentioned in Youth Today article on Teen Science Cafes
Youth Today mentioned the University of Maine at Machias in an article on Teen Science Cafes held around the country. Teen Science Cafe started with a National Science Foundation grant in 2007, according to the article. Each cafe meeting starts with a short presentation by a scientist or expert in a related field, followed by food, drink, conversation and a hands-on activity. A core group of teens, working with a mentor, plans and runs the cafes, the article states. Recent Teen Science Cafes held in Washington County, Maine focused on technology used by first responders in emergencies. The cafes, which were sponsored by the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, kicked off with a simulated zombie invasion. Children visited stations in a school gym where they could determine possible escape routes from the zombies using a GIS-based game, figure out the resources stranded victims might need and learn basic first aid. In a subsequent cafe, a GIS expert from UMM showed a new mapping tool she had invented to indicate where floods might occur in their region, Youth Today reported.