And, the kids said . . .
"Do we really get to do that?"
"That is so cool! How do you learn these things?"
"I didn't know that was in school."
"The best day ever!"
"This is so fun-I love this!"
Walk into My Future, a program of Tri-College University brings together 1200-1500 local youth from the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs for one day of fun-filled, hands-on learning as kids rotate between 33 booths (a.k.a. activities.)
Held August 3rd, 2023, this year's host, MSUM, had 10+ booths to showcase the beautiful Moorhead campus and included the Dragon Train, planetarium, oceanarium, an agility course, netball, and more. Previously, Walk into My Future was held at NDSU in 2018 and M State in 2019 thanks to a grant through the Fargo Public Schools Foundation. Plans are for Concordia College to host the 2024 Walk into My Future, and to continue the rotation between the Tri-College partner campuses.
Other Tri-College partners - Concordia - M State - NDSU - also sponsored booths that included:
- Concordia's popular chemistry booth called the "Alka Seltzer Rocket" teaches kids about the chemical reaction needed to fuel a small rocket, (see Concordia news)
- M State's "Emerging Technologies" booth to show kids the code behind a computer stopwatch, and
- NDSU's "Archeology Dig" teaches kids the tools and practices to excavate, clean, and analyze artifacts. (See archeology photo above)
Walk into My Future 2023 was generously supported by the FM Area Foundation,US Bank,Xcel Energy, and theND State Electrical Board.
In addition to the Tri-College partners, Rasmussen College, Be More Colorful, Butler Machinery, Construction Engineers (see building photo above), Marvin Windows, the ND State Electrical Board, and ND Gateway to Science had booths.
At the ND State Electrical Board booth kids learned about about what electricians do on the job. In the photo, kids use electrical wire nuts to secure two wires together and then try - unsuccessfully - to pull the wires apart. Kids also got to see switches and outlets that electricians make so we can have electricity at home and work.
