Recently I had the opportunity to visit Catalina Island on a field trip with my school. Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI) had so many activities for us to do during our week-long trip. I was able to enjoy snorkeling, kayaking, hikes, squid dissection, team building exercises, learning labs, hand on activities with some of the sea life in tanks, rock climbing andGaga Ball. My favorite activities were snorkeling, squid dissection and rock climbing.
Picture this: A huge shark is hoisted onto a research boat. Three people rush to secure her—to stop her from thrashing around and getting hurt. Who are these people? Why have they brought a shark on deck? Are they… sitting on her?
Two of the participants in this crazy scene are Brooke Anderson and Beckah Campbell. These brave scientists conduct research at the Sulikowski Shark and Fish Research Lab at ASU in Glendale. Wait. People research sharks in the desert? Yes!
SARSEF is a science and engineering fair for grades Pre-K and up. My project this year was the Travel-Sized Sink. I made it because whenever my family goes to the bathrooms at the park they are dirty and never have soap.
The Phoenix Zoo is a great place to learn about close to 400 different animal species and their habitats. In the Tropics Trail, you will find the orangutans. Orangutans are a great ape in the genus of pongo . There are three species of an orangutan—Sumatran, Bornean, and Tapanuli—and all come from Indonesia.
Have you ever wondered what a fully vegetable dessert tastes like? A dessert made of vegetables sounds weird. But, if you make it the right way, it can taste amazing.
We have heard many stories of 9/11 in the past. I met one of the first responders who was actually a part of that day that changed America forever.
Mike Penchina joined the fire department in 1969. He decided to give it a go without knowing he would eventually wind up becoming a firefighter. On Sept. 11, 2001, firefighter Penchina and his wife celebrated their wedding anniversary in Canada. Penchina was watching the news while his wife was in another room. A jet had recently struck the north tower.
I am part of Ballet Folklorico Tapatio, a Mexican dance group that is celebrating 25 years of dance. I started dancing when I was 7 years in 2020, and I still dance today. My mom got me into dancing. I wanted to quit right away because I thought I wouldn’t have any fun, but my mom kept me going. I eventually became better and I was finally confident in myself. I told myselfthat I was good enough!
Have you heard of the concept of a Little Free Library? A Little Free Library is a box filled with books; the concept is take a book or share a book. My family put one up in our neighborhood recently! It was a lot of fun to organize!
First I got in touch with my neighborhood’s HOA (Home Owners Association) to ask if I could have permission to install the library. Once I got permission, my family had to order, paint, and assemble the library to the library’s post. My family used paint stain to protect and seal the library wood and post.












