Science in the Parks & Arts in the Parks

Collaborators: 
Lydia Gravis
Holly Jarvis
Adam Johnston
Kathryn MacKay
Stacy Palen

Two programs that bring art and science to life for children in the Ogden community were honored with the 2016 Exemplary Collaboration Award.

Science in the Parks and Arts in the Parks host approximately 5,000 Ogden youth during their six-week summer sessions. Science in the Parks began in 2007; two years later, the model was expanded to the arts.

Physics professor Adam Johnston, who directs Science in the Parks, decided to take science to the children as they participated in free summer lunch programs. The settings also create a playful, active environment — that children then associate with science and art.

The programs each attract as many as 250 a day where children are nourished mentally and physically.

“We are proud of — and sometimes surprised by — the success and impact of our collaborative effort,” Johnston said.