Science is fun at Youth Science Center in Hacienda Heights

Science can be lots of fun, just ask kids attending summer classes at the Youth Science Center in Hacienda Heights. Classes began Monday at Cedarlane Academy. The one-week courses continue through July 12.

Teacher Paul Burns was busy helping his students dissect a crayfish. This class was not for the squeamish. 6-20-13 HHSCIENCE02The students had already dissected a worm. Today, they’ll tackle a frog, followed by a lamprey, then a squid.

“Many schools don’t offer dissections any more. So I thought this would be an interesting class for some students,” Burns explained.

In the class, students learn how to safely observe, open and compare the animals. They will use their discoveries to see how the animals relate to human beings in form and function.

“I think this is one of the best classes I’ve had,” said 10-year-old Conner Vroman of Hesperia.

“I was interested in the structure of the digestive system,” said Vicente Rodriguez. The 10-year-old student from nearby Orange Grove Elementary wants to become a doctor some day.

This was 11-year-old Eric Quach’s first year at the Youth Science Center. He is a student from Chaparral Middle School in Diamond Bar.

“This is really fun,” Eric said. “I want to grow up to do medical research so I need lots of science.”

Read more in Rich Irwin’s story SCIENCE.