Lexington, KY - Kentucky's fourth and fifth graders scored higher than the national averages in science, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2009.
The producers of new educational programming on Kentucky public-access television hope their work will help in keeping those scores up.
The new show "Crosstown Kids" promises to take children and their parents on virtual field trips that will answer questions about basic science principles and how such concepts are applied in the real world.
"Crosstown Kids" aired its first episode in October, featuring local students visiting the Vogt Reel house, one of Lexington's oldest fire stations. The kids discovered the properties of thermal light with an infrared camera, manufactured in Cynthiana, Ky., that is used to see through dark, smoke-filled locations.
The show is produced by Scott Heydinger,
who had the idea after doing a demonstration in school.
"I wanted to show how kids normally behave ... but also follow the state core content," Heydinger said.
The show helps teachers and parents get kids more interested in science by answering their questions about how things work in real-world settings.
"Sometimes teachers have a rough time with a topic," Heydinger said. "I wanted to find the best places in town that use the fundamental principles of science to answer kids' questions."
"Crosstown Kids" is sponsored by the nonprofit The unClassroom.org, also started by Heydinger.
The organization promotes science literacy and "strives for excellence in creating novel methods to advance the field of informal science education," according to the website, theunClassroom.org.
TheunClassroom.org produces "Cross-town Kids" on a volunteer basis.
In the future, Heydinger said, the organization would like to produce a monthly "Crosstown Kids" segment, but before that can happen, additional sponsors will be needed.
"We would like to have places that correspond with core things kids would want to know about," Heydinger said.
Heydinger has several places in mind for possible future visits, such as soft drink producers and laboratories.
TheunClassroom.org and "Crosstown Kids" said they are always looking for local businesses, academic research laboratories, nonprofit organizations, government facilities and other organizations to visit on the show.
Businesses interested in working with "Crosstown Kids" and theunClassroom.org can contact sheydinger@theunclassroom.org or (859) 955-0487.
"Crosstown Kids" is broadcasted on Fayette County Public Schools' educational access channel, Insight Cable channel 13, in Lexington. The show can also be viewed online at www.crosstownkids.org.