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Science Talks...


Star Party and Garden Walk 2024!!

Friday, April 26, 2024, 9am - 11am
Gardent Walk!
Join us at Garden Walk on Friday, April 26th from 9:00-11am! Enjoy a guided tour of the unique plant and birdlife at the Canyon Country Campus! Learn to identify plants, trees, use provided binoculars to spot birds, etc. and get some fresh air, and enjoy a walk through our beautiful campus! Free and open to the public! Fun for all ages! Help us spread the word!

Friday, April 12, 2024, 6pm - 8pm
Star Party!
Join us on Friday, April 12th, 6:30pm - 10:00pm at our annual Spring Star Party and Science Showcase event held outside at our beautiful Canyon Country Campus, Upper Plaza, adjacent to the Don Takeda Science Center!  Our guest speaker, J. (Bob) Balaram will present "The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter - Humanity's First Flight On Another Planet" and discuss the development of the Mars helicopter, its operations on Mars, and the implications for the future exploration of the Red Planet. 

Attendees will also be able to explore the night sky through high-powered telescopes with the assistance of volunteers from the Local Group Astronomy Club of Santa Clarita, as well as the Antelope Valley Astronomy Club.   

The evening will include interactive demonstration tables presented by a number of groups and clubs!!  The Associated Student Government (ASG) will also be on hand with free snacks and lots of energy! It is an educational and enjoyable evening for all!

FREE fun family event and open to the community.  Food will be available for purchase.  Help us spread the word! 


Past semester events below:
This past semester, our Science Talks Series brought TWO family-friendly events at the Canyon Country Campus. These free events were open to the community and were filled with educational fun while celebrating STEM with our students, faculty and community members!  

Friday, November 3, 2023, 6pm - 9:30pm
Star Party!
Our guest speaker, Dr. Varoujan Gorjian, JPL Research Astronomer, presented “A Brief History of JPL” and his intriguing topic raised some fun Q&A’s and audience engagement. The event’s new “science showcase” kicked off the evening with a variety of science-themed presentations by our own COC students and faculty. The event included tours of the Takeda Science Center, visits to our exciting indoor portable planetarium, and food truck services with “Go Fusion N Grill”. Always a crowd favorite, attendees were able to explore the night sky through high-powered telescopes with the assistance of volunteers from the Local Group Astronomy Club of Santa Clarita Valley, as well as from the Antelope Valley Astronomy Club.
Throughout the evening, our guests also enjoyed our interactive demonstration tables, presented by a number of groups including the Astronomy Physics Club, the Biological & Environmental Sciences Department, Chemistry Club, Civic Engagement Club, Earth and Space Sciences, Future Business Leaders of America, Helping US Become (HUB) Club, Library, MESA - Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement, Parallax Photo Club, Psychology Club & PSI Beta, and the William S. Hart District CTE Education Pathway!!  The Associated Student Government (ASG) was also on hand with free snacks and lots of energy! It was an educational and enjoyable evening for all!!
In case you missed it, here is our Star Party Program

Friday, October 20, 2023, 8:30am - 10am
Garden Walk!  We enjoyed a guided tour of the unique plant and birdlife at our beautiful Canyon Country campus.  Professor, Jeannie Chari, helped us identify and learn about plant like around our campus, using binoculars provided for bird spotting.  Thank you Professor Chari for an educational and enjoyable event! 


Friday, May 5, 2023, 9am - 11am
Garden Walk!
On Friday, May 5th, our professor, Jeannie Chari, took us on a guided tour of the unique plant and bird life at our beautiful Canyon Country campus.  Participants were able to identify and learn about plants and trees around campus, use binoculars provided to spot various birds and microscopes to examine collected seeds, leaves and pond water samples.  Thank you Professor Chari for an educational and enjoyable event!
Garden Walk Flyer

Friday, April 28, 2023, 7:30pm - 10pm
Star Party!  Our guest speaker, Jennifer Burt, PhD, EPRV Investigation Scientist, JPL, spoke on "the Sky's the Limit: Expanding Our Understanding of ExoPlanetary Systems from the Ground Up" and her intriguing topic raised some fun Q& As and audience engagement.  Attendees explored the night sky through high-powered telescopes with the assistance of volunteers from the Local Group Astronomy Club of Santa Clarita, as well as the Antelope Valley Astronomy Club.   
The evening included interactive demonstration tables presented by a number of groups including the Astronomy Physics Club, Active Minds, the Biological & Environmental Sciences Department, Chemistry Club, Library, MESA - Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement, STEM Equity Alliance, and the William S. Hart District CTE Education Pathway!!  The Associated Student Government (ASG) was also on hand with free snacks and lots of energy! It was an educational and enjoyable evening for all!!
Star Party Flyer

November 4, 2022, 9:00am - 11:00am
Garden Walk! Our presenter and tour guide, Professor, Jeannie Chari, took us on tour of the unique plant and birdlife at the Canyon Country Campus.  Participants were able to identify and learn about plant life around campus, using provided binoculars to spot birds, and microscopes to examine collected water samples.  It was educational and enjoyable!

October 28, 2022, 7:00pm - 9:30pm
Fall Star Party! - Our guest speaker, Albion H. Bowers, Chief Scientist at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center (retired), spoke on “Fast Interplanetary Flight (Aero Gravity Assist)” and his intriguing topic raised some fun Q&As and audience engagement.  Attendees explored the night sky through high-powered telescopes.  The evening included interactive demonstration tables presented by our clubs, departments, and the William S. Hart District CTE Education Pathway!!  The Associated Student Government (ASG) was also on hand with free snacks and lots of energy! It was an educational and enjoyable evening for all!!
In case you missed it, here is our Star Party Program

May 6, 2022, 9:00am - 11:00am
Garden Walk!
 On Friday, May 6th as we toured the Canyon Country Campus!  We learned while we burned (calories), explored biodiversity, got some fresh air, and enjoyed a walk through our beautiful campus! Thank you Professor Chari for an educational and enjoyable event!

April 22, 2022, 7:30pm - 10pm
Spring Star Party! - Guest speaker, John L. Callas of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory presented "The Robotic Exploration of the Surface of Mars", at our in-person event outside the new Don Takeda Science Center.  Attendees explored skies through high-powered telescopes, heard from our students and the COC Aerospace and Sciences Team.  The evening included interaction and demos with our clubs and departments.  It was an educational and enjoyable evening for all!!
In case you missed it, here is our Star Party Program

November 19, 2021, 12pm - 1:30pm
Biology Talks! - Professor Shane Ramey and his students gave us a virtual tour of the Takeda Science Center's microbiology laboratory at CCC, one of the most advanced instructional laboratories in the region.  From wireless microscope cameras, to iPads, to the Cloud, see how our students are learning with 21st century tools for 21st century jobs.  Thank you Professor Shane Ramey and your amazing students!
In case you missed it, watch it now:  Fall '21, Biology Talks!  

October 29, 2021, 7pm - 9:30pm
Fall Star Party! - Guest speaker, Camilo Mejia Prada, Ph.D, Manager of the High Contrast Imaging Facility at NASA JPL, presented "NASA's Search for Planets, Habitability and Life in our Galaxy" at our in-person event outside the new Don Takeda Science Center.  Attendees explored skies through high-powered telescopes, heard from our students and the COC Aerospace and Sciences Team.  The evening included interaction and demos with our clubs and departments.  It was an educational and enjoyable evening for all!!
In case you missed it, here is our Star Party Program

April 23, 2021, 6pm – 8:30pm
Virtual Spring Star Party!
  - Join us for a mission update on the Mars Perseverance rover, along with other exciting space activities.
Guest Speaker:  Jennifer Trosper
In case you missed it, watch it now:  Spring '21, Virtual Star Party

May 7, 2021, 9am - 11am
Garden Walk! - We took a virtual stroll through the Canyon Country Campus, including engaging discussion of local plant-life, insects and birds.
Presenter: Professor, Jeannie Chari
In case you missed it, watch it now:  Spring '21, Garden Walk