The Red River Gorge Discovery Zone (RRGDZ) popped up at Breakfast with Santa on December 10th at the Lodge at Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Slade, KY. Red River Gorge Discovery Zone (RRGDZ) is a pop-up discovery zone emphasizing Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM), with activities for kids (of all ages) focused on the Red River Gorge, conservation, and local history.
Thirty-one children and 32 parents/guardians visited the Zone to participate in Santa-related activities. The Santa’s Sleigh STEM activity run by Deana Brooks of Powell County Schools and Sandra Hall of Kentucky Retired Teachers Association (KRTA) and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), taught the children about the six step design process (ask, think, design, build, test, improve) and gave them the opportunity to design and build a new sleigh for Santa, using recycled materials.
The Santa’s Chimney Activity, run by Judy Dourson of Dourson Biological Consulting and KRTA, allowed the children to engineer a new chimney for a house that was expecting a visit from Santa. The children built impressive structures from toothpicks and gumdrops.
The Track Santa Activity, run by Jane Hayes of DAR and University of Kentucky (retired) and Rachel Miller of DAR and Lee County Schools, taught the children about the Global Positioning System (GPS), latitude, longitude,GPS tracking, and how NORAD will track Santa on Christmas eve (visit noradsanta.org).
The Welcome Table, run by Rose Lynn Hall of Powell County Schools and Ann Smith of DAR and Red River Historical Society and Museum, provided the children with RRGDZ stickers and STEAM home activity cards.
Funded by a grant from TC Energy Foundation and a smaller grant from Powell County Tourism Commission, the all-volunteer effort includes other organizations and team members not listed above: Rachel Addison Miller (Lee County Schools and DAR), Ann Smith (DAR and Red River Historical Society and Museum), Rita Shepherd (Powell County Tourism), Patty Gordon (DAR), Judith Wilson and Sharon Robinson (both with DAR), Bea Snowden (KRTA), Keith Caudill (TC Energy), Miranda Fallen, Monica Mynk (Montgomery County Schools), Jason Vaughn (Powell Cooperative Extension Office), and Suzy Brown and Charlotte Denniston (both of KRTA and Powell County Library). Organizations/individuals who donated or loaned items to assist the Discovery Zone include Beechfork Golf Club, Powell Cooperative Extension Office, Selina Howard, Troy Brooks, Delbert Brown, Ace Hardware of Stanton, Whitaker Bank, Chris Allen, Citizens Guaranty Bank, James Clark, Rogers Hardware, Stanton Parks and Rec Board, Powell County Schools, Soil Conservation Office, Red River Historical Society and Museum, Suzy Brown, Red River Valley Chapter of the DAR, Diane Mier, Hussam Nasir, and Darren Wasson. Father Al Fritsch of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Appalachia Science in the Public Interest, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, and Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church (Stanton) was the inspiration for the Discovery Zone.
The Discovery Zone has completed its season for 2022. Do check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/rrgdiscoveryzone/ for the future and join us at the next event!