Center celebrates and thanks its volunteers

Just look at what Explorit’s volunteers do during a typical week:

• Greet the public and assist during public hours at the center.
• Order fun merchandise for the Explorit store and arrange it on display shelves.
• Help Explorit educators host field trips at both Explorit sites.
• Answer phones and assemble teacher packets.
• Provide leadership of the center as a board member, ensuring fulfillment of the mission of involving people in science experiences that touch all our lives.

And in the summer, volunteers work daily – and have a blast – as Summer Camp teaching assistants.

The center always needs more volunteers, says Kristin Sizemore, who is in charge of the volunteer program. Interested individuals are invited to contact her to learn more about specific opportunities (phone 756-0191 or email Kristin@explorit.org).

Of particular need right now: volunteers for Explorit’s store. Three longtime volunteers -- Barbara Melander, Ethel Sassenrath and Toni Tiedermann – have just retired, and store volunteers are eager to return to full staffing.

Store volunteers work as a group to unpack boxes of new stock, price the contents and arrange items on the shelves. Hours are 1-2:30 p.m. one Thursday a month. Proceeds from store sales go to Explorit’s scholarship fund, so volunteers can have a good time (it’s a very convivial group) and feel good about the mission they are supporting. Contact Sizemore if you are interested.

Over the past 12 months, 186 people volunteered in a variety of positions at both of Explorit’s facilities. The center extends sincere appreciation to each:

Elise Adams, Kyle Adams, Lars Anderson, Sarah Augusto, Kathleen Ayers, Rick Baker, Sara Balla, Patrick Bell, Alan Bennett, Steve Bick, Zoe Bick, Jennifer Blanc, Kevin Blanc, Richard M. Bostock, Kelsey Boulanger, Lauren Boulanger, Timmy Brown, Pedar Bruce, Evelyn Buddenhagen, Ken Burtis, Asha Byrd, Ellen Campbell, Alexa Carleton, Molly Cate, Karen Cebra, Dan Cebra, Paul Cebra, Felix Chan, Katarina Chan, Alex Chang, Zesina Chang, Derrick Chao, Rebecca Chao, UCD Chemistry Club.

Laurynne Chetelat, Richard Chew, Aaron Chin, Anthony Colombo, Nabor Contreras, Allan Crow, Ingo Cyliax, Jeff Dale, Nathan de Ropp, Nicole Demas, Frances Devanbu, J. Faye Dixon, Stephanie Doeing, Ria Domier, Venita Domier, Calvin Domier, Nick Duffy. Ana Ebrahimi. Ruth Eisele. Stephanie Ellingson, Betsy Elzufon, Chloe Farrell, Joey (Loren) Finazzo, Claire Finn, Bill Flewelling, Katrine Foley, Annaliese Franz, Danielle Fujino, John Fulton, Beth Gabor, Farid Ganji, Felix Garcia, Nicolette Ginoder-Daskalakis, Lauren Glazer, Vanessa Goh, Ken Gruys.

Luke Hampton, Anne Hance, Sandy Harcourt, Rich Healy, Anna Hiller, Angie Honda, Mandy Honeychurch, Michael Huang, Ann Husmann, Jay Ingram, Hilary Iskin, Brandon Ja, Denneal Jamison-McClung, Scooter Johnson, Susan Kauzlarich, Merek Kesser, Jeanne Kim, Chengappa Kodira, Denis Kurata, Alia Latif, Alejandro Lavernia, Laura Lavernia, Jennifer Layco, Sandy Lee, Luani Lee, Jennifer Lee, Marisa Lim, Miranda Liou, Ong-Dee Liu, Miranda Lo, Monica Lopez-Islas, Robert Luffborrow, Irene Mack, Thien Mai, Jamie Marcum, Anisa Marshall, Vel Matthews, Dante Mazza, Lucy McGilchrist, Sue McKinney, Colin McNally, Tim McNeil, John McNerney, Derlina Medina, Barbara Melander, Aram Millstein, Paul Moller, Mary Anne Montague, Leah Montes-Chan, Amanda Morgan, Jessica Munn, Huong Nguyen, James Nguyen.

Frank Osterloh, Bill Owens, Mark Palmere, Sneha Pandy, Carly Perry, Shermilla Pia, Kristine Pierce, Amy Platenkamp, Katherine S. Pollard, Thomas Privalsky, Sasha Ragland, Daniel Ragland, Amy Ragsdale, Blossom Raychauddhuri, Nathan Reynolds, Kelly Riestenberg, Kim Stanley Robinson, Lisa Robison, Christie Rossi, Alexandra Sanders, Mike Sarahan, Ethel Sassenrath, Lara Schoen, Carl Schwedler, Jasmine Segall, Stefan Seritan, John Sewell, Hasan Shaik, Linda Sharrow, Elizabeth Shenaut, Maddy Sides, Maish Simon, James Singh, Harsev Singh, Jeff Smith, Sarah Statt, Meghan Steidler, Tamara Stephens, Noah Strehl, Varsha Sudarshana.

Danny Tang, Hilary Teafore, Edward Thomas, Toni Tiederman, Henna Trewn, J. Anthony Tyson, Peter Wagner, Shana White, Tom Wickersham, Carl Winter, Derek Woller, Breane Wong, Sachi Wong, Yi Xu, Cheng Xu, Mackenzie Tysell Yamamura, Lily Yang, Jaron Yang, Elizabeth Yates, Wendy Yim, Jessica Younker, Marvin Zamora,
Julian Zhu.

Again, Explorit is grateful to each person who helps us provide hands-on science education.
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Explorit Science Center is open to the general public from 2-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday at 2801 Second St., Davis. Admission is $4 general, free for teachers and age 3 and under. For more information: (530) 756-0191 or www.explorit.org.