Kids Gather at Maryland Science Center for Jedi Training

How to train your Jedi in a galaxy not too far away… “Star Wars” fans gathered at the Maryland Science Center to train as mythical knights and learn something new.

The sounds of discovery were complemented by tweaks to the droids’ construction and the roar of the Millennium Falcon as parents and their Padawans gathered for a Jedi Academy event, part of the science center’s May Fourth activities.

Various “Star Wars” themed exhibits exploring physics and engineering topics across the Star Wars Universe were distributed throughout the main halls. The awe was palpable as the children explored the activities and saw these scientific concepts being presented before their eyes.

Val Sullivan, marketing manager at the Maryland Science Center, said she was happy to see kids “have the opportunity to not only play ‘in a galaxy far, far away,’ but also discover that they can do science.”

With May 4th falling on a Saturday, the science center team combined a shared team passion with the museum’s educational goals.

“I feel like ‘Star Wars’ and the Maryland Science Center are the perfect fit,” Sullivan said.

She added that whenever there is a fun and understandable entry into science teaching, they aim to take advantage of that opportunity.

“[We’re] able to talk about physics and relate it to ‘Star Wars’” with exhibits like Use the Force, in which participants’ goal was to put “Han Solo cups” on each other using a deft hand and a little physics.

Sullivan noted that an event like this allows the team to stretch its creative side and use its greatest strengths in combination with inspiration from the films to “tie what we’re best at showing to the fun elements of ‘Star Wars.’”

Parents were also excited about the opportunity to experience “Star Wars” alongside their children and the educational opportunities it brings.

Joseph Talaiver, an avid “Star Wars” fan and member of the Maryland Science Center, said that “Star Wars” and science fiction impacted his life as a child and that it is “fun for kids to go beyond what could be real, because Now things become science fiction real. … You can never say it’s impossible.”

He sees learning about “Star Wars” as a great opportunity to “escape from our reality to learn something different.”

The day even demonstrated the idea that films can explore concepts such as acceptance, mindfulness and social-emotional learning. Saturday’s Jedi Academy event was an opportunity for children to enrich their learning outside of the classroom and their typical schooling, Talavier said.

“Especially with ‘Star Wars,’ you also appreciate other people, other species, good centering… understanding a balance, that sometimes you can get angry, but how do you balance that with being happy,” Talavier said.