The University of Colorado at Boulder
presents
CU Wizards
In the Beginning
The CU Wizards Program provides an educational,
entertaining and interactive introduction to the sciences for children of all ages.
The show began in 1976, thanks to the efforts of Professors Jim Scott, who, a
few years later, was joined by Professor John Taylor. Together they began
presenting “The Wizard Series” four times a year on the
Professor Taylor earned funding to expand the
program in the early 1980s,enabling him to take the
“magic” of science on the road. This traveling “Mr. Wizard” sometimes brought
shows to up to 20 schools a year throughout the state. From 1988-1991,
A Changing of the Guard
The early 1990s saw new leadership with the CU
Wizards show as Professor David Nesbitt was inaugurated as the new senior
“Wizard” and show’s director. Professor Nesbitt expanded the program by
fostering greater collaboration with faculty across scientific disciplines.
Each year, about ten to twelve professors put on the Wizard’s hat to present
shows to students, and create the current CU Wizards Program.
CU Wizards goes Multimedia
CU Wizards went multimedia in the late 1990s
when Professor Nesbitt produced the CU Wizards Video Series. This series was
made possible from funding by the CU Outreach Council and partnered the CU
Wizards Show with CU Science Discovery. An additional grant from the council in
2005 funded transferring of the show to DVD along with the creation of a series
of teaching guides to accompany the show.
The Future of CU Wizards
The show continues to grow under the care of
Professor Nesbitt’s direction. He has increased the show’s funding, including a
small endowment, and continues to oversee the CU Wizard’s yearly schedule,
inviting other professors to share their enthusiasm about their fields of
science and education.
The yearly series of CU Wizards shows is held
on the CU Boulder campus one Saturday a month throughout the academic year. The
CU Wizards are professors from the science who
donate their knowledge, time and energy to
create engaging and informative shows for the
public.
Home • Schedule
• Wizards •Photos
• Sponsors • History • FAQs • Contact
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For
further information please contact Erin Costello djnadmin@jila.colorado.edu 303-492-5011