Karen Jang and Mariela Shuley may technically be employees with Science World's travelling On The Road production. 

But when they get up in front of a crowd of elementary students, they're bonafide rock stars. 

"Before I did this job, I definitely didn't think it would be as exciting as it is," said Shuley in between shows at Vernon's Silver Star Elementary School Wednesday morning, Dec. 4. 

"But after the first show I was like, well, kids just love science."

The school gym sounded like an Iron Maiden concert when Jang and Shuley did the grand finale of On The Road's How 2 Science show, getting a young student to help demonstrate how a leaf blower can be used to create a hover board. The kids were positively giddy as they watched their classmate zip around the floor.

How 2 Science is Science World's basic scientific method show, which teaches kids how to observe, predict and test things out in the world around them. After the break, Jang and Shuley led a show for some of the older kids, called Earth, Wind and Science, which is about how weather works on Earth.

And perhaps a little known fact: not all planets have weather.

"You need three ingredients to make weather: you need water, you need an atmosphere ... and you need heat from the sun," explained Jang. "Not all planets have an atmosphere ... and they don't all get heat from the sun."

Shuley and Jang have been doing On The Road for two and three years, respectively, and both do outreach with after-school science clubs, going into schools for six to eight weeks at a time and working with kids to conduct science experiments outside of regular class time. 

"It's so much fun introducing science to kids and getting them wondering and exploring the world around them," said Jang. "I have learned so much doing this job, and it makes me super curious about the world around me."

It's to the point where every time Jang flies, she's thinking about how the air provides lift to the plane, a quirk of physics taught in Science World's Fantastic Forces show. 

After every live science show, the On The Road team gets to witness the freshly stoked curiosity bubbling in the minds of their young audience members. 

It comes out in the form of "inquisitive and really smart questions," said Shuley. One kid asked them why helium can rise in a balloon despite the force of gravity.

Another simply asked, "What about ghosts?" and Shuley was able to say that the scientific community is "split" on the subject, but the consensus is that "energy doesn't die, and that's all we know."

More questions will surely be on the minds of young ones as the travelling Science World production continues visiting schools in Vernon, Coldstream and Cherryville until Thursday, Dec. 5. 

The purpose of On The Road is to ensure that science education is available to all, particularly for students in rural areas. Thanks to sponsors and donors, the shows are free of charge for schools.