Students from Ball State are participating in a meteorology exhibit at Minnetrista to educate school children about weather. 

The exhibit, "Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Kicks up a Storm," is a hands-on learning experience for children.  

Ball State students will be at Minnetrista on March 22 and 24 to tape short weather segments with children from Muncie schools. The one- to three-minute forecasts will air on WIPB.

"This is a great opportunity for us to go out there and teach kids about weather while showing what Ball State has to offer," said Joseph Thomas, student executive producer of the weather broadcasts.

When the exhibit opened, Ball State students were asked to simulate a television weather broadcast in front of a crowd of 30.

"We wanted to show how a weather forecast happens in the studio versus what is actually seen on TV," Thomas said. "We also had several children get in front of the chroma-key, or green screen, to experience what it's like to be a broadcast meteorologist pointing at nothing."

The project involves a variety of students from the Ball State's Storm Chase team, Student Activities Committee and NewsLink Indiana.

"I was contacted by Minnetrista to put together a group of students to collaborate with the exhibit," said Petra Zimmermann, Ball State assistant professor of geography. "I knew most of the students I asked to participate from class and their involvement with campus organizations."

By Chantel Arsenault