Santa Fe has a wealth of resources for teachers and parents to help their children learn science. Here are a few:

Santa Fe Science Initiative

The small staff at the Santa Fe Science Initiative at Gonzales Community School believe all children can learn science and all teachers can learn to make it fun.

Fun is important in those early years, said Mary Howard, who retired from teaching at Gonzales in 1999 and now works with the initiative. "Even those with language problems or other learning problems can do very well in science," she said. "It's a real natural for students to like science."

The SFSI coaxes scientists into working with elementary school teachers. The initiative hosts trainings, like one held Saturday to help teachers have fun with science through simple projects they can use later in their classrooms. SFSI pays the teachers' salaries to attend the one-day workshops.

SFSI is based on a national model for science education designed by the National Science Resource Center, created by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Academy of Sciences. The group tweaked the model by finding professional mentors like retired physics professor Vic Cook into schools. They currently work with Gonzales, Salazar, Tesuque and Turquoise Trail schools. "Our focus is on how to integrate science into the curriculum," said executive director Susan McIntosh.

Santa Fe Alliance for Science

Where SFSI works with elementary schools, the Santa Fe Alliance for Science focuses on middle and high schools. The organization provides volunteer science tutors, science fair judges and the Science Café, a program for 13- to 19-year-olds.

The next café, titled "Burritos to Biofuels," is Monday at the Georgia O'Keeffe Education Annex, 123 Grant Ave. The cafés are free but seating is limited.

Youtube videos and information about prior cafés can be found at www.sfafs.org/science_cafes.asp.

Café Scientifique

A group of teenagers and four adult mentors set up these science cafés specifically for young people to learn, talk about and try out scientific concepts. Top-notch scientists discuss their work and specific science topics. The cafés are held in various locations in Santa Fe, Española, Los Alamos and Albuquerque. All teens are welcome to attend.

Crime scene investigator Cynnamon Jones from the Santa Fe Police Department will be discussing the hard work behind solving crimes or the "Truth behind CSI" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Santa Fe Complex, 624 Agua Fría St. For more information, visit www.cafenm.org.