What do you find if you pop the bubbles formed by the reaction of dry ice mixed with water and dish washing detergent?

A group of 13 children attending the Science in the Summer program at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library discovered to their delight and amusement that it was carbon dioxide vapor.

That was one of the lessons offered by Carnegie Science Center Staff Educator Mindy Gowlas during the free summer program sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline for students in second to sixth grade at 14 libraries in Allegheny and Beaver counties.

This is the first year the Andrew Carnegie Free Library in Carnegie has participated, said Erin Tipping, children and youth services librarian. She said it happened because of her hiring as a full-time librarian.

She said she had heard about the Science in the Summer program through a parent so she investigated.

"It seemed like a really good program for us to offer, so I signed on," she said. "It turned out to be very popular."

She said among the surprises is that more boys than girls participated and that the children had fun while learning.

"When they left on the final day, they were using terms like endothermic and exothermic," she said. "Next year, we're going to shoot for two sessions of this program."

The four-session program, which covered topics such as crystals, dry ice and chemical reactions, also has been held in Aliquippa and Ambridge and will be offered in Crafton next week, Green Tree and Moon, week of Aug. 4 and Scott, week of Aug. 11. Instructors from the Carnegie Science Center teach each program.

Malesia Dunn, director of communications at GlaxoSmithKline, said the program's atmosphere is more relaxed than a typical elementary school classroom.

"It's a much more fun environment [than school]," Ms. Dunn said. "It's very engaging; the hope is that the kids will be more interested in science when they return to school."

The resources provided by GlaxoSmithKline allow students to conduct experiments with materials that may not be available at most schools, Wesley Horst said. The activities for each week include an experiment with dry ice, creating borax crystals and making slime.

"Memorizing stuff is not all that helpful for most people," said Mr. Horst, who has worked as a staff educator at the Carnegie Science Center for three years. "We try to make sure that everything we do is interactive and hands-on, things [students] can touch and sense, and things that connect with everyday life."

Science in the Summer also tries to fuel an interest in science among youngsters with the hope that they will continue to study science in the future.

"We have lots of cool things we want to do, but we don't have enough scientists to do them," Mr. Horst told kids at a recent session at the Allegheny Valley Library. "We're hoping that some of you will want to become scientists or chemists when you grow up."

Mr. Horst said the activities are specifically designed for younger children.

"There are many chemical reactions that are very simple, but they make kids go 'wow,' " he said. "We try to instill that sense of wonder to get these kids excited about science."

GlaxoSmithKline started the program in this area six years ago, and it has funded a larger program in Philadelphia for more than 20 years. Ms. Dunn said the pharmaceutical and healthcare company hopes to expand to more libraries in the next few years.

She also said the instructors from the Science Center, who provide staff for the program, do a "phenomenal" job.

Every day students split into two groups; second- and third-graders go to the first session of the day, and older students attend the second. The 45-minute sessions are limited to 18 students.

Youngsters receive free safety glasses, a textbook and an apron to use throughout the week and to take home after they finish. Students also are given a certificate on the last day of the program.