Brett Altamura, a fourth grader from Houserville Elementary, said his favorite station at the Minerals Junior Education Day was "the one where they shined a black light on [the rocks] and it would glow."

"I thought it was pretty cool," he said.

Saturday, Penn State professors, graduate students and community members raised interest in and educated kids about mineralogy through nine rock stations, where participants could look at fluorescent rocks under black lights, make their own rock jewelry and gold panning.

"We're promoting our hobby, trying to get the kids interested," Robert Rothrock, a member of the Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA), said. Rothrock let the kids keep their own gold specs they panned out of the water as a souvenir from this station.

At the florescence station, rocks that looked like plain stepping stones turned into rocks with brilliant neon colors under black lights. Some rocks that look red under a black light turned a vibrant blue under an ultraviolet lamp.

The GPAA also gave kids the opportunity to pan for their own gold. The association members put pre-made gold and sand packages into the water, and the kids could then sift out the sand and pick the gold particles out of the water to keep.

At the rock cycle station, smooth granite slabs from all over the world were on display.

Fossils that dated back millions of years drew the attention of kids who were eager to learn about what they were and where they came from.

Nittany Mineralogical Society member Shirley Fonda taught kids about a foot-long tooth that dated back to the time of the dinosaurs.

Children were also fascinated by rocks with magnetic qualities, which attracted various metal objects like paper clips and small screws, at the magnetic minerals station. These lodestones, or rocks, with naturally occurring magnetism, were presented by John Passaneau a Penn State professor.

The Minerals Junior Education Day has been in existence for about 10 years and this year, had close to 200 children pre-register for the event, Robert Altamura, president of the Nittany Mineralogical Society, said.

"There is a core group of us that hatch ideas and we put them into action," Altamura said.

At another station Peter Heaney, professor of mineralogy, spoke about the brilliance of gems and how light refracts through transparent objects.

"I was really impressed with the events that the Nittany Mineralogical Society holds, so I decided to get involved," Heaney said.

Peter Sharp (junior - security and risk analysis) said he takes Heaney's gemology class and came to show the kids the different types of birthstones and precious gems.

"It's a great class and he teaches it well, so I don't mind coming out to help," Sharp said.