Kids should have at least as much fun with science as doprofessional scientists, say two UC Davis researchers whorecently received a $1.08 million grant from the National Science Foundation to team up with elementary teachers in Northern California grade schools to make classroom science more exciting. Beginning in July 1993, the three-year science teaching project will offer new enthusiasm and resources to nearly half of the elementary teachers and students within a 50-mile radius of Davis, according to UC Davis zoology professors David Deamer and Richard Nuccitelli. The UC Davis Science Institute for Elementary School Teachers program, called EXCITES (Excellence In Teaching Elementary Science), aims to expose teachers to leading university scientists who can share the excitement of the discovery process. "Teachers bring the experience of teaching K-6 students, and we can help make science more interesting," Nuccitelli says. The program's goal is to illustrate the process of science by emphasizing hands-on activities for elementary classrooms. The UC Davis program is part of a national trend among universities to improve science education for students long before they register for their first college science classes.