Fourth USA Science And Engineering Festival Coming Up Fast

The Fourth USA Science and Engineering Festival will return to Washington D.C. next month.  The big Expo is April 16th and 17th at the Walter Washington Convention Center and open to all.  There is a Sneak Peek taking place on the 15th, which is open to school groups (including homeschooled children) and military families.  Registration is required and now open.

There is also the X-STEM Symposium on April 14th, geared toward students in the middle and high school grades.  The Symposium is more like a conference than the Festival Expo.  Registration is required, and there is a small registration fee.  There is a separate slate of speakers and experts for the X-STEM Symposium, and registrants will need to consult it to figure out which presentations they want to see.  There will be many experts in a variety of fields in science, technology, and science education.  Readers of this blog may recognize Chris Emdin, science educator and the man responsible for the Science Genius B.A.T.T.L.E.S. program in New York City schools.  He’ll be presenting at the Symposium.

For those attending the Expo, there will be the usual abundance of speakers, booths, books and some hands-on activities.  They Might Be Giants is returning to the Expo, playing twice on Saturday (if they arrange it like they did last time, one set will focus more on their science-themed music and the other on the rest of their enormous catalog).  Science Bob Pflugfelder, frequent presence on the Jimmy Kimmel Live program, will also be at the Expo, and the Science Cheerleaders will be around as well.

New to the Expo this time is actor Wil Wheaton.  He’ll appear on Sunday, and given his many geek-friendly roles, will likely be a big draw.  The Expo tends to have a problem with the very popular presenters attracting way more people than there are seats, and it would be advisable to get there early for Wheaton, and for They Might Be Giants as well.

In general it would be a great idea to plan your visit.  There is a tool on the Festival website that will let you (after setting up an account) prepare a schedule of shows and exhibits in advance.

I have only scratched the surface of what is available at the Expo and the X-STEM Symposium.  There are also dozens of affiliated festivals around the world throughout the year.  Consult this map for a listing of several events.