2014 FINAL REPORT North Carolina Science Festival • 2014 Final Report 1 North Carolina Science Festival is a statewide two- CONTACTS week celebration of STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — with community- North Carolina Science Festival Morehead Planetarium and Science Center based events hosted by libraries, parks, colleges, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill museums and other sites. Campus Box 3480 • Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3480 Founded in 2010 by Morehead Planetarium and ncsciencefestival.org • [email protected] Science Center at the University of North Carolina 919-843-8329 at Chapel Hill, the Festival has served over 700,000 participants of all ages since its inception. Festival Jonathan Frederick Marissa Hartzler events include expos, science talks, lab tours, nature Festival director Statewide programs experiences, exhibits, performances and hands-on [email protected] coordinator [email protected] activities. These events highlight the educational, Todd Boyette, Ph.D. cultural and economic impact of STEM in North Festival co-founder Jeff Hill Carolina. [email protected] Sponsorships [email protected] The Festival is made possible through generous Denise Young, Ed.D. Festival co-founder support from leading business and government [email protected] partners and through the participation of dozens of event hosts across the state. BOARD OF ADVISORS James C. Moeser, D.M.A., Chair The Honorable James B. Hunt Jr. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Governor of the State of North Carolina, 1977-1985, 1993-2001 June St. Clair Atkinson, Ed.D. The Honorable Howard N. Lee North Carolina Dept. of Public Instruction Howard N. Lee Institute Betsy M. Bennett, Ph.D. R. Scott Ralls, Ph.D. Capital Development Services North Carolina Community College System Christopher Brown, Ph.D. Thomas W. Ross, Ph.D. Rep. of Thomas W. Ross University of North Carolina General Administration University of North Carolina Lynne Scott Safrit, Dr.P.H. John E. Burris, Ph.D. North Carolina Research Campus Burroughs Wellcome Fund Charles A. Sanders, M.D. Alfred G. Childers, Ph.D. Retired Chairman & CEO, GlaxoSmithKline MagellanScience.org Machelle Sanders Joseph M. DeSimone, Ph.D. Biogen Idec North Carolina State University Christy L. Shaffer, Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hatteras Venture Partners Lew Ebert Daniel Solomon, Ph.D. North Carolina Chamber Rep. of W. Randolph Woodson Marilyn Foote-Hudson North Carolina State University North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Richard Superfine, Ph.D. Ann B. Goodnight University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SAS Christine Whitaker John Hardin, Ph.D. Time Warner Cable North Carolina Dept. of Commerce W. Randolph Woodson, Ph.D. North Carolina State University 2 North Carolina Science Festival • 2014 Final Report A volunteer at UNC Charlotte’s Science and Technology Expo assists attendees with a bottle rocket launch. What’s NEW? This year, the Festival assistance expanded its support program to through the Internet four science festivals for event hosts and foster expanded media and mobile networks to collaborate on other affiliates through coverage in targeted and announcing a National Science several new initiatives: locations. Festival dates with Foundation sponsored an event sponsorship The Festival expanded billboards on I-40/I-85. project. As the nation’s program to provide its promotional The Festival also first statewide science financial support,a activities, too, adding earned national festival, North Carolina series of webinars to statewide advertising recognition when it Science Festival has a share best practices messages distributed was selected as one of tremendous impact! and a marketing North Carolina Science Festival • 2014 Final Report 3 By the NUMBERS PARTICIPATION BREAKDOWN Event Attendance 178,576 K–12 Event Attendance 33,425 401 public events Star Parties Attendance 3,642 in NC and 258 in SC 271 event partners publicly engaged scientists Branded Year-Round Program Attendance 2,472 9,143 3,259 volunteers On-air / Online Program participation 108,745 TOTAL PARTICIPATION 333,789 wildly popular SPOKESBOT, now with his own official fan club 1The Kelvin Fan Club added two members in its inaugural year. BioNetwork Julie Rhodes 4 North Carolina Science Festival • 2014 Final Report Events in of95 North Carolina’s 100 COUNTIES 401 public events 271 event partners 2,472 publicly engaged scientists 3,259 volunteers Folt Science 108 Nights 55 Invite-A-Scientist Science 14 EVENTS Spotlights HOSTED NC Gravity Games 30 Participating Schools Carolina STEM 111 Challenge Event Sponsorships 17 Awarded North Carolina Science Festival • 2014 Final Report 5 Support for Science STATEWIDE North Carolina Science Festival continues to lead the way in increasing the accessibility of science across the state. A student of North Shelby School shows off the result of her fingerprinting activity at Folt Science Day. Photo courtesy Allison Hodges. North Carolina Science Festival provides prepared for their current science issue curricula and other resources to elementary, careers, what they do in through research and middle and high schools for interactive science a typical day and why discussion. For 2014, programs. Folt Science Night (grades K–5), Invite- their work is important. Science Spotlight A-Scientist (grades 6–8) and Science Spotlight Invite-A-Scientist offered a choice of (grades 9–12) served 167 schools in 2014. sessions helped two current science students understand issues: nuclear energy FOLT SCIENCE NIGHT 13 different hands-on more about the or fracking. Each Parents and children science activities and scientific process and class chose an issue, celebrated science demonstrations — from introduced students to read articles about together at Folt "Stomp Rockets" to new concepts of "what the issue, considered Science Night (FSN) "Garden in a Glove." a scientist looks like." different viewpoints programs for families, INVITE-A-SCIENTIST SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT and held a discussion. hosted for 108 Some classes added Fifty-five classrooms This year, North elementary schools a teacher-moderated in 49 middle schools Carolina Science across North Carolina. online chat with a across North Carolina Festival introduced With support from an scientist. Fourteen hosted guest scientists a new initiative anonymous donor, 75 classes participated for hands-on science for high schools: of these elementary in the pilot Science activities with Science Spotlight, schools were selected Spotlight program. students. The scientists which challenges to receive free FSN volunteered their time students and their event kits. Each kit to explain how they teachers to explore a contained supplies for 6 North Carolina Science Festival • 2014 Final Report classrooms received 10 teams were selected model-size kits to to receive full-size kits prototype race cars to build their race cars. for the North Carolina They also received Gravity Games. travel stipends to Each team tested compete in the Gravity its prototype and Games, held April 5 in produced a video to Lenoir. report its results, and Although North Carolina Science Festival is most visible for two weeks during April, its work continues throughout the year. The Festival works with many organizations to provide support for science at the community level. Some of its work is directly related to Festival events, but the Festival also works with community leaders to include science in policy decisions that affect education, environment and commerce. NORTH CAROLINA EVENT SCIENCE SUMMIT SPONSORSHIPS The STEM Open House North Carolina Seventeen event hosts at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Science Summit is a received financial provided opportunities for collaborative effort support to present free the public to try hands-on by more than 20 Festival events through science. Photo courtesy Paula Dibley. organizations with a North Carolina Science shared goal: To make Festival’s new event North Carolina the sponsorship program. “Science State.” Its The Festival received work is coordinated 31 applications for Middle schools and high schools are eligible to by the NC Pathways event sponsorships participate in special STEM-themed competitions Partnership. and chose recipients to through North Carolina Science Festival. The expand the Festival’s competitions help teachers and students explore In cooperation with educational value, STEM concepts (science, technology, engineering North Carolina Science audiences served and and math), encourage creativity and promote Festival, the Summit geographic diversity. teamwork. hosted regional meetings during late The event sponsorships CAROLINA STEM completing the STEM 2013 and early 2014. In helped event hosts CHALLENGE challenge activities, April 2014, the Summit recruit special Carolina Biological teams submitted hosted its second programming sponsored the Carolina videos to report their annual statewide (including guest STEM Challenge and results. Winning teams gathering and speakers), purchase provided kits to 111 received Carolina expanded the footprint materials and supplies, classrooms to conduct Biological supplies for of this event through provide resources their own STEM their classrooms. interactive simulcasts in for volunteers and Challenge activities NORTH CAROLINA each region. promote events to (either the Paint Stirrer GRAVITY GAMES larger audiences. Catapult challenge, How fast can a gravity- the Mousetrap Car powered, “soapbox challenge or the derby”-style race car Battery Dilemma