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{{short description|Bi-annual science festival in the U.S.}}
==USA Science and Engineering Festival==
{{Infobox recurring event
USA Science & Engineering Festival is a [[science festival]] deemed the country’s first national science festival<ref>http://www.xconomy.com/san-diego/2009/10/05/making-science-cool-inspiring-students-and-giving-society-something-to-celebrate/ retrieved 2010-15-02</ref> by founder Larry Bock and will take place in Washington D.C. The inaugural event will be held from October 10, 2010 through October 24, 2010 and is planned to be a yearly event. The two week festival will culminate with a two-day Expo on the [[National Mall]] that will give over 500 science & engineering organizations from all over the United States the opportunity to present an interactive hands-on, science activity with the goal of engaging the general public and generating scientific excitement and awareness<ref>http://usasciencefestival.org/ retrieved 2010-15-02</ref>.
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| status = Active
| genre = [[Science festival]]
| date = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|mm|dd}} "dates=" also works, but do not use both -->
| begins = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|mm|dd}} -->
| ends = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|mm|dd}} -->
| frequency = Bi-annual
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| location = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|type:event|display=inline,title}} -->
| country = [[United States]]
| years_active = {{age|2010|10|10}}
| first = October 10, 2010<!-- {{start date|YYYY|mm|dd}} "founded=" and "established=" also work -->
| founder_name = [[Larry Bock]] and [[Ray O. Johnson]]
| last = <!-- Date of most recent event; if the event will not be held again, use {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| prev = 2018
| next = 2022
| participants =
| attendance = 365,000+
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| organised = <!-- "organized=" also works -->
| filing =
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| sponsors =[[Lockheed Martin]], [[Northrop Grumman|Northrop Grumman Foundation]], [[MedImmune]]
| website = {{URL|http://www.usasciencefestival.org}}
| footnotes =
}}
The '''USA Science & Engineering Festival''' is a bi-annual [[science festival]] held in [[Washington, D.C.]] Founded in 2010 by [[Larry Bock]], the festival is the largest celebration of [[science, technology, engineering, and mathematics]] (STEM) disciplines in the [[United States]]. The inaugural event was held on October 10–24, 2010, the second festival was April 27–29, 2012, the third festival was April 24–27, 2014, the fourth festival was April 16–17, 2016, and the fifth festival was April 7–8, 2018.


==Nifty Fifty==
==Past festivals==
=== 2010 Festival ===
The Nifty Fifty program is a group of fifty nominated professionals in various areas of science and engineering who will interact and speak about their work and careers to middle and high school students across Washington DC in the fall of 2010. Speakers backgrounds are varied and span from [[Chemistry]], [[Biotechnology]], [[Engineering]], [[Math]], [[Computer Science]], [[Medicine]], Green Technology, [[Nanotechnology]], [[Business]], [[Physics]], [[Astronomy]], and Energy<ref>http://usasciencefestival.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74&Itemid=95 retrieved 2010-17-02</ref>.


The 2010 festival lasted for two weeks and culminated with an October 23–24 Expo on the [[National Mall]]. The Expo featured interactive hands-on science activities presented by over 550 U.S. science and engineering organizations.<ref name=expo>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101016022845/http://www.usasciencefestival.org/|archive-date=2010-10-16|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org|title=USA Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2016-03-23}}</ref> 125 universities/research institutes, 125 professional science societies, 50 government agencies, 30 high tech and life science companies and 150 informal science outreach organizations participated in the festival.
==Lunch With a Laureate==
The Lunch with a Laureate program is focused on a small group of middle and high school students across the Greater Washington D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland areas. The purpose of the program is to engage students in informal conversations with a Nobel Prize winning Scientist over a brown bag lunch. The twelve different Laureates that will be participating in this program are:
Dr.[[Leon M. Lederman]], Dr.[[John C. Mather]], Dr.[[William Daniel Phillips]], Dr.[[Robert H. Grubbs]], Dr.[[Alan J. Heeger]], Dr.[[Dudley R. Herschbach]], Dr.[[Phillip A. Sharp]], Dr.[[Kary B. Mullis]], Dr.[[Kurt Wuthrich]], Dr.[[Douglas D. Osheroff]], Dr. [[Baruch Samuel Blumberg]] and Sir Dr. [[Harry Kroto]].<ref>http://usasciencefestival.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81:lunchlaureate&catid=43 retrieved 2010-17-02</ref>


==Two Day Expo==
====Nifty Fifty====
The two week Festival will end with a two-day Expo on the [[National Mall]] that will feature over 500 science organizations from all over the United States. The list of exhibitors includes universities, colleges, high school science clubs, student organizations, research institutes, informal science outreach organizations, community organizations, professional science & engineering societies, life science and high tech companies, and other types of science organizations.<ref>http://usasciencefestival.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=86 retrieved 2010-28-02</ref>


The Nifty Fifty program was a group of fifty nominated professionals in various areas of science and engineering who interacted and spoke about their work and careers to middle and high school students across Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2010. Speakers' backgrounds were varied and spanned [[chemistry]], [[biotechnology]], [[engineering]], [[math]], [[computer science]], [[medicine]], green technology, [[nanotechnology]], [[business]], [[physics]], [[astronomy]], and energy.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619055918/http://usasciencefestival.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74&Itemid=95|archive-date=2010-06-19|url=http://usasciencefestival.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74&Itemid=95|title=The Nifty Fifty|work=USA Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2010-10-25}}</ref>
==Satellite Festivals==
Satellite Festivals are being planned in the following cities: Austin, TX; Berkeley, CA; Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America;Champaign, IL;Chapel Hill, NC;Columbus, OH;DeKalb, IL;Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY;Houston, Texas;Middle River, MD;New Jersey;Oceanside, CA;Pocatello, ID;Pondicherry, India;Raleigh, NC;Ruskin, FL;Santa Ana, CA;Sewell, New Jersey (South Jersey);Stamford, CT;Tucson, AZ;Vancouver, WA/Portland, OR;Wichita, KS<ref>http://www.usasciencefestival.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=76 retrieved 2010-08-03</ref>


====Lunch With a Laureate====
References
<references/>


The "Lunch with a [[Laureate]]" program was focused on a small group of middle and high school students across the greater [[Washington, D.C.]], [[Northern Virginia]], and [[Maryland]] areas. The purpose of the program was to engage students in informal conversations with a [[Nobel Prize]]–winning scientist over a [[Packed lunch|brown-bag lunch]]. The twelve laureates that participated in this program were [[Leon M. Lederman]], [[John C. Mather]], [[William Daniel Phillips]], [[Robert H. Grubbs]], [[Alan J. Heeger]], [[Dudley R. Herschbach]], [[Phillip A. Sharp]], [[Kary B. Mullis]], [[Kurt Wuthrich]], [[Douglas D. Osheroff]], [[Baruch Samuel Blumberg]] and Sir [[Harry Kroto]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://usasciencefestival.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81:lunchlaureate&catid=43|title=Lunch with a Laureate|work=USA Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2010-10-25}}</ref>

====Expo====

The two-week festival ended with a two-day expo on the [[National Mall]] that featured over 500 U.S. science organizations. The list of exhibitors included universities, colleges, high school science clubs, student organizations, research institutes, informal science outreach organizations, community organizations, professional science & engineering societies, life science and high tech companies, and other types of science organizations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org/2010festival/expo|title=Grand Finale Expo- October 23 & 24, 2010, 10am-5:30pm, Washington DC|work=Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2010-10-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://usasciencefestival.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=86|title=Apply Now to Host an Exhibit or Perform: Expo Dates: October 23 & 24, 2010|work=USA Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2010-10-25}}</ref> About 500,000 people reportedly attended the event.<ref>{{cite news|last=Tamura|first=Leslie|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322165051/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/25/AR2010102502482.html|archive-date=2016-03-22|url-status=live|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/25/AR2010102502482.html|title=Festival on the Mall challenges young and old to think scientifically|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|location=Washington, D.C.|date=2010-10-25|access-date=2016-03-23|quote=More than 1,500 free, interactive exhibits drew about 500,000 people to downtown Washington this weekend to learn about science, technology, engineering and math.}}</ref>

The second expo took place in [[Walter E. Washington Convention Center]] in Washington, D.C., on April 27–29, 2012.<ref name=expo/> The third expo took place in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on April 26–27, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127105043/http://www.usasciencefestival.org/|archive-date=2013-01-27|url-status=live|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org/|title=USA Science and Engineering Festival: About|access-date=2013-01-28}}</ref>

====Satellite festivals====

Satellite festivals were being planned in 2010 at a number of locations throughout the United States, including: [[Arizona]]: [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]]; [[California]]: [[Los Angeles]], [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], [[San Francisco]], [[Santa Ana, California|Santa Ana]]; [[Florida]]: [[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]], [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Ruskin, Florida|Ruskin]], [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]]; [[Idaho]]: [[Pocatello, Idaho|Pocatello]]; [[Illinois]]: [[Chicago]], [[DeKalb, Illinois|DeKalb]]; [[Maryland]]: [[Middle River, Maryland|Middle River]], [[Rockville, Maryland|Rockville]]; [[New Jersey]]: [[Clifton, New Jersey|Clifton]]; [[New York (state)|New York]]: [[New York City]], [[Rochester, New York|Rochester]]; [[North Carolina]]: [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]] ([[North Carolina Science Festival]]); [[Ohio]]: [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]], [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]]; [[Texas]]: [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], [[Dallas]], [[San Antonio]]; [[Virginia]]: [[Fairfax, Virginia|Fairfax]], [[Falls Church, Virginia|Falls Church]], [[Hampton, Virginia|Hampton]], [[Reston, Virginia|Reston]]; [[Washington (state)|Washington]]: [[Vancouver, Washington|Vancouver]] (Pacific Northwest Science & Engineering Festival).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org/satellite-event-directory|title=Satellite Events Directory|work=US Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2010-10-25}}</ref> Michigan Tech's [[Mind Trekkers]] is also a traveling component of the USA Science & Engineering Festival.<ref>{{cite web|title=USA Science & Engineering Festival - Powered by Michigan Tech Mind Trekkers|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org/2016-festival/traveling-festival.html|website=www.usasciencefestival.org|publisher=USA Science & Engineering Festival}}</ref>

====Government support====

The festival had a bipartisan Honorary Congressional Host Committee of over 100 members.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304190916/http://www.usasciencefestival.org/component/content/article/35/127-honorary-congressional-host-committee|archive-date=2016-03-04|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org/component/content/article/35/127-honorary-congressional-host-committee|title=USA Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2016-03-23}}</ref> House Resolution 1660<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCgXDKlfljk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/qCgXDKlfljk |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title= CSPAN coverage of HR 1660|website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2011-02-13}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and Senate Resolution 656<ref>{{cite web |title=USA Science & Engineering Festival Receives Bi-Partisan Legislators Seal of Approval |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100930006669/en/USA-Science-Engineering-Festival-Receives-Bi-Partisan-Legislators-Seal-of-Approval |website=Business Wire |access-date=8 December 2020 |date=30 September 2010}}</ref> were unanimously approved in support of the goals of the USA Science & Engineering Festival.

The [[White House]] scheduled its inaugural science fair to coincide with the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival. [[Barack Obama|President Obama]] referenced the importance of this Festival in his keynote address at the White House Science Fair.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/photos-and-video/video/2010/10/18/white-house-science-fair|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|title=White House Science Fair|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|access-date=2011-02-13}}</ref>

[[Barack Obama|President Obama]] created a dedicated public service announcement inviting the general public to the USA Science & Engineering Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDxTw1sUKvk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/PDxTw1sUKvk |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title= President Obama's invitation to the USA Science and Engineering Fair|website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2011-02-13}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Over 50 major government officials attended or participated directly in the USA Science and Engineering Festival including: Chief Science Advisor [[John Holdren]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/10/25/celebrating-science-engineering-national-mall|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|title= White House Website |date=25 October 2010 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref> Secretary of Transportation [[Ray LaHood]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://fyi.uiowa.edu/11/04/engineering-festival/|title= The University of Iowa FYI|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref> Head of R&D for Department of Defense [[Zachary Lemnios]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/10/26/47186-army-engages-americas-youth-at-science-engineering-expo-on-national-mall/|title= www.Army.Mil|date= 26 October 2010|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref> Head of R&D for [[Office of Naval Research]] Michael Kassner talks about ONR's involvement with the USA Science and Engineering Festival,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.onr.navy.mil/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2010/Facebook-Live-Event-ONR/Tech-Talk-Michael-Kassner.aspx|title= Tech Talk on ONR|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref> Head of R&D for the [[National Park Service]] Gary Machlis was involved with the festival's Nifty Fifty program,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-bock/learning-2-think-like-a-c_b_720585.html/|title= Learning 2 Think Like a Child Again|access-date=2011-02-21 | work=Huffington Post|first=Larry|last=Bock|date=2010-09-21}}</ref> Head of R&D for EPA [[Paul Anastas]] was involved with both the Nifty Fifty program and the kick off of the festival,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.epa.gov/research/sciencefestival/|title= EPA.gov|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref> William Brinkman of the Department of Energy<ref>{{cite web|url= http://blog.energy.gov/category/behalf/dr-william-brinkman|title= Energy Blog|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref> and NIH Director [[Francis Collins]] was a Nifty Fifty speaker as well as he performed his own songs at the festival's expo.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nih.gov/news/health/oct2010/od-22.htm|title= NIH makes a splash at USA Science and Engineering Festival|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref>

====Science celebrities' support for the festival====

Many science celebrities participated in the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival, including [[Bill Nye]] the Science Guy;<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00002701/|title= USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref> [[Jamie Hyneman]], [[Adam Savage]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.lifetechnologies.com/news-gallery/news-and-views/blogs/USA-Science-Festival.html|title= Supporting Science with the First National U.S. Science Festival|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref> and [[Kari Byron]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/photogalleries/kari-byron/usa-science-engineering-festival-expo.html|title= Kari Byron at the USA Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref> from the television show [[Mythbusters]]; [[Sid the Science Kid]];<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.usasciencefestival.org.in/gallery|title= Sid the Science Kid at the USA Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref> cast members of [[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]];<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/25/AR2010102502482.html|title= Festival on the Mall challenges young and old to think scientifically|access-date=2011-02-21 | newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Leslie|last=Tamura|date=2010-10-25}}</ref> and [[Ernő Rubik]].<ref>{{cite press release|url= http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100413006468/en/USA-Science-Engineering-Festival-Announces-Rubik%E2%80%99s-Cube|title= USA Science & Engineering Festival Announces Rubik's Cube Tournament - Winners Meet Professor Erno Rubik|access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref>

=== 2012 Festival ===
The 2012 USA Science & Engineering Festival was at the [[Walter E. Washington Convention Center]] on April 28–29, 2012, and Sneak Peek Friday was April 27, 2012. The 2nd USA Science & Engineering Festival hosted programs leading up to the festival, including Nifty Fifty, Lunch with a Laureate, Satellite Events, Sneak Peek Friday and more.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501041222/http://www.usasciencefestival.org/|archive-date=2012-05-01|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org/|title=Celebrate Science at the 2nd USA Science and Engineering Festival|work=USA Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2016-03-23}}</ref>

==== Attendees of the 2012 Festival ====
Including attendees, exhibitors, volunteers and staff over 200,000 people actively participating in this momentous Festival celebration over the three-day period. The [[Walter E. Washington Convention Center|DC Convention Center]] has reported that the 2nd USA Science & Engineering Festival is the second most attended event in the history of the Center! Sneak Peek Friday more than doubled in size based on the number of students who had pre-registered, and included nearly 28,000 students, teachers, military families, government officials and press.

The festival was attended by key White House officials such as [[Valerie Jarrett]], Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement; [[Barack Obama|President Obama's]] daughters, [[Family of Barack Obama|Sasha and Malia]], attended a Nifty Fifty presentation; senior leaders from other countries attended, including Prince Mohammed from Saudi Arabia.

==== Science celebrities ====
Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, of [[Discovery Channel]]'s ''[[MythBusters]]'' performed at the 2012 Festival. Science celebrities included Bill Nye the Science Guy, [[Mayim Bialik]], [[Apollo Robbins]], Sid the Science Kid, [[Samantha Yammine]], cast members of NCIS Los Angeles, U.S. Olympic Speed Skaters and more. [[Elon Musk]], [[Richard Garriott]] and [[George T. Whitesides]] were on hand to host a panel discussion.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nifty Fifty – Bring a Top Scientist to your Middle or High School|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org/schoolprograms/niftyfifty/482-mr-george-t.html|access-date=27 November 2014}}</ref> Other celebrities included NASA astronauts, authors, scientists and engineers.

=== 2014 Festival ===
The 3rd USA Science & Engineering Festival featured nationwide contests and school programs during the 2013/2014 school year, including the popular "Nifty Fifty" science speaker program. The festival culminated in a two-day Grand Finale Expo on April 26–27, 2014, with Sneak Peek Friday on April 25, and the U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference on April 23–25.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310171341/http://www.usasciencefestival.org/check-out-past-festivals/2014-festival.html|archive-date=2016-03-10|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org/check-out-past-festivals/2014-festival.html|title=2014 Festival|work=USA Science & Engineering Festival: Expo: April 26 & 27, 2014|publisher=U.S. Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2016-03-23}}</ref> The third festival featured the first X-STEM Symposium. The new X-STEM Symposium- presented by Northrop Grumman Foundation - an Extreme STEM Symposium was conducted for middle and high school students on April 24. The second X-STEM Symposium was held as a stand-alone event in April 2015 and continues on an annual basis. X-STEM features interactive presentations aimed to inspire kids to pursue careers in [[Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics|STEM]]. X-STEM is open to students in [[Secondary school|grades 6-12]]. The Festival organizers are seeking to make X-STEM a national program with events across the country.

==== Attendees of the 2014 Festival====
[[File:Usa science and engineering festival (14042194296).jpg|thumb|A presenter demonstrating at an exhibit.]]
The festival, like in previous years, took place at the [[Walter E. Washington Convention Center]]. Based on estimated numbers from the Convention Center, more than 325,000 people attended over the 4 days (X-STEM and Sneak Peek Friday included). Exhibitors stated that roughly 11,000 visitors stopped by their booth over the course of the three-day Expo. Attendees from all 50 states in the U.S. and international attendees from over 20 different countries visited the festival. Sneak Peek Friday included 40,000+ students, teachers, military families, government officials and press – a 30% increase from 2012. Sneak Peek Friday attendees included students from 38 states – and three countries. More than 4,000 students and teachers from area and underserved schools, homeschoolers, and military families attended the inaugural X-STEM Symposium.

=== 2016 Festival ===
The 4th USA Science & Engineering Festival culminated in a two–day Grand Finale Expo on April 16–17, 2016 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Over 1,000 leading STEM organizations presented hands-on science and engineering activities. Sneak Peek Friday took place on April 15, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312035113/http://www.usasciencefestival.org/2016-festival.html|archive-date=2016-03-12|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org/2016-festival.html|title=2016 Festival|work=USA Science & Engineering Festival: Expo: April 16 & 17m 2016|publisher=U.S. Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2016-03-23}}</ref>
The X-STEM Symposium was held as a stand-alone event on April 14, 2016, and featured presentations and workshops by leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310135248/http://www.usasciencefestival.org/schoolprograms/x-stem-extreme-stem-symposium/x-stem-symposium-agenda.html|archive-date=2016-03-10|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org/schoolprograms/x-stem-extreme-stem-symposium/x-stem-symposium-agenda.html|title=X-STEM: April 14, 2016 / Walter Washington Convention Center|work=USA Science & Engineering Festival|access-date=2016-03-23}}</ref>

== Partners ==
Partners of the festival included the [[National Academy of Engineering]], [[National Academy of Sciences]], [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] (AAAS), [[American Physical Society]], [[American Chemical Society]], [[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers]] (IEEE), [[Association for Women in Science]], [[Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers]], [[National Society of Black Engineers]], [[Harvard University]], [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], [[Princeton University]], [[Georgetown University]], [[University of California, San Diego]], [[University of California, Berkeley]], [[Johns Hopkins University]], [[United States Naval Academy]], [[Duke University]], [[University of Maryland]], [[J. Craig Venter Institute]], [[Carnegie Institution for Science]], [[National Institutes of Health]] (NIH), [[National Science Foundation]] (NSF), [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration]] (NASA), [[Office of Naval Research]], [[U.S. Department of Energy]], [[Air Force Research Laboratory]], [[Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory]], [[Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory]] (Fermilab), [[Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory]], [[Lockheed Martin]], [[Agilent Technologies]], [[Google]], [[Baxter International]], [[ResMed]], [[Hitachi]], [[Smithsonian Institution]], [[American Museum of Natural History]], [[United States Botanic Garden]], [[Marian Koshland Science Museum]], [[For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology]] (FIRST), [[Girls, Inc.]], [[Girl Scouts of the USA|Girl Scouts of the United States of America]] and [[Boy Scouts of America]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Partners|url=http://www.usasciencefestival.org/about/partners|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230074100/http://www.usasciencefestival.org/about/partners|archive-date=2010-12-30|access-date=2016-03-23|work=About|publisher=USA Science & Engineering Festival}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|United States}}
*[[List of festivals in the United States]]

==References==
{{reflist|35em}}

[[Category:Festivals in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Lockheed Martin]]
[[Category:Science festivals]]
[[Category:Science festivals]]
[[Category:Science events in the United States]]
[[Category:Biennial events]]
[[Category:2010 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Recurring events established in 2010]]

Latest revision as of 02:34, 27 April 2024

USA Science & Engineering Festival
StatusActive
GenreScience festival
FrequencyBi-annual
Location(s)Washington, D.C.
CountryUnited States
Years active13
InauguratedOctober 10, 2010
FounderLarry Bock and Ray O. Johnson
Previous event2018
Next event2022
Attendance365,000+
SponsorsLockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Foundation, MedImmune
Websitewww.usasciencefestival.org

The USA Science & Engineering Festival is a bi-annual science festival held in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2010 by Larry Bock, the festival is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in the United States. The inaugural event was held on October 10–24, 2010, the second festival was April 27–29, 2012, the third festival was April 24–27, 2014, the fourth festival was April 16–17, 2016, and the fifth festival was April 7–8, 2018.

Past festivals

[edit]

2010 Festival

[edit]

The 2010 festival lasted for two weeks and culminated with an October 23–24 Expo on the National Mall. The Expo featured interactive hands-on science activities presented by over 550 U.S. science and engineering organizations.[1] 125 universities/research institutes, 125 professional science societies, 50 government agencies, 30 high tech and life science companies and 150 informal science outreach organizations participated in the festival.

Nifty Fifty

[edit]

The Nifty Fifty program was a group of fifty nominated professionals in various areas of science and engineering who interacted and spoke about their work and careers to middle and high school students across Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2010. Speakers' backgrounds were varied and spanned chemistry, biotechnology, engineering, math, computer science, medicine, green technology, nanotechnology, business, physics, astronomy, and energy.[2]

Lunch With a Laureate

[edit]

The "Lunch with a Laureate" program was focused on a small group of middle and high school students across the greater Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland areas. The purpose of the program was to engage students in informal conversations with a Nobel Prize–winning scientist over a brown-bag lunch. The twelve laureates that participated in this program were Leon M. Lederman, John C. Mather, William Daniel Phillips, Robert H. Grubbs, Alan J. Heeger, Dudley R. Herschbach, Phillip A. Sharp, Kary B. Mullis, Kurt Wuthrich, Douglas D. Osheroff, Baruch Samuel Blumberg and Sir Harry Kroto.[3]

Expo

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The two-week festival ended with a two-day expo on the National Mall that featured over 500 U.S. science organizations. The list of exhibitors included universities, colleges, high school science clubs, student organizations, research institutes, informal science outreach organizations, community organizations, professional science & engineering societies, life science and high tech companies, and other types of science organizations.[4][5] About 500,000 people reportedly attended the event.[6]

The second expo took place in Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on April 27–29, 2012.[1] The third expo took place in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on April 26–27, 2014.[7]

Satellite festivals

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Satellite festivals were being planned in 2010 at a number of locations throughout the United States, including: Arizona: Tucson; California: Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Ana; Florida: Gainesville, Jacksonville, Ruskin, West Palm Beach; Idaho: Pocatello; Illinois: Chicago, DeKalb; Maryland: Middle River, Rockville; New Jersey: Clifton; New York: New York City, Rochester; North Carolina: Chapel Hill (North Carolina Science Festival); Ohio: Cleveland, Columbus; Texas: Austin, Dallas, San Antonio; Virginia: Fairfax, Falls Church, Hampton, Reston; Washington: Vancouver (Pacific Northwest Science & Engineering Festival).[8] Michigan Tech's Mind Trekkers is also a traveling component of the USA Science & Engineering Festival.[9]

Government support

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The festival had a bipartisan Honorary Congressional Host Committee of over 100 members.[10] House Resolution 1660[11] and Senate Resolution 656[12] were unanimously approved in support of the goals of the USA Science & Engineering Festival.

The White House scheduled its inaugural science fair to coincide with the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival. President Obama referenced the importance of this Festival in his keynote address at the White House Science Fair.[13]

President Obama created a dedicated public service announcement inviting the general public to the USA Science & Engineering Festival.[14]

Over 50 major government officials attended or participated directly in the USA Science and Engineering Festival including: Chief Science Advisor John Holdren,[15] Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood,[16] Head of R&D for Department of Defense Zachary Lemnios,[17] Head of R&D for Office of Naval Research Michael Kassner talks about ONR's involvement with the USA Science and Engineering Festival,[18] Head of R&D for the National Park Service Gary Machlis was involved with the festival's Nifty Fifty program,[19] Head of R&D for EPA Paul Anastas was involved with both the Nifty Fifty program and the kick off of the festival,[20] William Brinkman of the Department of Energy[21] and NIH Director Francis Collins was a Nifty Fifty speaker as well as he performed his own songs at the festival's expo.[22]

Science celebrities' support for the festival

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Many science celebrities participated in the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival, including Bill Nye the Science Guy;[23] Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage,[24] and Kari Byron[25] from the television show Mythbusters; Sid the Science Kid;[26] cast members of NCIS;[27] and Ernő Rubik.[28]

2012 Festival

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The 2012 USA Science & Engineering Festival was at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on April 28–29, 2012, and Sneak Peek Friday was April 27, 2012. The 2nd USA Science & Engineering Festival hosted programs leading up to the festival, including Nifty Fifty, Lunch with a Laureate, Satellite Events, Sneak Peek Friday and more.[29]

Attendees of the 2012 Festival

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Including attendees, exhibitors, volunteers and staff over 200,000 people actively participating in this momentous Festival celebration over the three-day period. The DC Convention Center has reported that the 2nd USA Science & Engineering Festival is the second most attended event in the history of the Center! Sneak Peek Friday more than doubled in size based on the number of students who had pre-registered, and included nearly 28,000 students, teachers, military families, government officials and press.

The festival was attended by key White House officials such as Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement; President Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia, attended a Nifty Fifty presentation; senior leaders from other countries attended, including Prince Mohammed from Saudi Arabia.

Science celebrities

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Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, of Discovery Channel's MythBusters performed at the 2012 Festival. Science celebrities included Bill Nye the Science Guy, Mayim Bialik, Apollo Robbins, Sid the Science Kid, Samantha Yammine, cast members of NCIS Los Angeles, U.S. Olympic Speed Skaters and more. Elon Musk, Richard Garriott and George T. Whitesides were on hand to host a panel discussion.[30] Other celebrities included NASA astronauts, authors, scientists and engineers.

2014 Festival

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The 3rd USA Science & Engineering Festival featured nationwide contests and school programs during the 2013/2014 school year, including the popular "Nifty Fifty" science speaker program. The festival culminated in a two-day Grand Finale Expo on April 26–27, 2014, with Sneak Peek Friday on April 25, and the U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference on April 23–25.[31] The third festival featured the first X-STEM Symposium. The new X-STEM Symposium- presented by Northrop Grumman Foundation - an Extreme STEM Symposium was conducted for middle and high school students on April 24. The second X-STEM Symposium was held as a stand-alone event in April 2015 and continues on an annual basis. X-STEM features interactive presentations aimed to inspire kids to pursue careers in STEM. X-STEM is open to students in grades 6-12. The Festival organizers are seeking to make X-STEM a national program with events across the country.

Attendees of the 2014 Festival

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A presenter demonstrating at an exhibit.

The festival, like in previous years, took place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Based on estimated numbers from the Convention Center, more than 325,000 people attended over the 4 days (X-STEM and Sneak Peek Friday included). Exhibitors stated that roughly 11,000 visitors stopped by their booth over the course of the three-day Expo. Attendees from all 50 states in the U.S. and international attendees from over 20 different countries visited the festival. Sneak Peek Friday included 40,000+ students, teachers, military families, government officials and press – a 30% increase from 2012. Sneak Peek Friday attendees included students from 38 states – and three countries. More than 4,000 students and teachers from area and underserved schools, homeschoolers, and military families attended the inaugural X-STEM Symposium.

2016 Festival

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The 4th USA Science & Engineering Festival culminated in a two–day Grand Finale Expo on April 16–17, 2016 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Over 1,000 leading STEM organizations presented hands-on science and engineering activities. Sneak Peek Friday took place on April 15, 2016.[32] The X-STEM Symposium was held as a stand-alone event on April 14, 2016, and featured presentations and workshops by leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.[33]

Partners

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Partners of the festival included the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Physical Society, American Chemical Society, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Association for Women in Science, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Georgetown University, University of California, San Diego, University of California, Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University, United States Naval Academy, Duke University, University of Maryland, J. Craig Venter Institute, Carnegie Institution for Science, National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Office of Naval Research, U.S. Department of Energy, Air Force Research Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, Agilent Technologies, Google, Baxter International, ResMed, Hitachi, Smithsonian Institution, American Museum of Natural History, United States Botanic Garden, Marian Koshland Science Museum, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), Girls, Inc., Girl Scouts of the United States of America and Boy Scouts of America.[34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "USA Science & Engineering Festival". Archived from the original on 2010-10-16. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  2. ^ "The Nifty Fifty". USA Science & Engineering Festival. Archived from the original on 2010-06-19. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  3. ^ "Lunch with a Laureate". USA Science & Engineering Festival. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  4. ^ "Grand Finale Expo- October 23 & 24, 2010, 10am-5:30pm, Washington DC". Science & Engineering Festival. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  5. ^ "Apply Now to Host an Exhibit or Perform: Expo Dates: October 23 & 24, 2010". USA Science & Engineering Festival. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  6. ^ Tamura, Leslie (2010-10-25). "Festival on the Mall challenges young and old to think scientifically". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2016-03-23. More than 1,500 free, interactive exhibits drew about 500,000 people to downtown Washington this weekend to learn about science, technology, engineering and math.
  7. ^ "USA Science and Engineering Festival: About". Archived from the original on 2013-01-27. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
  8. ^ "Satellite Events Directory". US Science & Engineering Festival. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  9. ^ "USA Science & Engineering Festival - Powered by Michigan Tech Mind Trekkers". www.usasciencefestival.org. USA Science & Engineering Festival.
  10. ^ "USA Science & Engineering Festival". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  11. ^ "CSPAN coverage of HR 1660". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  12. ^ "USA Science & Engineering Festival Receives Bi-Partisan Legislators Seal of Approval". Business Wire. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  13. ^ "White House Science Fair". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2011-02-13 – via National Archives.
  14. ^ "President Obama's invitation to the USA Science and Engineering Fair". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  15. ^ "White House Website". whitehouse.gov. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-21 – via National Archives.
  16. ^ "The University of Iowa FYI". Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  17. ^ "www.Army.Mil". 26 October 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  18. ^ "Tech Talk on ONR". Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  19. ^ Bock, Larry (2010-09-21). "Learning 2 Think Like a Child Again". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  20. ^ "EPA.gov". Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  21. ^ "Energy Blog". Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  22. ^ "NIH makes a splash at USA Science and Engineering Festival". Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  23. ^ "USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C". Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  24. ^ "Supporting Science with the First National U.S. Science Festival". Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  25. ^ "Kari Byron at the USA Science & Engineering Festival". Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  26. ^ "Sid the Science Kid at the USA Science & Engineering Festival". Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  27. ^ Tamura, Leslie (2010-10-25). "Festival on the Mall challenges young and old to think scientifically". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  28. ^ "USA Science & Engineering Festival Announces Rubik's Cube Tournament - Winners Meet Professor Erno Rubik" (Press release). Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  29. ^ "Celebrate Science at the 2nd USA Science and Engineering Festival". USA Science & Engineering Festival. Archived from the original on 2012-05-01. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  30. ^ "Nifty Fifty – Bring a Top Scientist to your Middle or High School". Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  31. ^ "2014 Festival". USA Science & Engineering Festival: Expo: April 26 & 27, 2014. U.S. Science & Engineering Festival. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  32. ^ "2016 Festival". USA Science & Engineering Festival: Expo: April 16 & 17m 2016. U.S. Science & Engineering Festival. Archived from the original on 2016-03-12. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  33. ^ "X-STEM: April 14, 2016 / Walter Washington Convention Center". USA Science & Engineering Festival. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
  34. ^ "Partners". About. USA Science & Engineering Festival. Archived from the original on 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
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