NCSciFest is the first statewide celebration of its kind in the nation. Every April we celebrate a showcase of STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—with community-based events hosted by museums, science centers, colleges, universities, businesses, parks, libraries, and hundreds of K-12 schools.
I love how the NCSciFest opens new eyes to the wonderful world of STEM. Nothing better than seeing that ‘WOW’ moment on a young face as they discover something new.
Amy Watson, Imagination Station
Founded in 2010 by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, NCSciFest has welcomed more than 3 million participants of all ages since its start.
The 2022 North Carolina Science Festival felt real.
It felt alive.
It was the first honest-to-goodness NCSciFest celebration since 2019. That’s thanks to you: to our partners, to our teachers, to our scientist, to our sponsors, and to the tens of thousands of North Carolinians who participated from the mountains to the sea. It’s also thanks to the incredible real-time work of the scientists and public health professionals getting us through the pandemic.
Since its launch in 2010, the Festival has sent near-space balloons to the limits of our atmosphere. We’ve trained scientists from across cultures in best practices in public engagement. We’ve catalyzed events from story times at local libraries to major street fairs to celebrity performances. We created NC’s first traffic jam for science. We hosted NC STEM Day at the General Assembly. We honored partners at the Executive Mansion. We broke a Guinness World Record. And most importantly of all: we launched a tradition that has created thousands of friendly interactions through our love of Science that are flat-out fun.
We couldn’t stop the North Carolina Science Festival even if we wanted to. (We don’t.) It’s now woven into the fabric of our state and will continue to grow and evolve thanks to you.
We can’t wait for April 2023.
Best wishes and Science for All,
3 Million Participants Since 2010
We celebrated our 3 millionth participant at the SciTech Expo at the North Carolina Museum of Natural History. We were lucky to welcome the Eccleston Family of Apex: Latayna Eccleston (10), declared “I love science!”
25,083 Stomp Rockets Launched
From stomp rockets, to Galilean cannons, students enjoyed hands-on science right in their schools with Duke Energy Science Nights.
316 STEM Professionals at a Single Event
In NC, we love scientists, and scientists love the Festival. Nowhere is this more evident than at the UNC Science Expo where 316 UNC researchers and STEM professionals shared their work with more than 5,000 visitors. UNC Science Expo was supported by presenting sponsor, Gilead Sciences.
1,211+ High Fives Given By Kelvin, Our Spokesbot
Kelvin made a big impact at events throughout April. From congratulating runners at the Tar Heel 10 Miler, to visiting Duke Energy Science Nights, to welcoming our 3 millionth participant, Kelvin covered a lot of ground!
Statewide Star Party Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary
This year marked the 10th annual Statewide Star Party. Thirty-five hosts offered public skywatching events in parks, colleges and universities, planetariums, science centers, nature centers, and libraries—bringing together nearly 8,000 visitors. The Statewide Star Party was made possible thanks to the support of the North Carolina Space Grant.
Science For All
Science for All is not just a tagline. It’s our mission and our promise to the people of North Carolina. We strive to reach all 100 counties, delivering programming that serves audiences of all ages and backgrounds to ensure everyone is given a chance to explore the world of science. In 2022, our partners embraced this mission and connected Latinx/Hispanic STEM professionals to the community—sharing their research and stories in Spanish.
¡Celebremos las ciencias!
Coinciding with Durham Community Day (free admission for all Durham County residents), the Museum of Life and Science showcased local Latinx scientists and engineers to facilitate bilingual science activities and experiments. As their 4th annual event, the Museum of Life and Science now proactively develops materials, signage, and programming designed for Spanish-speaking audiences, year-round.
STEMVille Spectacular
For its program reboot, the 2022 STEMVille Spectacular brought together a special and unique partnership withMariposas (a Chapel Hill-based community organization with the mission of facilitating a space for Latinx youth) and NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine (featuring Latinx scientists, students, and facilitators)–to create an immersive day of science career exploration and experiments. Keynote speaker, Dr. Liara Gonzalez, inspired a new generation of scientists.
Carolina Beach Star Party Hosted by Cape Fear Museum
More than 2,000 families and friends gathered at Carolina Beach State Park to watch the stars in a festival environment with food trucks and hands-on activities. Cape Fear Museum worked with UNC Wilmington's Centro Hispano Embajadores to create a welcoming event for the local Hispanic/Latinx community. By posting native Spanish speakers at each of the telescope stations and information booths and publicizing the event with Spanish-language materials, this Star Party reached new audiences.
To welcome Latinx audiences, NCSciFest developed Spanish-language advertising for TV, Radio, and Digital.
The past two years taught us that accessibility means reaching participants where they are—from classrooms to community centers to their homes. With free online programming, participants could join from anywhere and watch recorded content at any time. NCSciFest virtual programming was made possible through the generous support of Google.
UNC Universe Week
Scientists from UNC joined classrooms across the state to share their research in interactive and engaging sessions. A wide range of topics were covered, including the exploration of sound vibrations, designing safe roads, demonstrations of physics, and even a virtual star tour.
Personal Storytelling in Science: Shaping the World We Hope to See
In partnership with the Science Communicators of North Carolina and Story Collider, the Festival was proud to host Dr. Edith Gonzalez, (Assistant Professor of archaeology at University @ Buffalo–SUNY) as she led a powerful session on how scientists of historically marginalized identities can share their personal stories to inspire and encourage future generations.
National Math Festival
The 2022 National Math Festival brought together mathematicians from across the U.S. to inspire and challenge all ages to see math in new and unexpected ways. Participants celebrated with games, puzzles, uplifting and intriguing talks, book readings, and interactive activities. The event was produced by Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in cooperation with the Institute for Advanced Study and the National Museum of Mathematics, and North Carolina Central University.
Connecting the Community
MiniGrants Make a Big Impact in Local Communities
Thirty one partners across the state received support to produce events via the UNC System Challenge Grant Program and the Event Sponsorship Program. These funds allow institutions to extend their reach, engage with more participants, and develop creative and engaging programming to attract new visitors.
UNC System Challenge Grant—Designed to showcase science instruction and research taking place statewide at UNC System campuses, UNC System Challenge grants support community events.
NCSciFest Sponsorship—From logistics to new programming initiatives, event sponsorship comes in many forms. Libraries, museums, and community centers can apply for support to produce STEM-themed community events and resources.
SciMatch Connects Real-world Scientists to Middle School Audiences
Nearly 4,500 middle-school students experienced science first-hand from STEM professionals across NC. Scientists shared their background and research before leading hands-on activities. The program allows teachers and students to learn about cutting-edge research while also giving scientists the chance to experience a day in the life of a teacher.
Expanding Our Reach
Beyond North Carolina
Duke Energy Science Nights Expand to SC and the Midwest
Following the success of a decade of Duke Energy Science Nights here in NC, the NCSciFest team partnered with South Carolina's Coalition for Mathematics and Science to bring the program to South Carolina as part of SC STEM Education month. This partnership supported 30 schools, more than 8,000 students, school, staff, volunteers, and families. In the Midwest, Duke Energy Foundation Community Engagement Managers delivered 75 science kits to local schools.
Beyond April
The FUTURES Program, providing outreach all year long.
Our FUTURES program empowers community college faculty, staff, students, and alumni to connect with their local community through sharing their personal STEM stories. As a full-year program, our goal is to reach all 58 North Carolina community colleges by 2025. Participating schools receive NCSciFest-facilitated workshops, professional development opportunities, and resources to produce community STEM events in their area. FUTURES is made possible through the generous support of the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation.
2022 Partners
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