Celebrate at the USA Science & Engineering Festival

American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS)
1444 I (Eye) Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 628-1500
http://www.aibs.org/

For Immediate Release: 8 October 2010

For more information, visit:
http://www.usasciencefestival.org/

First USA Science & Engineering Festival to be held in Washington, D.C.

Washington, DC - The inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival, hosted by Lockheed Martin, is the country’s first national science festival and descends on the Washington, D.C. area in October 2010. Opening on 10/10/10 with a concert of amazing science songs performed by over 200 children and adults at the University of Maryland, the Festival promises to be the ultimate multi-cultural, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary celebration of science in the United States. The culmination of the Festival will be a free, two-day Expo on the National Mall and surrounding areas on October 23 and 24 that will feature over 1500 fun, hands-on science activities and over 75 stage shows and performances on four stages. In addition, several exhibitors will be hosting talks and performances in their exhibit areas. The Festival is a grassroots collaboration of over 500 of the nation’s leading science organizations. More than 550 science and engineering companies, professional associations, colleges and universities, 200 K-12 schools and other organizations are participating in two weeks of events at the Festival.

The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is a participating partner of the event. Celebrate with AIBS at the festival:

• Join AIBS at booth #526 to do a hands-on activity about the Chesapeake Food Web. (exhibit search at http://www.usasciencefestival.org/2010festival/expo/exhibits)
• Participate in the Evolution Thought Trail. (http://www.usasciencefestival.org/2010festival/expo/expo-tracks)
• Attend the COPUS (Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science) mixer at the Holiday Inn on October 23rd; contact spotter@aibs.org for more details.
• Visit the satellite events map to see what activities are connected to the festival in your area. (http://www.usasciencefestival.org/satellite-event-directory)

Over 22 senators and 64 Congressional representatives announced their support for improving U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics education (STEM) by joining the USA Science & Engineering Festival Honorary Congressional Host Committee. Members of this bi-partisan committee represent over 32 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territory of American Samoa. The goal of the USA Science & Engineering Festival and the Honorary Congressional Host Committee, is to recruit the next generation of scientists and engineers, in part by engaging K-12 students in how science intersects with their daily lives. These fields have job growth, need more Americans with the education and experience to work in them, and are vitally important to the future of our nation.