The North Carolina Science Festival has been providing science for all since 2010, according to their motto. This statewide program promotes STEM awareness and accessibility, featuring events on various scientific topics throughout the state. The festival has increased its reach from 63 to 84 counties this year with a public event.
One of the festival’s events, the Duke Energy Science Night program, has already reached all 100 N.C. counties. This program allows children and families to explore science through after-school programs held in schools across the state. While the festival focuses on teaching children and high schoolers about science, it also caters to adult students, scholars, and enthusiasts. Events like the SciMatch program allow grade schoolers to learn from college-level professors, scholars, and students.
Produced by the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center on UNC’s campus, the festival includes the annual UNC Science Expo. The center acts as the overarching organizer, collecting and posting all events on the festival website. The idea for the festival came from the citywide Cambridge Science Festival sponsored by MIT Museum, one of the first American takes on the European science festival model. However, the N.C. Science Festival has expanded
