Science Festivals and Fun: Promoting Science and Community Partnerships

Abstract

Science festivals are informal learning experiences intended to bridge the gap between science professionals and the general public via talks, discussion panels, and hands-on activities. Science festivals allow visitors to participate in events that are impactful to them for a variety of reasons such as having a personal interest in science and engineering. The majority of science festival attendees (53%) indicated that personal factors, such as prior experience and interest, were the primary motivational factors when deciding to attend events at the science festival. Attendees also indicated that space and astronomy-related events (whose activities aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards) were the most frequently attended (42%). The data suggest science festivals have the potential to impact the local community and increase scientific literacy as attendees cited environmental concerns and being more informed as a citizen about science were important. This research will inform how K-12 teachers and other educators can use science festivals to connect students to a more informal, enjoyable method of collaborative learning.