Science Department
Special Events
Frontiers in Science and Medicine: Scientists Visit Ridgeview!
College and Career Fair
Free Engineering Seminars
Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge
NFTE’s World Series of Innovation
SSL Hours Letter for 6th Grade
Design an experiment tested on the International Space Center!
http://www.youtube.com/spacelab
Ms. Pennington Zero Gravity Flight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-5C5g5iID0
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Countdown to the Festival:
Just 5 DAYS Until the Largest Celebration of Science & Engineering!!
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Saturday, April 28, 10am-6pm
Sunday, April 29, 10am-4pm
Over 3,000 hands-on science and
More than 100 stage shows on six stages
A free event for all ages
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Start Planning your Festival Weekend!
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The Festival is Finally Here!
This coming weekend be sure to join us for the "Largest Celebration of Science & Engineering" in Washington, DC! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all up to date Festival news this week. Visit our "Plan Your Day Section"for any questions you have about Festival specifics!
Thank you for your support and we look forward to celebrating with you all weekend long!
Cool Celebrities in Science!
 Don't miss presentations by: Bill Nye the Science Guy; Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, hosts of the Discovery Channel'sMythbusters; real-life neuroscientist Mayim Bialik from the hit TV comedy The Big Bang Theory; and Jeff Lieberman, host of TV's Time Warp series.
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"Attention Policymakers" Ask U.S. Congress Representatives to Attend the Festival!
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 Ask Policymakers to Celebrate Science at the USA Science and Engineering Festival! Send a quick note to your elected officials in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives asking them and their staff/families to attend the event this weekend.
At the STEM Education Coalition website you can send a letter directly to Capitol Hill lawmakers (and even tailor the letter before you send if you want). Please click hereand take a few moments to to send a letter to your representatives in the U.S. Congress inviting them to attend the Expo!
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Check out the Festival App & Expo Program to Help Make Your Experience Incredible!
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Download your free Festival App!!
 Get connected to the Festival by downloading our new Festival App that will help you navigate our activities, stage shows, 36 Featured Authors, and the Lockheed Martin Experience! You can now have your Festival questions answered simply by using our FREE mobile app on your mobile device. Please note that we appreciate your patience with the app as we may be making some adjustments to perfect it.
Iphone users: Download here
Android users: Downloadhere
The Festival App is free of charge, courtesy of our host sponsor, Lockheed Martin. Enjoy!
The Expo Program is Here- Start Planning your Festival Weekend Today!
We are excited to share the news that the 2012 USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo Program has been released! The Festival is packed with entertainment for the whole family with 3,000 exhibits and over 100 stage shows! We are thrilled to offer extraordinary hands on activities at the exhibits plus an amazing line up of science celebrities and authors will fill our Festival stages!
We have finalized all of the presentation show dates, times and stages so that you may plan ahead to make your Festival experience that much more enjoyable. Click here to view the Festival Expo Program .
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This is the Week! VOLUNTEER for Sneak Peek Friday, EXPO, Book Fair & Special Events!
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SIGN UP to volunteer for the Expo & Book Fair Volunteer NOW! The best way to be part of the FUN is to Volunteer. We need Volunteers for Expo Move-in, Sneak Peek Friday, Expo, Book Fair, and Special Evening Events. Tell your friends and volunteer together. We have Volunteer Opportunities for Individuals (Youth & Adult) andGroups of five or more. All volunteers will get a FREE Red Volunteer T-shirt - and memories of a lifetime!
 Volunteers who bring in the most FRIENDS will win prizes! Email questions about Volunteering & your total number of volunteers toLaura.
FUN Volunteers Register HERE
Group Volunteers Register HERE
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And in Other Important Festival News...
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Come EARLY- Doors Open at 9:30 AM for Book Fair Authors!
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 Come early (at 9:30am) and grab a seat for the following Fabulous Book Fair Authors. The Book Fair Stages are in the Meeting Rooms adjacent to the Metro Entrance and near L Street.
High School Stories of Science
 Walter Lewin
Meet Youtube Sensation Physics professor known for his MIT Open Courseware Physics courses seen 6,000X day and 2 million times a year around the world. This talk promised to be a treat!
Teen Non-Fiction
Joy Hakim 
Listen to the author of the History of US that became a PBS Mini-series and has authored the Story of Science Series used in elementary to college because of the clear and accurate explanation of the history of Einstein, Newton & Aristotle.
Family Science
 Seymour Simon
Meet the author of over 250 children books and several mobile apps for students about science who is a true innovator and pioneer using technology to spread the love of science in the elementary grades.
To learn more about all of our 36 Authors, download the full schedule of Featured Author Biographies here.
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Take a Walk on the Wild Side of Weather With Festival Media Partner Weather Underground!
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If delving into the causes of such severe weather conditions as tornadoes, hurricanes and sky-piercing lightning gives you a rush of excitement, then hold on to your hat as the Weather Underground -- the first internet weather service -- brings its high-tech expertise to the Expo as a key Festival Media Partner!
Through Weather Underground's fascinating up-close demonstrations and encounters -- including interaction with its meteorologists and internet technology, plus fascinating demonstrations in weather phenomena -- you'll understand why WU is considered one of the most reliable and accurate weather information sources in the world.
"The weather is one of the most accessible ways for kids and others to get directly involved in science, simply because the weather is something that affects all of us each day," says Toby Skinner, Weather Underground's Vice President of Marketing. "Helping people to understand the weather through highly personalized online services is a big part of what we do, especially when weather becomes severe," he continues, " and we are proud to serve as educators in this capacity with the Festival Expo."
WU's mission of providing free, real-time online weather information to millions of Web users around the world has its roots with Jeff Masters, Ph.D. (WU's current Director of Meteorology), who as a doctorate student at the University of Michigan began researching the concept of a real-time telnet-based weather service.
Working with colleagues at the university to recruit other computer science students to further this idea, Masters and his cohorts soon dubbed their endeavor Weather Underground and launched it as a separate commercial enterprise in 1995, later transforming WU's website (www.wunderground) into a dynamic online weather service with a host of innovative features.
These features have further evolved into the high-tech online services that Weather Underground is currently known for -- and which Expo visitors will get a chance to learn more about with WU meteorologists -- such as:
--Technology that helped Weather Underground develop the world's largest network of personal weather stations (almost 19,000 stations in the US and over 13,000 across the rest of the world) that provides WU site users with the most localized weather conditions available.
--WU's online tornado and hurricane tracking technology, plus a service that can track weather by zip codes
-- A new Climate Change section (launched on Earth Day) that reports, in non-political fashion, on what science is learning about this phenomenon
--WunderMaptm, the web's most interactive weather map, that allows users to observe meterological patterns and changes from a number of different weather layers on the map
-- the WunderPhotos feature, the online section where WU members can upload and share photographs of weather related content.
 "Plus, don't miss the chance to experience exciting hands-on demonstrations with Weather Underground professionals," says Shannon Magill, WU's PR and Events Manager. For instance: Stand inside WU's Hurricane Machine to experience winds up to Category 1 strength (between 74 to 95 m.p.h.)! See lightning produced (and feel your hair stand on end) through the Van de Graaff electostatic generator! Witness how a tornado is formed with WU's 4.5-foot tall Tornado Machine, in addition to participating in weather-related experiments.
The Festival sincerely thanks Weather Underground and our other valued Partners and Sponsors for helping to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers!
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A Night of Celestial Excitement: Join Us April 28 at the Stargazing Party!
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Under the guidance of some of the top astronomy experts in the country, explore our amazing Universe - including up close views of the Earth's moon, Jupiter and other
mysterious planetary objects - at the Stargazing Party, an exciting educational collaboration between the Festival, the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum (NASM), telescope manufacturer Celestron and other partners, on
Saturday, April 28 at NASM in Washington, DC.
 A hit with visitors at the inaugural Festival in 2010, the Stargazing Party is returning to the Festival Expo with an equally impressive lineup of evening celestial activities which include Bill Nye the Science Guy in a live recorded broadcast by Planetary Radio with host Mat Kaplan who will inspire other young astronomers to make their own unbelievable discoveries!
In addition, don't miss presentations by such prominent astronomy educators as Drs. Jeffrey Bennett and Jeff Goldstein who will give walking tours of the celebrated Voyage Scale Solar Model System located just outside the NASM and later discuss other fascinating facets of our quest to explore the universe.
 Celestron will add hand-on excitement to this night with telescopes set up around NASM's Public Observatory to accommodate visitors' celestial viewing enjoyment.
Event Details:
April 28, 2012- 06:30 PM to 10:30 PM
Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall
- 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm: Walking Tours of the Voyage Scale Model Solar System (space is limited, sign up for one of the 3 thirty-minute tours at the museums info desk when you arrive)
- 7:30 pm: Telescopes ready for viewing around NASM's Public Observatory
- 7:45 pm: Doors open for Stargazing Party!
- 8:00 pm: Program in Moving Beyond Earth gallery, including welcome by Bill Nye the Science Guy and remarks by Celestron, and the Planetary Radio Liveprogram (Space is limited)
- 8:10 - 10:20 pm: Check out "Scale of the Universe" and "Human Exploration: the Journey Continues" in Milestones of Flight, plus "Forces of Flight" in How Things Fly, and look for hands-on Discovery Stations throughout the first floor of the Museum!
The Stargazing Party is made possible by the generous support of Celestron! For more information on this free event, CLICK HERE.
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The Epoch Times Brings its Innovative Approach to Science and Technology News Back to the Festival!
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 With its tagline of "Read the Difference," The Epoch Times is a general interest, independent newspaper with a network of reporters based throughout the globe, special competence in reporting on China, and a strong interest in science and technology.
Get ready as The Epoch Times prepares to return to theFestival as a key Media Partner, bringing its journalistic expertise and global perspective on high technology with it.
"By participating in the Festival," says Stephen Gregory, spokesperson for The Epoch Times, "we feel we are connecting with an audience that is similar to our own: people who are inquisitive, interested and active readers."
An example of the Epoch Times reporting on technology is its coverage of issues involving cyber security.
"We took the lead. We were covering cyber security when others were saying that this issue did not represent a public threat," says Gregory.
 "Our science and technology sections regularly get a lot of feedback from readers." says Gregory. "Readers have been particularly interested in our online section 'Beyond Science,' which examines phenomena science can't yet explain."
"The key to the Epoch Times journalism," says Tom Houston, CEO of the global English-language editions of The Epoch Times, "is our devotion to reporting on human rights. Because we take human rights seriously, we take the canons and standards of journalism seriously. We view journalism as a noble vocation."
"While there are alarming trends in education and fewer young people pursuing a career in science and engineering in the US," says Du Won Kang, General Manager of the Washington, DC edition, "the Festival is very much a celebration of science and engineering with hope and optimism in turning the trends around toward a more prosperous future for this country."
The Festival Expo will have information available on how students can pursue education and future jobs in science and engineering.
According to Kang, the Festival is big and complex, impossible to adequately describe in a few words. TheEpoch Times will dispatch reporters to cover various aspects of the Expo to present the big picture of the background and activities of the Festival.
 "The kids at the Festival represent the future of science and technology, and we will be interviewing them for their perspective on the Expo, in addition to talking with parents, teachers and others," says Kang. "A little more than a year ago, we witnessed firsthand the excitement and great interest some young people showed at the Festival, and this year, we expect to see more of that."
Kang welcomes people of all ages to visit the Epoch Timesbooth at the Festival to share their experience and perspectives. Coverage of the Festival will begin a few days leading up to the Festival, and will be posted onTheEpochTimes.com.
We sincerely thank the Epoch Times and our other valued Media Partners for their participation!
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Spend Saturday Evening 4/28 with Featured Authors - FREE Tickets
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Science Stories in Society in School: Using Narrative to Bridge the Gap
Register for FREE Tickets for an Evening Panel discussion with Featured Authors moderated by Shawn Lawrence Otto. Click this link for your FREE tickets.
Should the latest science research be found solely in science journals? Innovative scientists are broadening their audience through cleverly written science themed books geared at every age. Students young and old are embracing science books about medicine, physics & engineering - and are turning the channel to watch TV and movies based on these groundbreaking author/scientists work. Our Featured Authors will explore how their work is targeting misperceptions in society about science, as well as re-invigorating interest in the sciences to encourage youth to pursue careers in science & engineering.
Meet science author pioneer, Robin Cook, who helped bring a shift in the understanding of medicine through his science fiction literature starting with Coma in the 70s. Panel Moderator and contributor Shawn Lawrence Otto explores the challenges of science understanding in policy in his bookFool Me Twice.
 Featured Author Panelists also include: Wolfram Mathematica co-founder and pictorial periodic table pioneer Theodore Gray; engineer and practical pyromaniacWilliam Gurstelle; retired rocket scientist and author of October SkyHomer Hickam; award-winning history and science storyteller Joy Hakim; and physician, philanthropist and writerPendred Noyce. Please join us for lively conversation with our fascinating Featured Authors.
This one-of-a-kind event is FREE!
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 Thank You to our Palladium Sponsors
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Academy of Model Aeronautics
Aldebaran-Robotics
American Mathematical Society
Biogen Idec
Children's National Medical Center
Draper Laboratory
Dassault Systèmes Solidworks Corp.
Destination DC
FEI Company
Genentech
Macaroni Kid
M.Y. Voice
National Girls Collaborative Project
Nuts & Volts Magazine
SpaceX
SERVO Magazine
University of Massachusetts Lowell
U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics in Schools
Workman Publishing
Thank You to our Titanium Sponsors
Aerospace Corporation
AFCEA Belvoir Chapter
American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA)
American Society of Agronomy
American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society for Microbiology
Atlas Experiment at the Large Hadron Collider
Big Kid Science
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute
Cloture Club
Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Crop Science Society of America
Data.Gov
Defense Threat Reduction Agency
DeVry University
The Engineering Place, North Carolina State University
EurekAlert!
George Mason University
Georgetown University
George Washington University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Idaho State University
James Madison University
Johns Hopkins University
KidWind
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Michigan Tech Mind Trekkers
My JennyBook
National Museum of Health and Medicine
North Carolina State University
NumbersAlive!
Polytech Institute of NYU
Rice Space Institute
Rochester Institute of Technology
San Diego State University
Scott Williams Media
SMU Caruth Institute for Engineering Education
Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)
Soil Science Society of America
Sophia
Space Camp & Aviation Challenge
The Mars Society
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
The Pennsylvania State University
Thirty Meter Telescope
Tumblehome Learning, Inc
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
United States Naval Academy
U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
University of Connecticut
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Rochester
Vanderbilt University
VCU School of Engineering
Wellesley College
West Virginia University
Wind Energy Foundation
WTOP
In-Kind Sponsors:
American Elements
Wolfram
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Visit us online at
http://www.usasciencefestival.org/
Science Spark is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization responsible for creating the USA Science & Engineering Festival and several regional Festivals including the San Diego Science & Engineering Festival, Bay Area Science & Engineering Festival, Boston Science & Engineering Festival, Los Angeles Science & Engineering Festival, Chicago Science & Engineering Festival, Houston Science & Engineering Festival, Miami Science & Engineering Festival and the Philadelphia Science & Engineering Festival.
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8th Grade will be taking the MSA this year: (click for the schedule)
This page is maintained by the Ridgeview MS web team