Alexandria, Virginia—Saturday, October 19, 2024, Patrick Henry Recreation Center waited for the 9th anniversary The thrilling mad science exhibit that brought together families, children and a range of organizations for a Halloween themed day of Innovation and Science. The successful event combined the spirit of Halloween with the glamorous aspects of STEAM educational program.
STEAM education is an approach to learning that focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. The goal is to combine these areas so that students can be creative and think critically to solve problems. The hope is to prepare students for a variety of careers while keeping up with rapid change.
The annual Halloween themed exhibit featured a variety of science experiments and activities and has become a popular family Halloween event over the years. According to Zohreh Khoshnamak, CEO of Chrysalis Development Groupthe 2024 event was a huge success. “Once again, the weather was on our side. Although the event was moved to a new location this year, it brought together more families who are interested in the STEAM field than in previous years,” Khoshnamak said.
The crowd included hundreds of future astronauts, scientists and engineers, along with their families at the expo day that included science, games, prizes, demonstrations and food trucks!
An exciting moment of the event was the performance of students of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra. They demonstrated the science of sound waves using innovative instruments. The students were all elementary school-aged children from John Adams, and according to Zhoshnamak, “they were amazing.” Along with the sounds of the orchestra, there was a DJ spinning tunes to keep the event lively and add to the fun of the day.
Other fun surprises included “creepy snacks and delicious smoothies” provided by the Tropical Smoothie Cafe. The Silver Diner offered a variety of different foods and showcased the “science behind cooking.”
It was an electric bus brought to the exhibition Aries that showed how technology is used to improve everyday life along with a “cool car” provided by the Air Force. An inspiring speech was given by the sheriff’s department that highlighted how science is behind everything we look at. Steve, Mixed Media Artist, Experimenter and Storyteller demonstrated the beautiful fusion of art and science.
of United States Patent and Trademark Office hosted tables at the exhibition which included a witches broom activity. “The highlight for me was seeing how excited the kids were when the witches’ broom flew as we demonstrated the potential for kinetic energy,” said USPTO librarian Spruce Fraser, who represents the Patent and Trademark Resource Center. Along with the witches’ broom activity, USPTO volunteers handed out play-doh samples and inventor trading cards.
The entire day was made possible by dozens of volunteers from various organizations.
The day wasn’t just about showcasing innovation; the event encouraged creative thinking and a fascination towards building a future. The excitement of Halloween combined with STEAM Education activities made this event rewarding and many volunteers are already thinking about what next year will bring.
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