USA Science & Engineering Festival
Dear Festival Supporters,
Happy New Year from all of us at the USA Science & Engineering Festival!
As we prepare to embark upon another year in our mission to inspire the next generation of innovators and participants in science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM), I want to sincerely thank our Festival sponsors, including our Founding and Presenting Host Lockheed Martin, in addition to the impressive array of other partners in the STEM community for their support.
Because of such wide and dedicated partnerships, 2016 promises to be another unforgettable year for the Festival, most notably in April as we launch the 4th USA Science & Engineering Festival and Finale Expo, which is already shaping up to be our most dynamic gathering ever!
Festival 2016 will feature an exciting array of interactive experiences, including nationwide contests, and the return of our wildly popular school programs (such as the "Nifty Fifty'' science speaker initiative, and the X-STEM Symposium). The Festival culminates in a Grand Finale Expo on April 16-17, 2016 in Washington, D.C., with Sneak Peek Friday kicking off that weekend on April 15. More than 350K+ attendees will celebrate science at the Expo, where students and others will be inspired by over 1,000 world-class exhibits, engage in hands-on activities with some of the biggest names in STEM, receive career advice at the STEM Career Pavilion, and rock out to science during our incredible stage show performances!
More importantly, the Festival & Expo stands to play a key role in addressing America's troubling downtrend in student participation in STEM academic and career pursuits. Through Festival activities, young students, as well as the public, interact with STEM visionaries and role models, learning in the process that STEM is not only cool, hip and exciting, but also that these fields are on the cutting edge of developing some of the most fascinating innovations in technology -- ranging from life-saving improvements in medicine and biotechnology to groundbreaking innovations to help save our environment and explore the cosmos. In short, kids need to know that they can help change the world through STEM.
Moreover, the demand and future growth of STEM jobs has never been higher, which again demonstrates the need for educating more kids on employment opportunities available in the science and technology sectors and how these fields stand to keep America globally competitive. For example, over the past decade, STEM jobs in the U.S. are estimated to have grown at a rate three times faster than non-STEM jobs, according to government statistics, and that momentum will continue over the next decade.
I encourage you to pass this information about the Festival & Expo on to students and others who may benefit. Once again, we wish you all the best this year and thank you for your assistance and partnership in inspiring and motivating tomorrow's STEM leaders!
Looking forward to seeing you in D.C. at the Festival Expo 2016,
Marc Schulman
Executive Director