For nine days, a vast and powerful force took over the Bay Area: science. The inaugural Bay Area Science Festival, held Oct. 29 to Nov. 6, offered more than 100 fun, interactive science and technology events at local venues from San Francisco to Orinda and Santa Rosa to San Jose.
The festival, made possible by a National Science Foundation grant and private partnerships, aims to increase the public's interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Organized by UCSF's Science & Health Education Partnership program and co-sponsored by Chevron, the festival offered activities such as provocative lectures, hands-on science experiments, exhibitions, tours of cutting-edge facilities, guided hikes and neighborhood stargazing throughout the week.
The festival concluded with the Discovery Days science extravaganza at AT&T Park in San Francisco, where the Chevron Exploration Village featured activities hosted by Chevron partners such as Chabot Space & Science Center, Techbridge, the Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley, Girls Inc., Project Lead the Way and the Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT). Event participants were able to dive head first into activities such as catapult making. In addition, Chevron employees handed out thousands of science kits for attendees to take home. These activities demonstrated the importance of creative and unique science education programs, while emphasizing the role public-private partnerships play in supporting local curriculum.
"At Chevron, we believe that public-private partnerships in the area of STEM are needed to supply our local school systems with the resources to prepare today's students for jobs of the 21st century," said Matt Lonner, manager of Chevron's global partnerships and programs.
Since 2009, Chevron has invested over $10 million in STEM education in California, reaching 3,900 teachers and 245,000 students.