Science Festivals

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STEM + Families


Explore STEM Through Interactive Family Experiences at a Science Festival

This program is designed for elementary and middle school students and their parents and caregivers.

National PTA’s STEM + Families initiative provides fun, hands-on experiences that allow parents and caregivers to learn alongside elementary and middle school students. Our programs reinforce the value of family support for education while introducing new ideas, important skills and career possibilities related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The STEM + Families Science Festival program, sponsored by Bayer Fund, aims to:

  • Empower PTAs with information on hosting hands-on science experiments that bring students and families together

  • Provide families with ready-to-go activity facilitator and family guides

  • Help all kids experience and explore activities and careers in STEM

PTA’s vision is for all students to have the family and community support they need to access and pursue opportunities and careers in the STEM fields.

Bayer Fund


Host a STEM + Families Science Festival Program

 

We encourage local PTAs to host a STEM + Families Science Festival Program to promote opportunities for families to participate in interactive, hands-on science activities and to inspire kids and families to pursue careers in STEM!   

STEM + Families Science Festival Program Toolkit

 

Bring together students and families to participate in shared, hands-on science experiments and to promote career opportunities in STEM fields such as Biology, Chemistry, and Materials Science! This toolkit includes helpful step-by-step instructions and sample templates that you can use to make planning an In-Person Science Festival easy.

Potential program costs: Experiment materials, inclusive promotional materials, refreshments, gift certificates.

You can also download this Hosting a STEM + Families Science Festival From Start to Finish Guide, which includes the same information as the toolkit all in one document.


STEP 1: Plan Your Event 

Form a planning committee by inviting parents and teachers of STEM subjects to join. Recruit at least 10-15 volunteers to help during the Science Festival. This can include community volunteers and/or STEM partners and professionals that are invited to participate. Organize your tasks, create a budget and schedule deadlines. Reach out to local partners to gain donations.

General Planning

Getting Volunteers

Hosting events like this is also a great way to recruit new PTA members! Consider having recruitment flyers like this one at your event.

Experiments and Materials
Use the interactive Materials Planning List (en español) to select the experiments you'd like to include at your Science Festival, and create a custom materials list. Then, use the Experiment Guides below to help your volunteers facilitate each experiment. Provide the Family Guides below to adults, parents, and caregivers to use at each experiment stations.

    Biology Experiments

    Are You an Acid or a Base? 
     Experiment Guide |  Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Busy as a Bee 
    Experiment Guide   | Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Catching a Bird 
    Experiment Guide |  Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    It’s All in the Taste Buds
     Experiment Guide | Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Journey Through the Bloodstream
     Experiment Guide | Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Nails for Breakfast 
     Experiment Guide |  Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Chemistry Experiments

    Alka-Rockets
     Experiment Guide |  Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Cool Colors
     Experiment Guide | Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Dancing Raisins
     Experiment Guide |  Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    It's Chemical
    Experiment Guide | Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Martian Jelly
    Experiment Guide | Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

     

    Materials Science Experiments

    Balloon Skewers
    Experiment Guide |  Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Bubbling Lava Lamp
     Experiment Guide |  Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Ice Cream Chemistry
     Experiment Guide |  Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Sticky Icky Slime
     Experiment Guide |  Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    Strange Acting Goop
     Experiment Guide | Family Guide
    Guía de experimentos | Guía familiar

    STEP 2: Promote Your Event

    Utilize as many platforms as possible for promoting your event. Translate documents into languages your school community speaks.

    STEP 3: Host Your Event

    Ensure that everything goes smoothly at your Science Festival! Offer take-aways to parents who attend to help them retain and build on what they learned.

    STEP 4: Celebrating Impact

    Be sure to thank your PTA, school staff, community partners and parent volunteers. Gather feedback, report your results to National PTA and use the findings to plan your next event. National PTA recommends offering an incentive for completing the survey (e.g., enter names into a drawing for a $50 gift card donated by a local merchant).

    Share your program successes with @NationalPTA and your entire school community. Tag us with hashtag #HowWePTA and find example success stories at PTA.org/HowWePTA.

    Invite your school community to provide feedback about the program at PTA.org/Survey.



     


    At-Home STEM + Families Science Festival Resources

     

    Feel free to utilize these resources if you are facilitating an at-home or hybrid Science Festival.



    Potential program costs: Experiment materials (if distributing to families), inclusive promotional materials, gift certificates, virtual platform.



     


    Science Festivals Survey

    Share with National PTA

    Invite your school community to provide feedback about the program at PTA.org/Survey. If you are providing printed, paper copies of this survey, please mail completed surveys to National PTA Programs at 1250 N. Pitt Street, Alexandria VA 22314 or scan and provide a shared link or attachment to Programs@PTA.org.

    TAKE SURVEY



     




     


    How We PTA: See PTAs in Action


    PTA is no longer a noun. It’s a verb—an action plan working to support your child’s success.

    Browse these quotes from PTAs that have implemented this program and find their inspirational full stories on our How We PTA page.

     

    How We PTA

    STEM_Civano_IG Pic STEM_Civano_IG Quote STEM_Penn Hills Charter School PTA_IG Pic STEM_Penn Hills Charter School PTA_IG Quote STEM_Ruby Bridges Elem PTA_IG Pic STEM_Ruby Bridges Elem PTA_IG Quote STEM_Visitacion Valley Elementary PTA_IG Pic STEM_Visitacion Valley Elementary PTA_IG Quote


     


    Learn More About Making Science Make Sense®

    Making Science Make Sense® is Bayer’s STEM-education initiative focused on science literacy.

    • Bayer is dedicated to changing the way science is taught and learned both in and out of the classroom.

    • At Bayer, it's about making science more accessible and less intimidating—to kids and adults.

    • Through its Making Science Make Sense® initiative, Bayer has been working directly with schools, teachers and students to expand access to science education for over 20 years.

    • Bayer is a proud Founding Sponsor of National PTA’s STEM + Families initiative.

    We encourage you to explore the Making Science Make Sense® website.

    Make sure to check out the experiment cards and videos in the Science Library!

    Making Science Make Sense



    Science Studio by Bayer


    Do you own an Amazon Echo Device (better known as Alexa)? Check out the Alexa Science Studio by Bayer that provides step-by-step instructions for the Making Science Make Sense® experiments.



     


    Questions?

    Email Programs@PTA.org or call (800) 307-4782.

    National PTA does not endorse any commercial entity, product or service. No endorsement of Bayer is implied.



    Sponsor

    Bayer Fund