SWEP Science Festivals

For over nine years SWEP has had an increase in interest and a demand for this programming outside the school district. SWEP has also continuously surveyed administrators and teachers to make sure what we are bringing to the school sites aligns to support school sites, teachers and administration. The goal of the Science Festival and Family Science night programs is to engage students in hands-on exploration of STEAM fields, while emphasizing the development of scientific, and engineering & design processes. Designed to look and feel like a science fair, the Science Festival introduces students to the format of a traditional science fair while also introducing them to important scientific NGSS content and language.  The "Family Science Night" program is a fun, interactive, and educational evening for families, which compliments the school-day Science Festival. These two programs are designed to increase the visibility of STEAM fields in everyday life, and increase the confidence of children and their families regarding what science is and how to engage in scientific thinking while including important environmental connections when and if possible.  In addition, SWEP has a goal to provide these enriching educational programs on-site to TTUSD schools, so there is no additional planning, preparation, set-up, clean-up, travel time or expense on the part of the administrators and teaching staff. Our success has been measured by the sheer delight and excitement from the students when we arrive to set up, by the amount of parent volunteers that contribute, also by the gratitude shown by school sites and administration as well as the desire to keep us coming back.