Community Engagement via the Sam Mulrooney WSF Statewide Coordination Committee

Who are we? Joint group of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the Morgridge Institute for Research. The Science Festival is a joint production of WARF, MIRand the University of Wisconsin--Madison. Year-round, we operate an events and science outreach program focused on the Madison area. Each Fall, we organize the Festival, which has a statewide focus on all of Wisconsin.

Festival Leadership

Why are we here today? Raise awareness about the Festival generally. To get feedback on what we can do to make participation attractive for your institutions.

The Wisconsin Science Festival A statewide celebration of science and curiosity. This year is the 6th year of the Festival. Thursday, October 20th through Sunday, October 23rd, 2016.

Festival Goals To cultivate curiosity and communicate the power of knowledge and creativity to inform our worldview. To promote Wisconsin innovation in science, technology, engineering, math, and the arts.

A few numbers In 2015: ●37,000 people visited a Festival event ●285 events were held ●89 venues hosted events ●36 communities participated

What kinds of events are hosted? ●Science Expo events - multiple tabletop activities. ●Science Story Jams - unique presentation formats ●Nerd Nites - adult oriented, whimsical science nights ●Teacher Workshops - Helping teachers bring content to schools. ●Field Trips - Informal science experiences for classes ●Foodie Events - The science behind what we eat and drink ●Nature walks and Stargazing - Taking hands-on science outside ●Art Exhibits - Exploring the confluence of art and science ●Theme nights - This year, we are hosting a Science Arcade Night ●Lectures/Panels - Dialog between scientists and the community ●The limit is your creativity! Events are aimed at kids, parents, students, and adults young and old.

“Collaboration with [the Wisconsin Science Festival] allows us to fulfill our mission...and being part of a larger whole introduces [us] to community members who may not be regular library users.” - Jenny Wegener, Pewaukee Public Library “I absolutely LOVED the teacher workshops! Very engaging, with presenters who were obviously interested in sharing their knowledge and resources with teachers.” - A 2014 workshop participant “We believe this program is a way to inspire and motivate the next generation of scientists, programmers, engineers, and artists. There is nothing quite like seeing students experience the promise of their own great potential” - Michael Shafer, division president at Thermo Fisher Scientific

How does it work? The Festival TeamParticipating Venues ●Marketing and promotion ●Venue recruitment ●Activity templates ●Communication with teachers ●Swag ●Plan your event (new or existing) ●Let us know the details by mid- summer ●Run your event ●Report your attendance We aim to create a “big tent” for four days each fall that scientists and science enthusiasts can use to highlight their work.

Volunteer Opportunities ●Why Volunteer at the Festival? ●Help others discover science and network with other volunteers and faculty/staff ●Who can volunteer? ●Community groups, corporations, students…anyone passionate about learning! ●What do volunteers do? ●Welcome groups, assist at an activity, answer questions, evaluation, and more! ●Still available shifts this year! "I helped a very smart young girl at my station and her father was very supportive. He had all three of the female volunteers at our station tell his daughter about our majors. Then he told her she could grow up to be a female scientist just like us!" — A 2014 Wisconsin Science Festival volunteer

Questions for you: How can we grow participation by institutions throughout the state? How can we find outreach groups throughout the state? How can we find venues and events to recruit? What would motivate you to host an event (or organize several events) at your institution? What people or groups at your institutions should we be reaching to cultivate Festival champions throughout the state? How can we best publicize the Festival to your communities?

Thank you! Sam Mulrooney (608) WiSciFest.org