DuPage Area STEM Expo (formerly Engineers Week)

Illinois Institute of Technology will host the 33rd Annual DuPage Area STEM Expo (formerly Engineers Week) at its Rice Campus in Wheaton, IL. Part of 2017 National Engineers Week, the STEM Expo will take place on Saturday, February 25 from 10:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

DuPage Area STEM Expo provides children and adults with the opportunity to experience a series of interactive displays, shows, and exhibits that demonstrate the fundamentals of science, technology, engineering, and math. Volunteers from professional societies, education, business, and government donate their time each year to promote an active interest in learning and to show the intriguing and applicable results of numerous scientific principles.

This Expo includes everything from model airplanes, to lasers, robots, and many interactive learning opportunities and hands-on activities for kids and adults. Exhibitors include the DuPage Children’s Museum, ZOOM® Engineering and Design Squad – two popular PBS television series, as well as from a multitude professional STEM societies and businesses.

The popular Mr. Freeze of Fermilab Cryogenics Show includes a few controlled explosions, as well as items dropped into liquid nitrogen to freeze in seconds. Activities include: building a “launchable” rocket or a Nakamura Lock paper airplane and test how far it will fly; testing your own building designs under simulated earthquake conditions; hair stand straight up thanks to the forces of static electricity; play with LEGO® s and robotic demonstrations; learn Bernoulli’s principle and the forces of lift, thrust, gravity and drag and how they relate to aerodynamics. Preview Makexchange's Inventing with Electronics and Airplane Launcher on display for demonstrations; tour Rice Campus’ own Computer History Museum, put out a pretend fire while learning fire safety tips; watch safe demonstrations for radiation detection and a model fuel bundle for a nuclear reactor; and engage in many more hands-on activities. Illinois Tech students will offer activities specifically designed to engage K-12 students in engineering and technology.

All DuPage Area STEM Expo events are complimentary and open to the public. Illinois Tech’s Rice Campus is located at 201 East Loop Road, Wheaton, Ill. For more information regarding DuPage Area STEM Expo, please visit appliedtech.iit.edu/stemexpo or contact Carolyn Nivling at 312.567.5900 or cnivling@iit.edu.