Program Facilitator: National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), RPI Chapter

Have you ever seen a lava lamp? They were the height of 1960s "groovy" room decorations. A few minutes after turning it on, a lava lamp has blobs of colored liquid floating towards the top of the lamp and then drifting back down. Making an actual lava lamp that you plug in would require some effort and unusual supplies, but you can create a non-electric version in just a few minutes with the help of the fizzing power of Alka-Seltzer. In this activity you can find out how to make your own Alka-Seltzer lava lamp.

Program Facilitator: RPI Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Outreach

In this activity, students will use the engineering design process of Ask/Plan, Create, Test, and Improve in order to design their dream car. They will consider the features they want in their car, as well as ask their friends or "customers" what they would change. Once they have identified these, the design of their body, and the axel, they will build their prototype and then test to make sure it works or make improvements.

Program Facilitator: RPI Engineering Ambassadors (EA)

This presentation is intended to teach students about the basics of the engineering design process and how engineers find solutions to unique problems. It focuses on toilets, talking about their history, how plumbing systems are like a maze, and, finally, how toilets can be improved in the future. The presentation will take 15 minutes, and the rest of the period will be filled with a hands-on activity. The students and parents will design a simple "robot" with a marker, pool noodle, and electric toothbrush to make the "robot" move, and they will try to get it to navigate through a simple maze. They will continuously improve the bot to complete increasingly harder mazes or create a fun abstract piece of art. We will be highlighting the Black inventor who invented the precursor to the modern toilet. It's intended for young audiences, but parents may also enjoy it.

Program Facilitator: Society of Physics Students

Members of RPI’s chapter of the Society of Physics Students will share fun physics experiments in an interactive presentation. There will be super-cold science using liquid nitrogen, electrifying experiments with the Van de Graaff generator, dramatic demonstrations using a trashcan air cannon, and more. The Physics Magic Show is perfect for anybody ready to be amazed by the mysteries of the physical world.

Program Facilitator: National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), RPI Chapter

Have you ever seen a lava lamp? They were the height of 1960s "groovy" room decorations. A few minutes after turning it on, a lava lamp has blobs of colored liquid floating towards the top of the lamp and then drifting back down. Making an actual lava lamp that you plug in would require some effort and unusual supplies, but you can create a non-electric version in just a few minutes with the help of the fizzing power of Alka-Seltzer. In this activity you can find out how to make your own Alka-Seltzer lava lamp.

Program Facilitator: Art Technically

Participants will learn to code using a simple art-based coding platform in this fun STEAM activity! After learning the JavaScript-based coding system, participants will design and code Valentine’s Day cards for seniors in Meals on Wheels programs.

Program Facilitator: RPI Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Outreach

In this activity, students will use the engineering design process of Ask/Plan, Create, Test, and Improve in order to design their dream car. They will consider the features they want in their car, as well as ask their friends or "customers" what they would change. Once they have identified these, the design of their body, and the axel, they will build their prototype and then test to make sure it works or make improvements.

Program Facilitator: Society of Physics Students

Members of RPI’s chapter of the Society of Physics Students will share fun physics experiments in an interactive presentation. There will be super-cold science using liquid nitrogen, electrifying experiments with the Van de Graaff generator, dramatic demonstrations using a trashcan air cannon, and more. The Physics Magic Show is perfect for anybody ready to be amazed by the mysteries of the physical world.

Program Facilitator: National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), RPI Chapter

Have you ever seen a lava lamp? They were the height of 1960s "groovy" room decorations. A few minutes after turning it on, a lava lamp has blobs of colored liquid floating towards the top of the lamp and then drifting back down. Making an actual lava lamp that you plug in would require some effort and unusual supplies, but you can create a non-electric version in just a few minutes with the help of the fizzing power of Alka-Seltzer. In this activity you can find out how to make your own Alka-Seltzer lava lamp.

Program Facilitator: Art Technically

Participants will learn to code using a simple art-based coding platform in this fun STEAM activity! After learning the JavaScript-based coding system, participants will design and code Valentine’s Day cards for seniors in Meals on Wheels programs.

Program Facilitator: RPI Coding&&Community (C&&C)

We will learn how to program a simple platforming game in Scratch to teach the audience the basics of programming, the basics of game design, and how they can apply math that they have already learned to create games that they enjoy!

Program Facilitator: Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA)

Students will learn about growing plants in space and space foods, taste test freeze dried food, view a grow-light demo, tour Controlled Environment Agriculture facilities at RPI’s Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA), and learn about educational opportunities with NASA.

Program Facilitator: National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) RPI

Participants will design their own cityscape diorama by drawing inspiration from various famous cities and their skylines, specifically focusing on the aspects that make up a city such as landmarks, building types, and city typologies, like dense urban downtowns and spacious suburbs. This hands-on experience will allow students to express their creativity and visions for the future of our cities, engaging in thoughtful discussions about the places we currently live in and the growth of our built environment.

Program Facilitator: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), RPI Chapter

This is an interactive workshop designed to introduce children to the exciting world of STEM through the hands-on activity of building windmills. This event will provide a fun and engaging way for kids to learn about renewable energy, engineering principles, and the science of wind power. During the event, participants will work in teams to design, build, and test their own windmills using simple materials. As they construct their models, they will explore key concepts such as aerodynamics, energy conversion, and the role of wind in generating power. Guided by STEM facilitators, kids will have the opportunity to experiment with different designs and understand how small changes can affect performance, making the activity both educational and enjoyable.

Program Facilitator: Society of Physics Students

Members of RPI’s chapter of the Society of Physics Students will share fun physics experiments in an interactive presentation. There will be super-cold science using liquid nitrogen, electrifying experiments with the Van de Graaff generator, dramatic demonstrations using a trashcan air cannon, and more. The Physics Magic Show is perfect for anybody ready to be amazed by the mysteries of the physical world.

Program Facilitator: National Grid

Meet Lumos, the robot dog! Lumos is an assistant inspection robot, which has a payload including a visual and IR camera, navigational lidar with WiFi, and Bluetooth control functions. National Grid Engineer Dean Berlin will demonstrate its abilities while describing within the context of the National Grid needs and services to the community. Imagine a robotic predator on four legs, but still friendly!

Program Facilitator: Center for Materials, Devices, and Integrated Systems (CMDIS)

Ever wonder what materials are made of or how scientists can see things smaller than the eye can perceive? In the Materials Characterization Core Facility, you will see how materials are studied at different scales, from the large to the incredibly tiny! You’ll get the chance to see how we use powerful tools like the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to explore materials at the atomic level. Get a closer look at exciting specimens, from everyday objects to rare materials, and watch live demonstrations that show how these high-tech microscopes work their magic. 

And ever wonder how the tiny circuits in your favorite devices are made? We invite you to join the fascinating world of microelectronics with us in an exclusive tour of our cleanroom — where researchers, scientists, engineers and technical staff create the microchips powering everything from smartphones to computers. During this demonstration, you’ll see how even a tiny speck of dust can affect the intricate fabrication process and learn why precision is key. You will learn about the deposition and etching of thin films, patterning of devices and nanostructures, and chemical processing, and metrology capabilities. 

Program Facilitator: RPI Engineering Ambassadors (EA)

We will be presenting an engaging presentation on the basics of fluid mechanics, briefly going into the basic concepts of how it works in air and water and how we use it to design effective boats. The presentation will be 15 minutes, and the rest of the period will be a hands-on activity related to the content. Groups of students and parents will design sailboats and race them in tubs of water, in a bracket-style competition. This program is usually well received by a variety of ages, so students and parents will enjoy it and be able to participate.

Program Facilitator: Center for Architecture Science and Ecology

This program introduces students to the fundamentals of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and its real-world applications. Participants will gain hands-on experience by building a personalized IoT system that monitors indoor air quality and thermal comfort, alerting users through smartphone notifications when thresholds are exceeded. Additionally, students will explore cutting-edge CASE research projects highlighting innovative applications of IoT in environmental monitoring and building sciences.

Program Facilitator: Rensselaer Cybersecurity Collaboratory (RCC)

The RCC will host a hands-on cybersecurity CTF (Capture-the-Flag) event. Students will learn some basics of cybersecurity and hacking through hands-on challenges. Cybersecurity rewards those who think creatively; this session will introduce students to the kinds of creative thinking unique to STEAM and, particularly, cybersecurity.