A Million Times Bigger Than Any Science Fair You Have Ever Seen and It's Free!

The following is a community contribution from kid bloggers Gabrielle and Aiden Levy of Caring Kids Cards. This post originally appeared on Reston Patch.  ​

The 3rd USA Science and Engineering Festival is almost here and you should really go! This year the USA Science and Engineering Festival will again be at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.  It is free and going to be tons of fun. “The Festival has literally doubled in size this year with nearly 1,000 organizations participating. The major new themes you will see this year are advanced manufacturing (like 3D printing), commercial robotics and drones, personalized medicine and a large representation from the skilled trade professions led by Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs,” said Lawrence Bock, Festival Director.

There is going to be something for everyone so come on out and enjoy the fun on April 26th and 27th with a preview day on the 25th.  There is no reason that you will not be able to find something that you will enjoy.  Even if you do not live in the area, you definitely want to try to visit this festival.  There will be exhibitors from all of the United States and also from Canada, Israel, India, England, Germany, and Australia. 

For this article, we reached out to some of the famous people that are going to be at the festival.  Read more of the article to hear what they said. 
  
"Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.  And avoid the labels that say girls should be good at some things and boys should be good at others. We need everybody getting excited about science, technology and engineering and math.  I just tell girls to Medimmune their heart and their passions and they’ll find a way to succeed,” said Bahija Jallal.  She is the head of Medimmune and Vice president of AstraZeneca. 
 
Apollo Robbins who stars in National Geographic's Brain Games (a really cool show, you should watch it with your family), Bill Nye the Science Guy, basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the LA Lakers, and a lot of other famous people are going to be there.  Many companies will be exhibiting at the expo including SpaceX which does cools things with space and rockets, and Tesla that makes neat electric cars and motors. 

There are going to be many things that might get you interested in a STEM career.  Or maybe you are already interested and just want to get your hands dirty.  Well I am about to excite you, there are going to be a lot of hands on things and things just to watch and learn.   If you do not know what STEM stands for let me tell you, it stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. 
 
Nate Ball from the Design Squad on PBS, wanted you to know, “Don’t be scared. Get out there and try lots of different things. I am always grateful that my own parents trusted that everything was going to be OK even though I was using power tools and rocket fuel and I would get hurt time and time again. But they kept on trusting me in the name of creativity in science and engineering. There will be many learning moments if you aren’t scared to get out there and try something. Once you do, you will see the world in a whole different way. Every child has a natural curiosity about the world, and if you keep doing things to satisfy that curiosity you are well on your way to a fulfilling and successful career in school and in STEM.”  You need to check out some of the cool videos on the Design Squad webpage, you will learn a lot and enjoying watching it. 
 
Are you into science?  Well, Bill Nye the Science Guy is going to be there as well as well as Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs andAmanda Boxtel the first woman paraplegic woman in an exoskeleton.  Science is a great field to get really hands on in and do lots of great experiments.  "The most important thing someone should do who is interested in a career in science is to find an experience where you are not just reading about something but actually doing it," said Francis Collins Director of National Institute of Health and received the Presidential of Freedom award and a National Medal of Science. 
 
Do you favor technology over everything?  Then this might just be the STEM field you want to be in.  This field uses computers, electronics, and lots of wires.  There will be a lot of things at the expo that deals with this unique job field. 
 
Is your dream to be an engineer?  Do you like to learn about building and things like that?  Well you might just be able to have some fun in this interesting and unique career field.  There will be many activities linked to this wonderful STEM category.  “Engineering is as close to magic as you can get….so if you are interested in magic you should become an engineer,” Elon Musk founder of SpaceX and Tesla. 
 
Is math your best subject?  Do you like figuring out patterns and calculating things?  Well, there will be many things for you too at the USA Science and Engineering Festival.  "If you are willing to work hard and learn a skill and master the math and science and engineering involved in that skill, then you can make a great life for yourself," Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs. 
 
There are going to be a lot of volunteers and exhibitors.  If you want to be part of the fun you can sign up now.  This will be Caring Kids Cards third time volunteering and ambassadors for the festival.  We are excited that there will be fun things for your entire family and you will all enjoy no matter your age. Get out there and have fun because as we say at Caring Kids Cards, “You are never too young or too old to make a difference!!” and have fun!!

We look forward to seeing all of you at the 3rd USA Science and Engineering Festival!!

For more fun family friendly things to do and make a difference, visit our Caring Kids Cards page!

Thank you to Lawrence Bock, Mike Rowe, Elon Musk, Nate Ball, Francis Collins, and Bahija Jallal for contributing to this article.   

Are you or your kids into science, technology, engineering or math? What do you love about school STEM programs? What would you be most excited to see at the USA Science and Engineering Festival? Tell us in the comments below!