photo credit: North Bay Science Discovery Day
A child looks at specimens under a microscope at North Bay Science Discovery Day

Organizers say it's a day of explosions, experiments, and extraordinary discoveries in Santa Rosa. The North Bay Science Discovery Day returns this weekend to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

Over 100 organizations will be there, offering hands-on activities designed to ignite a passion for science, technology, engineering, and math – or STEM – in young minds.

“Back in 2011, UC San Francisco and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging received a National Science Foundation grant to study science festivals and they initiated the science festival in San Francisco and the one in the East Bay and the one up here in the North Bay. When that grant ended, UC Corporate Extension and I took over the program, that must have been 2018 or 2019. So we have a long history and a track record up here in the North Bay," says Steven Worker, who chairs the event.

Imagine building robots, dissecting owl pellets, learning about the intricacies of coding, or even exploring the physics of flight.

Geared towards kids aged 9 to 14, but open to all ages, the Science Discovery Day aims to spark that crucial curiosity about the world around us.

Worker says many local organizations will have engaging activities for kids.

"Medtronic has a large presence from their Santa Rosa facility," said Worker. "So kids will put on the full scrubs and gowns and then look at some of the activities of like scoping inside the heart. There'll be activities from Keysight where kids are like experimenting with oscilloscopes and different sound waves and electric rays. Lots of live animals from different groups like Petaluma Wildlife Museum or River Otter, Sea Otter projects. There'll be a touch pool tide tank from Stewards of the Coast."

The focus at this science fair is on engagement. They're showing kids how STEM isn't just something you learn in a classroom, it's something you experience.

Worker says a post event survey has shown the influence this event has on the wider community.

"They see the ripple impacts of this event in the community, both in terms of influencing the community fabric about involving diverse communities and access to STEM education. Lots of collaboration between the organizations that come to the event, right? It's not just about the families and sparking kids' interest in science and tech. It's also about those organizations that all care about STEM coming together and building their own networks and collaborations together," Worker explained.

Worker says they're also building a more scientifically literate and engaged community.

"The event is intended to spark young people's curiosity and wonder for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. And then we rely on those organizations that exhibit at the events to provide day camps, programs, weekend programs to help deepen and sustain young people's involvement with STEM, all in a effort to help improve our collective scientific literacy and critical thinking skills. So helping both young people and their parents learn more about scientific practices and processes and hopefully gain new outlooks into our world," said Worker.

The North Bay Science Discovery Day is this Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 10am to 4pm at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. It is a non-commercial free event, open to the public, including free parking on site.

For more information, visit northbayscience.org