Here are some of the programming areas you can expect at the Maine Science Festival.

Forums & Talks

A forum is “a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged” and MSF forums are based around audience interaction with experts. Our forums generally include a panel of experts on a topic who will give an introduction to their work, followed by Q&A with the audience and other panelists. The science should be presented in a way that anyone who has taken high school science can understand it. Talks are essentially the same as forums, but presented by one person who then engages in moderated Q&A with the audience.

Hands-On (Exploration Station)

Set up an activity where festival goers can walk up and dive into the science you’re presenting. The set up is similar to a vendor space at a conference. Activities should be designed to engage all ages (4-94).

Workshops

A set period of time where you present a topic and work through it (for example, nature illustration, Minecraft for grown-ups, cheese making). The festival goer often (but not always) ends the workshop with something they can take home.

Tech Night

Focused on exploring cutting-edge software and web-based tools. Workshops, hands-on activities and forums are available; the audience is middle-school aged kids.

Friday Field Trip Day * – workshop or interactive presentation

Programming specifically for the middle school field trip day (7th and 8th graders).

Friday Field Trip Day * – hands-on (Cool Science)

Hands-on programming specifically for the middle school field trip day (7th and 8th graders).

* The 2020 Friday Field Trip is made possible thanks to our Metamorphic Sponsor the University of Maine: Office of the President; Office of the Provost; Office of the Vice President for Research; College of Engineering; College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; College of Natural Sciences, Forestry & Agriculture; and Cooperative Extension.