FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Students from 7 West Virginia counties including Wyoming, Preston, Marion, Monongalia, Marshall, Harrison and Taylor will be traveling to the I-79 Technology Park Research Center for NASA’s Day in the Park on October 9th and 10th from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. to participate in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities.
Day in the Park is supported by NASA’s Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Program to provide local children the experience of a hands-on day of learning intended to inspire continued interest in STEM activities and mitigate the national trend of declining student interest in scientifically-oriented disciplines that tends to occur during middle school. Approximately 550 students, grade 6-8, are expected to attend this year’s invitation only event.
The event will be hosted by the NASA IV&V Program’s Education Resource Center (ERC) with the help of volunteers who work in STEM fields themselves. Day in the Park will maintain its carnival-style atmosphere and include over a dozen new stations that provide students with an active experience in STEM-focused areas. A few of the new additions include exhibits from WVU’s Department of Physics, and William “Scott” Blake who will be providing beginner hang glider lessons and talking about how NASA’s technology has contributed to other industries such as aeronautics. Students will also get a chance to build their own flashlights with popsicle sticks and LEDs, visit the Discovery Dome, program robots, launch rockets, and much more. NASA IV&V ERC Outreach Specialist Josh Revels says visitors at this event “are going to see a lot of fun and a lot of learning!”
In addition to the educational booths, this year’s Keynote Speaker is SMART Center director Robert Strong. Robert is retired math and science teacher who now operates SMART Center museum and market out of Wheeling, WV. He will be showing captivating science demonstrations to inspire the students while talking to them about possible STEM careers that exist in West Virginia.
For more information about the NASA IV&V Program’s ERC, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ivv/education/index.html
For more information about NASA’s IV&V Program, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ivv
For questions or interview inquiries, please contact Katie Parker at 304-367-8273 (work),
or send an email to katrina.n.parker@nasa.gov.