Event sponsors gave us a preview of their spectacular plans
It’s that time of year again — time to celebrate the exploration of invention in Chandler, to infinity and beyond. The 9th Annual Chandler Science Spectacular, taking place this Saturday, Feb. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, will showcase the amazing technological advances and future of potential bubbling in our very own backyard.
Bring the entire family to enjoy rockets, virtual reality interactive experiments and so much more at this annual free event celebrating the statewide Arizona SciTech Festival. To help you get excited, three event sponsors gave us a preview of their spectacular plans:
First Things First
First Things First (FTF) is an early childhood agency that supports educational programs for children ages 0-5 throughout Arizona. FTF sponsors the event as a way to help families introduce math and science to young children in both fun and interactive ways.
“Introducing math and science to young children doesn’t have to be complicated,” said FTF Community Outreach Coordinator Donna Shott. “The years before kindergarten are a critical period to help develop these skills through fun activities that get their hands and minds working.”
FTF will be sharing information to parents and educators on how important quality early experiences for babies, toddlers and preschoolers will help ensure readiness for the jobs of the future. Critical skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving and follow-through on commitments start to develop at birth and are taught, promoted and strengthened through quality child care.
“Ensuring that children have high-quality experiences during these critical early years has tremendous impact on kids and their communities,” Shott said.
FTF will be continuing its partnership from years past and demonstrating at the Chandler Science Spectacular alongside the Arizona Science Center. Find your equilibrium by interacting with their presentation all about the mechanics of balance.
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman, an international defense-technology company with headquarters in Chandler, is back this year with 25 hands-on exhibits for visitors to experience, spanning a variety of engineering topics from gravity on other planets, vibration and waves, balancing a gyroscope, wind tunnels and fluid dynamics.
The popular event staple “Passports to Becoming a Rocket Scientist” will also return to the company’s presentation this year. Every fifteen minutes, guests are welcome to watch presenters demonstrate a rocket launch (or a “static fire”) of a rocket motor built to scale.
“We often hear the phrase ‘rocket science’ as a term for ‘too hard or complicated to understand,’” said Liz Sidlov, Principal Structural Test Engineer for Northrop Grumman. “Our team really wants to show that all of the basic concepts are accessible.”
According to Sidlov, all of the company’s presentations are designed to be understood by kids in grade school.
“We want kids and all of our visitors to leave the event feeling like they’re capable of becoming a rocket scientist or an engineer and to ask questions about the world around them,” Sidlov said.
To help get kids excited about taking math and science projects home with them, Northrop Grumman designed some of their exhibits to be recreated at home with parental supervision.
“We aim to inspire the next generation of scientists, tech wizards, engineers, artists and mathematicians,” Sidlov said.
Intel
Intel is a multinational technology company that has operated a headquarters in Chandler since 1979 and has plans to build the world’s most advanced semiconductor factory in our own backyard.
Guests can visit Intel at the Chandler Science Spectacular to demo new “computer visioning” experiences. The systems — which are all designed to be both interactive and entertaining — will be manned by volunteers who will help visitors understand the code behind the magic.
Visit the Intel exhibit this weekend for your virtual vision quest fueled by the endless power of code.
Visit the 2020 Chandler Science Spectacular
The 2020 Chandler Science Spectacular will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday in Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 178 E. Commonwealth Ave.
The event uses “sneaky science” to entertain the whole family while explaining how science is important to daily life. Check out more than 40 interactive demonstrations by Chandler’s technology companies along with the next generation of scientists from ASU, UofA and more.
Starting at 2 p.m., the Chandler Symphony Orchestra will take the stage to play some favorite sci-fi and fantasy movie music. Food will be available for purchase from local food trucks. We hope to see you there.