Q: Our grandson attended the Atlanta Science Festival a few years back that piqued his interest. Would you tell me what they are currently doing?
A: The Atlanta Science Festival began in 2014 as a one-week festival that offered over 100 events. It since has morphed into Science ATL as they held year-round programs and events.
A trip to visit a science festival gave Meisa Salaita an idea to bring a similar experience to Atlanta. Salaita and two of her associates at Emory University, Jordan Rose and Sarah Peterson, banded together to create the science festival, said Co-Founder and Executive Co-Director Jordan Rose.
“The idea behind that was to really pull together the community and celebrate the opportunities for learning and loving science in Atlanta. … to integrate science into the cultural fabric of our city,” he noted.
Credit: Rob Felt
Credit: Rob Felt
Continuing to broaden its scope, Science ATL has added youth and school programs.
One such program is Georgia Chief Science Officers for elected middle and high schoolers across the state.
“We help them to develop skills in leadership, project management and communication so they can be empowered to create community action plans or projects to enhance awareness of STEM careers for their peers or bring new resources and learning opportunities for their community,” Rose said.
Last year the STEM Professional School Partnership program (K-12) with 32 partnerships was started. A year-long initiative that pairs up schools with businesses and professionals in the STEM industry.
“Together they do some needs assessment, set some goals for their partnership and through monthly student engagement or other kinds of engagement at the school, the STEM professionals kind of leverage their networks to help address those goals that they bring on with the school,” the co-founder said.
Mid-August a science self-care event for adults will be held hosting psychologists, neuroscientists and other professionals covering topics that impact the brain and stress levels.
“The future of Science ATL is about community engagement, so we welcome feedback and ideas about how to do that throughout the year,” Rose said.
For upcoming events, involvement or more information, visit @science_ATL or https://scienceatl.org/
New to Atlanta or simply have a question about this place we call home? Email your request to atlactualfact@gmail.com
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