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Community Corner

Family Science Expo Returns With Crazy and Cool Science and Engineering Fun for All Ages

This free open-house is geared to kids in grades 2 – 8 and their parents, but all ages will have a great time.

Calling all future engineers, scientists and even mad scientists!  The Annual Family Science Expo returns to the Des Plaines Public Library for a third year on Saturday September 24 from Noon – 4 p.m., promising an afternoon of free family science and engineering fun! This free open-house is geared to kids in grades 2 – 8 and their parents, but all ages will have a great time.  Kids can:

  • See how Working Bikes Cooperative uses old, unwanted bicycles to generate power to run a stereo, fountain, lamp, blender, and more!
  • Check out “bots” created by Chibots, the Chicago Area Robotics Group.
  • Construct a six-station bridge. 
  • Get blown away by a wind turbine experiment.
  • Dive into Destination ImagiNation instant challenges that stretch teamwork and problem solving skills!
  • Learn hands-on how skyscrapers are able to stand.
  • Join in the Future Chemical Engineers photo shoot!
  • Like the DPPL Family Science Expo Sept 24, 2011 page for ongoing info and science fun!
  • And More!

Earlier:

Also new this year, attendees are invited to bring their old bicycles to the library and donate them to Working Bikes! Bikes brought to the library on September 24 will be used as tools of empowerment for people in developing countries by the Working Bikes Cooperative, a not-for-profit tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization which diverts bicycles from the waste stream in the greater Chicagoland area & surrounding states.  They repair some of these bikes for local donation & sale to help fund the overseas shipment & donation of all the remaining bicycles.

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This is the third year the Des Plaines Public Library is presenting this event.  About 400 kids and parents attended the debut event in 2009.  “Many children – and their parents – know little about engineering and science professions or the ways science and engineering affect our lives every day in very cool ways!” says Stephanie Spetter, Head of Youth Services at the library. “Through simple hands-on activities, experiments and demonstrations, this expo will show kids of all ages that science is all around us and is, indeed COOL!”   Long-term, the goal of many of the organizations exhibiting is to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists that will be needed to rebuild infrastructures and create new green technologies.   

This event is free and no registration is required.  Participants include The Optical Society of Chicago; Illinois Section American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI); American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE); Destination ImagiNation of Illinois; Chicago Area Robotics Group; The Women in Engineering (WIE); Working Bikes; Packer Engineering and more!

Find out what's happening in Des Plaineswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For additional information, visit www.dppl.org  or call 847-376-2839.

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