Have you ever wondered what the future of science and technology looks like? Here’s your chance to see it while having some hands-on fun. TouchTomorrow at WPI returns for its 8th year on Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free, family-friendly event is focused on all things STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Through interactive exhibits, live shows, and lab tours, the event will allow attendees to discover new frontiers in STEM as well as let kids get their hands dirty while learning new things in the process.
Returning for a sixth year, WGBH, a national leader in the effort to expand STEM in the classroom and at home, will serve as the festival’s official media partner. WGBH will also showcase its popular NOVA education exhibits and Design Squad Challenge. This year’s challenge asks teams to build rubber band cars and race them to see whose vehicle is the fastest.
Also presenting at TouchTomorrow are Worcester-based David Clark Company, known as a pioneer in space suit technology; U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (CCDC SC), which is developing and testing new material systems for soldiers; Dassault Systems SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids; and GE’s engineering challenge.
Other TouchTomorrow highlights include:
Meet the Innovators at Work
- WPI faculty and students have organized nearly 50 lab tours, demonstrations, and activities featuring tons of robots and research in areas spanning biomedical engineering, chemistry, fire science, physics, and materials science.
Live Shows
- Two stages will host a variety of presentations, including Kosmic Kelly, BattleBots Champion Paul Ventimiglia, and Lisa May, a space exploration expert. Plus, adventure guides from Animal Adventures will show off live exotic animals.
Science of Sports
- Visit with some of your favorite local sports teams to learn how the Paw Sox/Worcester Red Sox, Bravehearts, Pirates, and Railers use science and math in baseball, football, and hockey.
NASA Presents
- Representatives of the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors Program will demonstrate MOXIE, an instrument that might allow future explorers to produce oxygen from the Martian atmosphere for propellant and for breathing.
- At the Chandra X-ray Observatoryexhibit, attendees can learn how space satellites talk to their controllers and send data back to Earth.
Robots!
- Entering its 20th year, BattleCry@WPI is one of the largest robotics competitions in New England and this year it is part of TouchTomorrow. Come cheer on more than 50 high school FIRST teams that will compete with their 120-pound robots.
For a complete list of exhibits and other information visit: https://wp.wpi.edu/touchtomorrow/
Media wishing to cover TouchTomorrow or schedule an interview prior to the event should contact:
Colleen Bamford Wamback
Public Relations Manager
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts
508-688-4858, cbwamback@wpi.edu
About Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a purpose-driven community of educators and researchers, has been the global leader in project-based learning for 50 years. An impact maker for higher education and the world, WPI prepares confident, competent problem solvers with a project-based curriculum that immerses students in authentic, real-world experiences.
