TouchTomorrow is focused on all things STEM, and allows attendees to see how they can transform everyday household items into real-world science experiments. It’s a chance for kids to get their hands dirty while trying new things, and you never know what you’ll find as you hop from the Quad to Gateway Park to Higgins Labs.
Our advice? Don’t blink, or you might miss something.
In anticipation of the big day, here’s a look at TouchTomorrow by the numbers—of cardstock needed to design space landers, Play-Doh to recreate arteries, ketchup containers to make slime, and the roughly 1,460 other things the Pre-Collegiate Outreach team will be storing in their offices until June 9.
- Heads or Tails: Over 500 pennies will play an important part in one particular festival activity—it’ll definitely be our lucky day.
- You’re Killing Me, Smalls: Everyone’s favorite campfire treat will have a presence at the festival through 25 pounds of Hershey kisses, 40 boxes of graham crackers, and over 13,000 marshmallows.
- Out of the Park: 500 wiffle balls will be the staple of an activity held on the Quad—play ball!
- Cotton-Eyed Goat: One of the most important parts of space exploration is a smooth landing, which is why over 4,000 cotton balls will be part of a space-themed activity.
- Ready for a Change: 500 diapers will be ready and waiting on Saturday, not just reserved for little ones.
- Up, Up, and Away: Balloons are a surefire sign of a celebration, and what’s TouchTomorrow if not one giant STEM party? A thousand balloons will be part of some of the day’s activities.
- Spa Day: You might think a science festival would require exactly zero hairdryers, but for TouchTomorrow, we need four. Why? Well, you’ll just have to come and find out.
- Stop the Presses: Sometimes, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact number of an item that’ll be used, like newspapers, but we can make an educated guess: it’s a lot.
Science is capable of some pretty incredible things, but we still don’t have a way for inanimate objects to put themselves together and turn into the kaleidoscopes, stress balls, and other highlights of TouchTomorrow. That job is reserved for the volunteers, all of whom spend their Saturday helping complete activities and sharing their love of STEM with attendees. How many volunteers, you ask? Well…
- All in the Family: Over 300 volunteers have connections to WPI, whether they’re staff members, faculty, friends, or families. Goat big or goat home, indeed.
- Making the Dream Work: 55 employees, friends, and families of MAPFRE/Verti Insurance will also be assisting throughout the day.
- It Takes a Village: 25 WPI community members are members of the TouchTomorrow volunteer committee, and they work all year to create an unforgettable event. Interested in joining? Send them an email today.
- The Finishing Touches: WPI’s facilities crew members keep the campus looking beautiful all year long, and they’re working tirelessly to ensure that #nofilter will be needed come Saturday.
- One More Thing: All in all, over 300 volunteers will be coming together to help make TouchTomorrow happen, but we’ll still be missing one thing—you! Register for TouchTomorrow today; we hope to see you this weekend!
