STEAM Innovation Expo brings disciplines together to entertain and educate on central campus

UNC Charlotte’s Center for STEM Education welcomes learners of all ages to the STEAM Innovation Expo on the Cauble Quad between CHHS and Mebane Hall on Sunday, April 26 from 12-4 p.m.

The expo will feature hands-on activities, Q&A sessions, lab tours, nature experiences, exhibits and performances from science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics disciplines all gathered in one place on campus. Exhibitors will include faculty partners across the university, as well as community and business partners throughout the Charlotte community. The event is designed to demonstrate how these disciplines interact and interconnect, how research impacts our world and how STEAM is threaded through our everyday lives.

CSTEM Director David Pugalee leads planning for the expo each year. “The STEAM Expo is unique in that it brings together the University, local businesses, nonprofits, STEAM professionals and educators toward a common goal. These partners make the event inclusive and engaging through creativity, design and the arts, and the event holds something for everyone from young children to adults,” he said. “It provides quality access to STEAM learning for families, students, and community members through hands-on exploration in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, which in many areas can be hard to come by.”

Pugalee has been part of the university for over 25 years and has watched the expo grow to over 100 exhibitors and thousands of attendees. He said his favorite part is watching the lightbulbs come on for kids and parents alike. “The energy is incredible, seeing families and individuals explore and celebrate STEAM learning. We get to see their curiosity and excitement as they build something, solve a problem, or understand a concept or idea — they’re real participants in the learning environment, not just observers.”

The STEAM Innovation Expo is part of the North Carolina Science Festival, a monthlong festival of events across the state celebrating science and cultivating positive environments to encourage students to pursue scientific careers. It is cosponsored by Bobcat, Terracon, the Charles Herbert Flowers Foundation, UNC Charlotte’s College of Computing and Informatics and the UNC Charlotte Division of Research. The event is free to attend and will feature both indoor and outdoor exhibitors, weather permitting.