Science Extravaganza
This Coming Saturday

Thomas Alva Edison Science and Engineering Fair

On Saturday, February 2, 2013 the 56th annual Thomas Alva Edison Edison Science and Engineering Fair and the 25th annual Thomas A. Edison Regional Inventors Fair will be held at the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU),  Alico Arena. Approximately 800 Southwest Florida private, public and home schooled students will be participating and competing for $900,000 in scholarships. Over 200 judges and volunteers will be on hand to conduct the Fair.  Students who have all ready been recognized at local school Science and Inventors Fairs from Charlotte, Collier and Lee Counties will be competing at this regional event.  The Inventors Fair will be open to the public at approximately 1 PM and the Science Fair at about 3:30 PM.

A new addition to the Science and Inventors Fair this year will be produced by the Edison & Ford Winter Estates Education team.  SCIENCE LIVE! will be going on at the Recreation Outdoor Complex adjacent to Alico Arena from 9:30 AM to 4 PM.  The event will feature Wild Wizard Lab Shows throughout the day. Activities will cover the nature of science, the earth and environment, space, biology, energy and motion, chemistry and matter and engineering. There will be fun for all ages including a canister pop, solar bead necklace and solar challenges, a rocket launch, straw rockets, Mentos drops, worm and plastic bugs, hovercraft, slime, perfect putt and zip line builds.  The event is open to public and is appropriate for all ages.

For even more science fun, FGCU will be hosting a Celebration of Science across their campus throughout the morning and early afternoon. Free shuttle buses will operate to take students, their families and the public to a series of professional laboratory demonstrations featuring a variety of science disciplines.  Activities will include separate demonstrations on criminal forensics, mosquito control, a solar energy field and a wetlands walk.  FGCU is also conducting free campus tours throughout the day in conjunction with the Science and Inventors Fair.

The event will have the amenities of a festival with concessions, beverages, grilled food and tasty items from the Lola Loco food truck to be offered.  This full day of Science at FGCU promises to be a world class celebration of science, technology, engineering and math that shows science and invention  is alive and prospering in Southwest Florida.