The Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council at the Iowa Department of Education will hold its annual STEM Day at the Iowa State Fair on Sunday, August 18, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fairgoers of all ages will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in STEM learning from hands-on activities to live performances right from the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Approximately 10,000 fairgoers each year engage in experiential learning during STEM Day events from robotics and coding to aerospace and chemistry and so much more.

Attendees are encouraged to find their way under the big tent on the Grand Concourse and try over a dozen free, hands-on STEM activities provided by several different partner businesses and organizations from across the state of Iowa that showcase how STEM integrates into our everyday lives.

“Events like STEM Day at the Fair expose Iowa youth to the world of STEM and help showcase the many STEM related career opportunities we have right here in Iowa,” said Justin Lewis, Bureau Chief for Iowa STEM. “We are so grateful to our business partners for taking time to spend the day with us at the fair to engage with and excite the future STEM workforce.”

And the fun won’t stop there. Grab a seat in front of the MidAmerican Energy Stage for a series of exciting live performances from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Grout Museum of History & Science will demonstrate several fun science experiments. Blank Park Zoo will bring Ambassador Animals to help the audience discover the natural world and Iowa State University Insect Zoo and Wartburg College Herpetology will offer additional opportunities to meet animal friends native to Iowa.

In addition to these stage acts, one presentation sure to dazzle will be found on the Grand Concourse near the hands-on activities tent. NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium, Iowa 4-H Youth Development and Make to Innovate Lab are teaming up to launch a high altitude balloon from the Grand Concourse around 11:30 a.m. A live stream of the launch will allow onlookers to catch a glimpse of near-space from the comfort of the fairgrounds.

“A high-altitude balloon launch is unique because it is one way for all of our ideas to reach the edge of space,” said Dr. Sara Nelson, Director of NASA’s Iowa Space Grant Consortium and State STEM Lead for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, 4-H Youth Development. “We hope people enjoy the experience and think about the role that STEM and space might play in their lives. We encourage everyone to seek out more information and STEM experiences.”

STEM Day at the Iowa State Fair is sponsored by Alliant Energy, Collins Aerospace, Google and MidAmerican Energy.