The passionate STEM community of Tri-Valley gathered on Saturday, April 12th at the Alameda County Fairgrounds for the 7th annual Tri-Valley Innovation Fair. Hosted by the Quest Science Center, the admission-free fair featured over 80 exhibitors, which included local businesses, schools, and community organizations.
“Attending the fair made me realize how vast the science and technology community is and how there are a lot more opportunities out there than people know about or think about on a regular basis,” said Ishanvi Khare (27’).
Robotics
Centered around promoting innovation in STEM, the fair connected the Tri-Valley community with local innovators, ranging from Amador UAVs (Unmanned Air Vehicles) to NASA Ames Research center. Each exhibit had attendees engaged in hands-on learning activities.
“Kids interested in STEM might not know that much about it, but because they can have hands-on interactions with different booths, they can open their minds to something they would be interested in doing in the future. For instance, there was a booth where kids could make bracelets that would change color depending on how strong the sun was to show whether or not you needed sunscreen. This makes STEM very accessible” said Amador UAV club member Cara Li (27’).
Sustainability
The “Planetary Health & Sustainability” exhibit hall at the fair was a new addition, featuring environmental organizations like Go Green Initiative, The Sustainability Lens, and Bay Area Youth Climate Summit. It also spotlighted the Tri-Valley Climate Action Program (TVYCAP), an internship offered by the Quest Science Center.
“TVYCAP interns were in one of the buildings, and we divided into our different subgroups, with each intern representing their designated area of research that they worked on over the course of the program. Interns presented posters with their findings on climate-related topics including Heat Islands, Climate Literacy, Fast Fashion, and Carbon Gardens” said TVYCAP intern Aurora Nicholas.
Innovations are a two-sided experience. While consumers learn and grow from them, inventors gain a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and the knowledge that their ideas have made a real difference. The same was true for the local inventors at the Tri-Valley Innovation Fair.
“It’s pretty satisfying to see people engage with my work. I genuinely enjoy being part of the Amador UAVs team and the fair is an opportunity to demonstrate the good aspects of teamwork and being able to work hard to win at the competitions. When people are genuinely interested, I feel good because then I know that our club is interesting and I’m glad that others can see it that way as well” said Li.
