Courtni Kopietz

The Wisconsin Science Festival is a four-day statewide event, launched in 2010, that annually engages communities in the enterprise of science and discovery and aims to communicate the power of knowledge and creativity, promote innovation and cultivate the next generation of global citizens.

From the “Extreme STEAM Discovery Lab” in Fond du Lac to Milwaukee’s “Creepy Crawly Zoo” at Discovery World, more than 40 communities are hosting activities statewide, making the 2017 festival the most expansive one yet.

Eric Wilcots, associate dean for natural and mathematical sciences at UW–Madison and chair of the WSF steering committee, says the science festival offers ample opportunities to cultivate a renewed sense of curiosity.

“I think every kid starts out a little bit as a scientist. At some point, they all ask ‘how’ or ‘why’ questions about the world,” Wilcots says. “Somewhere along the line, that curiosity can get lost. We’ve got to bring back that natural curiosity for people, and festivals are one way to get science to the public.”