North Bay Science Discovery Day, Presented by Mike Roa
Our speaker for January 16, 2025 was Mike Roa, who addressed the North Bay Science Discovery Day. Mike taught high school science for many years in Santa Clara and Sonoma Counties. He is now retired and serves as the lead docent at Armstrong Redwoods. He is also on the organizing committee for the North Bay Science Discovery Day project. Among other things, Mike is the Sponsor Coordinator and recruits high school student volunteers for the event.
This year’s Science Discovery Day is set for March 8, 2025. The main objective of the event is to help kids understand and appreciate science. Another focus is on showing kids potential careers in science and related fields. The event takes place in 5 buildings and an open space at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. 10,000 people attended the event last year! They have over 80 companies, including school districts, as exhibitors. The event is geared towards children from the 4th through 6th grades, but lots of older and younger kids also show up with their families. The exhibits are “hands on” opportunities for kids to learn about and appreciate how science impacts our lives. Science Discovery Day loosely interprets the terms “science” and “activity.”
Science Discovery Day is free to all visitors. Donations are not accepted, and exhibitors cannot advertise products or services. The cost of putting on the event is about $50,000 and is funded by the companies, school districts, and others who sponsor the event. The list of sponsors and exhibitors for the event this year is incredibly diverse and amazing! Exhibitors are not charged a fee for putting on their exhibits. The event is all-volunteer, so the $50,000 cost is for rental of the fairgrounds, advertising and marketing, and a hospitality room. Over 100 high school volunteers assist with the event, and do such things as assist with exhibits, help direct people through the exhibits, and conduct on-site and exit surveys of attendees to gauge their impressions of the event. Click the image below to find out more.
Mike took us through a series of slides of past exhibits, including slides about rocks, the Humbolt Squid, DNA extraction, chromatography, robots, a Huey helicopter, a tidepool, and bats. Mike also offered us an opportunity to volunteer for the event and showed us how to sign up online. Thanks, Mike, for the insight into a major Sonoma County event and for all you do for the event and for Armstrong Redwoods!
