EAST LANSING – The Michigan State Science Festival is scheduled to be held from April 1 through April 30, 2021. This year’s theme is “Visualizing the Invisible” that deals with allowing viewers “to explore, learn, and ask questions about those unseen mysteries of the universe.” Over 200 virtual presentations will be held throughout the month of April. 

With over 50 statewide partners and over 70 MSU partners that contribute, the MSU Science Festival is the largest free science festival in the state.

According to the Michigan State Science Festival website, their mission is , “to celebrate the many ways science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (the STEAM disciplines) touch our everyday lives and shape our future, broaden public access to informal learning environments, create meaningful direct interactions with scientists, and inspire the workforce of the future.”

The Science Festival will have presentations for anybody that is interested. All statewide and on-campus events are free and open to the public. When searching for specific presentations, there is an option to choose which age group suits best. These age groups range from Kindergarten to 21 years and older.

Schools across Michigan are being offered over 50 free virtual “ask a scientist” school programs from the MSU Science Festival. Additionally, the festival will be partnering with the Lansing school district to supply every sixth-grade student with a paper microscope called a Foldscope to take home.

Highlights on the schedule for the Michigan State Science Festival include three Expo Days on April 3, 10, and 17. A statewide astronomy night is to take place on the evening of April 16. A new addition to the festival this year is a “Citizen Science Bioblitz”. This “Bioblitz” is for people to go outside and explore what is around them using the MSU Science Festival page on the iNaturalist app.