What do Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious-disease authority and key member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, a NASA engineer, and a deep-sea cave explorer all have in common?

They’re all featured speakers at the USA Science & Engineering Festival’s popular X-STEM Symposium – now in a virtual format dubbed X-STEM All Access.  Presented by AstraZeneca, the livestream event is an engaging, entertaining, educational, and interactive online STEM experience that educators and parents can incorporate into home-learning STEM lessons.

Traditionally, the X-STEM Symposium kicks off the biennial April Festival which was postponed due to COVID-19. “We have adapted our X-STEM Symposium to this new reality by embracing virtual learning,” said the Festival’s executive director, Marc Schulman. “Having top scientists and engineers take their talks online preserves the spirit of X-STEM and enables more youth to hear and learn from these amazing, gifted STEM leaders and innovators.”

X-STEM All Access will hold a series of free daily livestream events on May 13-15 and May 18-19 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Science educator and communicator Justin Shaifer is moderating the series, which revolves around these topics: Shattering STEM Stereotypes; Ambassadors of Conservation & The Climate; Exploring Our Planet; Science that Saves Lives; and Life Beyond Our World.  Speakers include:

• Christina H. Koch, NASA astronaut
• Dr. Knatokie Ford, biomedical scientist
• Kim Swennen, Google engineer
• Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, atmospheric scientist
• Dr. Mireya Mayor, primatologist
• Dr. David Gallo, oceanographer
• Jill Heinerth, underwater cave explorer
• Dr. Mika Sovak, medical oncologist and drug discoverer
• Dr. Greg Gage, neuroscientist
• Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases director and infectious disease researcher
• Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health director
• Bobak Ferdowsi, aerospace systems engineer (NASA’s “mohawk guy”)

Presentations will be geared toward a middle and high school level audience, but kids and adults of all ages are welcome. Each event will feature speakers who share a similar STEM topic. Speakers will interact with each other and attendees through a lively Q&A session.

Registration is free and attendees will receive a link to attend all five livestream events. To learn more and register, visit:  https://usasciencefestival.org/x-stem-all-access/

See past X-STEM presentations on the USA Science & Engineering Festival’s YouTube channel.

Filed under: For Teachers, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, K-12 Outreach Programs, Special Features, Web Resources

Tags: Curriculum, Engineering, Events, Internet Resources, Resources for Teachers, STEM education, USA Science and Engineering Festival 2020 X-STEM, virtual STEM learning, Web Resources, X-STEM All Access 2020