Toronto’s Science Rendezvous Festival is back. Join us at this FREE one-day family festival that celebrates STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math).
On May 11, the city’s biggest STEAM festival Science Rendezvous will take place across the Greater Toronto Area, including a four-city-block street festival on St. George Street. Explore hundreds of interactive demonstrations, hands-on science experiments, and stage shows.
Science Rendezvous takes STEAM out of the lab and onto the street for you to discover and experience. It is uniquely designed and run by Canada’s scientists, innovators, and the next generation of creators!
Hosted by the University of Toronto, York University, Ryerson University, University of Guelph-Humber, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Durham College, George Brown College, the Toronto Zoo and Bridgepoint Healthcare, there are festival events across the city to explore and discover.
Event highlights this year include piloting a drone through a miniature city, mind-controlled robotics, chemistry magic shows, animal encounters, virtual reality experiences, science escape room, flaming gummy bears, solar race cars, sci-art making, space rocks, scavenger hunts, food science, liquid nitrogen ice cream and so much more.
Science Rendezvous is an annual nation‐wide science festival dedicated to science outreach and engagement. Founded in 2008, it has grown to include over 300 simultaneous events in partnership with over 25 of Canada’s top research institutions, 6,000 volunteers and over 250 community organizations across the country. www.sciencerendezvous.ca
This year’s Science Rendezvous activities will be the marquee and signature event of the sixteen-day Science Odyssey series in partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). www.sciod.ca
SR was launched in 2008 as a joint program between the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, York University and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). Since then the festival has flourished, and events are held at nearly every major Canadian city by more than 6,000 scientists, researchers and student volunteers.
A few of the GTA Science Rendezvous events include:
- Science Rendezvous at University of Toronto
- Science Rendezvous Durham
- Science Rendezvous at the Toronto Zoo
- Science Rendezvous at Main Street Markham
- Science Rendezvous at UOIT
- Science Rendezvous at Ryerson
- Science Rendezvous at George Brown
- Science Rendezvous at University of Guelph-Humber
Science Rendezvous also signals the start of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) Science Odyssey, a week-long focus on science and technology. One of NSERC’s projects, Science Exposed, a photographic contest for images related to scientific research, will be exhibited at various SR sites across the country.
Ms. Miller says that while there is something for everyone at SR, most of the demonstrations are designed for five- to 12-year-olds. Stage shows, robotics, virtual reality, INVENTours, large-scale experiments and demonstrations, science buskers and Science Chase races are offered at most event sites.
“We want to get families out to the events. We know that kids decide if they’re going to pursue a career in STEAM early on, so the earlier we can encourage that excitement and passion the better,” she adds.
“Slime balls, virtual reality, liquid nitrogen ice-cream, fire tornadoes, walking on water, and explosions are some of my family’s favourite activities,” she says.
Each SR event is unique and created by current researchers, innovators and students. Collectively, Science Rendezvous is Canada’s largest, one-day free celebration of science and engineering.
Learn more about Science Rendezvous and all upcoming events in Ontario and across Canada at: www.sciencerendezvous.ca
Editorial produced by Randall Anthony Communications. Supplied by Science Rendezvous. Photos credit Kira Koop, University of Manitoba.
