April is North Carolina Science Festival Month!

The North Carolina Science Festival is the first statewide science festival in the United States. The annual month-long celebration of science brings together hundreds of community events across North Carolina each year in April. Celebrating its  15^th anniversary in 2025, the Festival presents a unique opportunity for North Carolinians of all ages to celebrate and engage with science. NCScifest is presented by the RTI International and produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

For more information, visit www.ncsciencefestival.org.

2025 CSC NCScifest Events

STEM Trek!

April 16th & 17th

STEM Trek is a FREE family event for all ages! Explore fun STEM careers while participating in hands-on activities provided by local businesses highlighting STEM career options. The event is engaging for children and adults alike! This year STEM Trek will be located at the Hickory Metro Convention Center!

Who: Middle/High School students and adults looking for careers in STEM fields, as well as families looking to inspire learning and a love of science!
What: Regional STEM Career & Job Fair!
When: April 16th 3:00 – 6:00 pm
Where: 1960 13th Ave Dr. SE #5186, Hickory, NC 28602
Why: Using hands-on activities to engage students in conversations to introduce STEM Careers in our region.

STEM Scramble!

Can you find them all?

The Catawba Science Center challenges you to find Science: Everyday, Everywhere, Everyone in a community-wide scavenger hunt! STEM Scramble Science searchers in Hickory, Newton-Conover, and Statesville, plus Alexander, Burke, and Caldwell Counties who find 5 of 10 STEM businesses/organizations, will win free admission to CSC. Throughout the month of April, watch for clues in your community and search for STEM Scramble Science posters all around.

Rules & Regulations:

• Where are they? STEM Scramble scavenger hunts will be in the following communities: Taylorsville & Bethlehem, Morganton, Lenoir, Hickory, Newton & Conover, and Statesville. There are 10 STEM Scramble sites per community; these sites include businesses, organizations, and community resources that highlight this year's NCScifest theme Science: Everyday, Everywhere, Everyone.
• Don't forget your card! Cards to track your finds can be picked up at [?] beginning Tuesday, April 1st. Additional cards* for each community can be picked up at CSC’s main gift shop during operating hours (Wed. – Sat. 10 AM – 4 PM & Sun. 1 – 4 PM).
  *Once all cards have been claimed, no additional ones will be available.
• Check our social media for clues! Find each community's STEM Scramble sites by looking for clues to see which businesses, organizations, and community resources we are highlighting. (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn). Each clue will also be cataloged below.
• Eureka! Once you’ve found a STEM Scramble site (identified via a poster at the location) to prove your prowess, follow the directions on the poster to document your find.**
  **Teams can choose to combine their cards to save staff time &  selfies with signs may also be acceptable.
• Five sites equal FREE admission! One card with 5 STEM Scramble sites located (with proof*) equals one free admission to CSC April 2nd – April 30th. Team/family members will each need their own card for admission. General admission is $14+tax for adults, $12+tax for youth ages 3 – 18, college students with ID, military, and seniors; youth ages 2 and younger are free.
• There's more? Completed*** STEM Scramble cards can be entered to win a $100 CSC gift card.
  ***All 10 sites must be found with proper acknowledgment by staff.

Example of the poster at each location...

Questions? Contact the Programs Director at programs@catawbascience.org  or 828.322.8169 x. 305