STEAM expo welcome kids, adults at Illinois State Fair

SPRINGFEILD, Ill. (WAND) - The Tech Prairie STEAM Expo opened in the Orr Building on Wednesday.

The second annual Tech Prairie STEAM expo showcases interactive exhibits and event highlighting the use of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics in K-12 education, post-secondary education, research, business and industry.

The expo is hosted by the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology. Mary Reynolds, Education Group CIO, told WAND News the expo will allow fairgoers to engage, interact, and explore in career opportunities related to STEAM fields.

"It really is an opportunity to expose individuals at the fair to STEAM and show them it's an opportunities."

It will also feature drone racing, eSports competitions, and presentations from more than 40 organizations throughout Illinois.

"We are thrilled to be Illinois' largest classroom at this year's Tech Prairie STEAM Expo where we will demonstrate the many ways STEAM is being advanced across the state," said Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology Secretary and State CIO Jennifer Ricker. "The STEAM Expo should be added to all fairgoers must see attractions. I encourage families to join us for a "Carnival of Innovation" at the STEAM Expo this week."

Featured attractions include 3D printing, paper circuits building, coding opportunities, robotics demonstrations, anatomy dissection specimens, healthcare simulation products, aerospace exhibits, digital agriculture, programmable plants, engineering experiments, rainfall simulator, assistive technology products, drones, wearable technology, and quantum information science activities.

Event Daily Presentations & Highlights (all events are at the Orr Building unless otherwise indicated)

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. Interactive exhibits at the Tech Prairie STEAM Expo

10 a.m. Ribbon cutting opening

11 a.m. Google for STEM education presentation

1 p.m. Kidzeum presentation

3 p.m. Illinois Innovation Network Innovation Awards

Thursday, August 18, 2022

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Interactive exhibits at the Tech Prairie STEAM Expo

11 a.m. Great Lakes STEAM Underwater Robot presentation with Susan Kelsey

1 p.m. Innovative Entrepreneurs presentation with Julie Hinman

3 p.m. HP Virtual Reality Specialist presentation

Friday, August 19, 2022

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Interactive exhibits at the Tech Prairie STEAM Expo

8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Drone racing in the Grandstand sponsored by "Grow Our Own" Minority

Participation Program, supported by the City of Springfield, Sangamon County, and Hanson Professional Services Inc. and organized by the Heart of America FPV. The competition will feature many of the top pilots from around the world taking on the fastest pilots in Illinois!

11 a.m. Hunter Kempf, Data Scientist, Z by HP Global Data Science Ambassador, presentation

3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Job fair featuring state agencies that are hiring

Saturday, August 20, 2022

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Interactive exhibits at the Tech Prairie STEAM Expo

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. eSports Competition

Sunday, August 21, 2022

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Interactive exhibits at the Tech Prairie STEAM Expo

The STEAM Expo will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 17 - 21 in the Orr Building on the west side of the fairgrounds near Conservation World. Some exhibitors will only be available on specific days while others will be open for the full five days.