Blinding Lodi with science
NorCal Science Fest returns to Tokay High
If you love science, building things and new technological gadgets, Tokay High School will open its doors to visitors of all ages this Saturday who are curious and interested in experiencing these wonders at the second annual NorCal Science and Technology Festival.
Students, teachers and community members will be sharing many hands-on activities and presentations featuring local businesses and organizations in fields of science as well as the many science and technology projects from Lodi Unified School District’s campuses.
The day of celebrating science begins at 10 a.m. and runs through 3 p.m.
Senior Tokay High School student Kristen Fukunaga and teacher Sandra Starr have been working together in planning this event with a group of students in Tokay’s STEAM Team, many of whom were involved in making the first year’s event happen in 2016.
The team of about 25 to 30 students meets two days a week after school and has been working on developing presentations they can share at this festival. Former students have stayed involved in the festival, bringing their own resources to the table, such as connection with local universities, according to Starr.
“My sister got me involved last year, I was one of the volunteers. I agreed because it was such a great experience,” Kristen Fukunaga said.
Not only will there be 3D printing on display but guests will be able to test out special pens that can be used to draw 3D objects with plastic filament.
“It’s an integration of science and art,” Fukunaga said. What will be different this year from the first year, which was headed by her sister Julie Fukunaga, is more of this focus on highlighting the artistic side of the sciences.
Also new this year will be a group called Tapigami from the Maker Faire-Bay Area, which uses masking tape to make interesting creations.
Magnitude.io, which has been working with Lodi Unified schools to send can-sized satellites — CanSats — up to the edges of our atmosphere and back, will be showing off their rockets and helping visitors to build their own.
The Exobiology Lab will present information about the science experiment Lodi schools are working on with the International Space Station to compare how plants grow in the space station with those on land.
For all the teachers in the community, there will be a resource table to help connect teachers with one another to share ideas of how they can bring in projects like those seen at the festival and others into their classrooms and seek funding.
“It’s my personal goal to help streamline purchases when needed and take the hurdles out of the equation,” Starr said.
Even community organizations and businesses such as the World of Wonders Science Museum, the NorCal Ambulance Company, local medical centers and the San Joaquin County Historical Museum will be bringing presentations and interactive activities for the public.
Food trucks will also be available, offering Korean food and Costa’s Finest Kettle Corn among other options.
The event was funded through a Bezos Scholar grant as well was money that carried over from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s contribution last year and other community sponsors.
If you plan to head to the festival, first make your way to the school gym where maps and more information will be available about presentation times and activities throughout the day. For more information about the schedule for the day visit