 | |
| Abbreviation | VSF |
|---|---|
| Formation | October 4, 2014 |
| Purpose | STEM outreach and education |
| Headquarters | Blacksburg, Virginia |
Region served | Virginia |
Parent organization | Virginia Tech, Science Museum of Western North Carolina |
| Affiliations | USA Science and Engineering Festival |
| Website | virginiasciencefestival.org |
The Virginia Science Festival (VSF) is a multi-week event encompassing events across 11 sites featuring many disciplines throughout Virginia. The festival was inaugurated in 2014, [1] and is organized by Virginia Tech and the Science Museum of Western Virginia with the goal of highlighting the educational, cultural, and economic impact of science in the state. NCSF events include hands-on activities, talks, and lab tours. [2]
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States located between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" due to its status as the first English colonial possession established in mainland North America and "Mother of Presidents" because eight U.S. presidents were born there, more than any other state. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's estimated population as of 2018 is over 8.5 million.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly known as Virginia Tech and by the initialisms VT and VPI, is a public, land-grant, research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six regions statewide and a study-abroad site in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. Through its Corps of Cadets ROTC program, Virginia Tech is also designated as one of six senior military colleges in the United States.
The Science Museum of Western Virginia is a science museum located in Roanoke, Virginia. Exhibit themes include the environment and its health, healthy bodies, computer coding, the scientific method of engineering, and science through toys and amusements. The museum also features a maker space and a native pollinator garden with local butterflies.
Participants have included NASA Langley, Wallops Flight Center, Virginia Department of Transportation, American Red Cross, WDBJ, and Carilion Health Care.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is the agency of the state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. VDOT is headquartered at the Virginia Department of Highways Building in downtown Richmond. VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges, and tunnels in the commonwealth. It is overseen by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, which has the power to fund airports, seaports, rail, and public transportation.
The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as The American National Red Cross, is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the designated US affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the United States movement to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
WDBJ, virtual channel 7, is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, United States and also serving Lynchburg. The station is owned by Gray Television, as part of a duopoly with Danville-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate WZBJ ; it is also sister to Lynchburg-licensed low-powered, Class A station WZBJ-CD. The three stations share studios on Hershberger Road in northwest Roanoke; WDBJ and WZBJ share transmitter facilities on Poor Mountain in Roanoke County.
The festival was initially funded through a grant from the Science Festival Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and Appalachian Power.
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is an American philanthropic nonprofit organization. It was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., then-President and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors.
