Northwestern Michigan College (NMC), Exploring, and the Michigan Crossroads Council are partnering to host the Mission One STEM Expo, scheduled for next weekend at NMC’s Parsons-Stulen Building. The event will feature interactive family-friendly displays and demonstrations, a can satellite launch, and a keynote lecture. Admission is free for all attendees.
 
The Mission One STEM Expo will run from 12-4pm on Saturday, June 9. The main expo event will feature display booths from numerous local STEM experts, in fields ranging from aviation to nuclear science to weather to drones. Each display is designed to be interactive and engaging for audiences of all ages.
 
The main expo will also feature the launch of a CanSat, a fully functional satellite system built into a soft drink can. The launch will take place at 2pm and is expected to take the CanSat to an altitude of 100,000 feet or more.
 
The lecture event will take place later in the evening on Saturday, at 7pm at Milliken Auditorium. The keynote speaker is Greg Johnson, a former NASA astronaut and a veteran of two space flights. Johnson’s lecture will focus on the importance of innovation and “the spirit of adventure,” as well as his own experiences. As with the expo, the lecture is free and open to the public.
 
The Mission One STEM Expo will also include a welcome dinner at Black Star Farms on Friday evening. This part of the event is a benefit dinner that will support efforts to foster STEM education in northern Michigan. The dinner will also honor businesses and individuals who are already working to create new STEM opportunities and careers in the area. Click here to learn more about the dinner or here to learn more about the lecture.