Set in the university’s 10,000-seat Convocation Center, the event features dozens of museums, educators, national labs and corporations presenting hundreds of displays, activities and performances, all aimed at educating, entertaining and inspiring the thousands of students and adults in attendance.

Robots on wheels sound cool to you? STEMfest has them. How about an ultra-high-mileage vehicle that gets 1,265 mpg? They’ve got that too. The list of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – attractions goes on and on.

The fifth annual STEMfest was held on Oct. 18, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory once again participated as an exhibitor. Argonne had two booths that featured displays and activities, and Argonne researchers presented the lab’s ​“Energy Slam” show on the STEMfest stage.

In addition to offering a fun Saturday for those in attendance, STEMfest also has the larger goals of increasing awareness of the critical role STEM fields play in our world every day and encouraging students to explore careers in STEM fields.

“Argonne’s future workforce will need to explore the world like a scientist, design solutions like an engineer, all with tools and technology that has yet to be invented,” said Meridith Bruozas, Manager of Educational Programs and Outreach at Argonne. ​“NIU STEMfest provides families and teachers opportunities to spark student curiosity and passion for science and engineering to keep them on the STEM path.”

There is no shortage of data that illustrates how important it is for the U.S. to promote STEM education and to give American students every opportunity to explore STEM careers.

According to the U.S. Commerce Department, STEM job creation over the next 10 years will outpace non-STEM jobs significantly, growing 17 percent, as compared with 9.8 percent for non-STEM positions. The Commerce Dept. also reports that people in STEM fields can expect to earn 26 percent more money on average and be less likely to experience job loss.

However, international results released in 2010 showed that U.S. students ranked well below many foreign competitors in the crucial areas of math and science. The rankings from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development showed American students scored 17^th in science achievement and 25^th in math ability out of 65 countries. According to the National Assessment of Education Progress, the ​“Nation’s Report Card,” only one percent of U.S. fourth-grade and 12^th-grade students and two percent of eighth-grade students scored in the highest level of proficiency in science. The prestigious World Economic Forum ranks the U.S. No. 48 in quality of math and science education.

These trends have serious implications for the U.S. economy. A 2011 Harvard University study concluded that the U.S. could increase GDP growth per capita by enhancing its students’ math skills. Over an 80-year period, economic gains from increasing the percentage of math-proficient students to Canadian or Korean levels would increase the annual U.S. growth rate by 0.9 percentage points and 1.3 percentage points, respectively. That increase could yield $75 trillion.

Given the numbers, it’s easy to see why so many organizations believe it’s important to participate in an event like STEMfest, which drew more than 6,000 people in 2014.

At its STEMfest booths, Argonne offered demonstrations, hands-on activities, poster displays, educational/informational handouts and the opportunity to speak with Argonne scientists and engineers.

In the ​“Energy Slam” show, four Argonne researchers each presented for 10 minutes on a different energy source he/she researches — solar, wind, nuclear and biofuels. At the end of the presentations, the audience voted via applause on which of the four made the best case for his/her energy source and earned the title of Energy Slam Champion (engineer J’Tia Taylor won the audience vote with her case for nuclear).

“Connecting with the next generation is not just rewarding, it’s refreshing and – in my view – our responsibility as scientists,” said Argonne nanoscientist Seth Darling, who represented solar in the Energy Slam. ​“Speaking to an audience is great, but interacting one-on-one with kids from neighborhoods all around Chicagoland at STEMfest left a lasting impression with everyone involved.”

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.