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The popular educational showcase returns to the Rogers K-Rock Centre on May 12 to celebrate innovative science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) projects with the Kingston community. The free, family-oriented event will feature fascinating hands-on exhibits, exciting demonstrations, and a thrilling ‘headlining’ performance and special meet-and-greet with worldwide YouTube sensation .

“We’re very excited to be bringing Science Rendezvous back for the eighth straight year,” says Lynda Colgan, Professor in the Faculty of Education and lead event organizer. “With the support of people, families, schools, and businesses across Kingston, the event has grown by leaps and bounds, allowing us connect more Kingstonians with fun, inspiring, and educational opportunities.”

With the help of 375 local volunteers, Science Rendezvous hosted over 4,400 visitors last year, with as many or more expected to attend the upcoming event. An extensive complement of exciting presenters will be on hand, including: an interactive visual exhibition by – a Canadian non-profit celebrating connections between art and science; a chemistry magic show by the Department of Chemistry; a ‘magic mirror’ decoder game with Math Midway and; a life-sized replica of Leonardo DaVinci’s self-supporting bridge created by the .

There will also be stage shows, robotics demonstrations, virtual reality sessions, large-scale experiments, science games, and more. Ontario’s own Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown of AsapSCIENCE will be doing a 30-minute performance in which they will break down some of science’s weirdest questions and inexplicable phenomena.

“There is something for everyone at Science Rendezvous,” says Dr. Colgan. “Whatever your interests, we try to share a wide variety of thought-provoking exhibits designed to delight and excite the young and young at heart.”

The first 2,000 families to arrive at this year’s event in Kingston will receive a take-home booklet filled with experiments that can be done at home, as well as a free tote bag – some of which will contain additional prizes, like passes to local museums, merchandise, and more.

“It’s also been very important to me for this event to remain free for everyone year in and year out, because everyone deserves to learn and to experience the wonder of the world around us,” says Dr. Colgan. “I want to extend my gratitude to all of those people who are working to make this year’s Science Rendezvous the best one yet. I’d like to especially thank the Queen’s Office of the Provost and Office of the Vice-Principal (Research) for their support; Rick Mercer for helping to promote the event; local Kingston radio stations 93.5 Country, Kiss 102.7, and K-Rock 105.7 for providing the venue free of charge; and, of course, the staff and management of the Rogers K-Rock Centre for hosting our event.”

Kingston’s event will be one of 300 Science Rendezvous celebrations happening in 30 cities across Canada on May 12, all of which will be marking this year’s theme “Full STEAM ahead!”

For more information on the event please visit the . You can also follow Kingston’s Science Rendezvous on and for the latest updates.