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The statewide celebration aims to make science accessible for all
NORTH CAROLINA — Celebrating its 15th year, the North Carolina Science Festival (NCSciFest) is proud to announce nonprofit research institute RTI International as presenting sponsor for the next three years from 2025 through 2027.
“We are thrilled to welcome RTI International as a multi-year presenting sponsor of the North Carolina Science Festival,” said Todd Boyette, co-founder of NCSciFest and director of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. “Their dedication to STEM-based solutions makes for an ideal partnership as we foster a passion for science across the state of North Carolina.”
As the country’s premier statewide celebration of science, this year’s theme is “Everyday, Everywhere, Everyone.” The 2025 season aims to encourage audiences to see that science is in their daily lives, extends far beyond the confines of laboratory settings and is accessible to all.
“Engaging as a multi-year presenting sponsor for NCSciFest demonstrates RTI’s commitment to STEM education in North Carolina,” said RTI President and CEO Tim J. Gabel. “The festival is a perfect fit to reach new audiences and ignite curiosity about science education. Investing in public education and STEM pipelines is critical for the state’s growth, development and innovation trajectory.”
RTI will play a pivotal role in public engagement throughout the year as a multi-year presenting sponsor. Last year’s festival included 1,040 events, engaging 196,712 participants in all 100 North Carolina counties.
Key festival initiatives facilitate meaningful interactions between educators, scientists, students, partners, sponsors and the public including: STEMville Science Spectacular, Duke Energy Science Nights, Statewide Star Party, Science for All Summit, the UNC Science Expo and SciMatch, where science professionals join classrooms for hands-on learning.
Hundreds of new events are currently being planned and will be announced in February 2025. NCSciFest has reached more than 3.6 million participants of all ages, in every county in the state since it was established in 2010 by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.
Learn more about NCSciFest
About North Carolina Science Festival
Founded in 2010, the North Carolina Science Festival is the first statewide science festival in the United States. Through a series of community-based events each April (hosted by schools, colleges, libraries, museums, parks, businesses, and other local organizations), NCSciFest celebrates the economic, educational, and cultural impacts of science in North Carolina. It is an initiative of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For more information, please visit ncscifest.org.
About RTI International
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach — one that integrates expertise across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering and international development. We believe in the promise of science, and we are inspired every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities and businesses around the world. For more information, visit www.rti.org.
About Morehead Planetarium and Science Center
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is a unit of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Morehead serves North Carolina and beyond by bringing together the unique resources of UNC to engage the public for an enhanced understanding of science.
