By Linda V. Osborn, Vice-Chair of Science Education Foundation of Indiana

On January 31, 2026, families from across Indiana enjoyed Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a day where STEM took center stage. The arena transformed into an interactive playground filled with discovery, creativity, and hands-on exploration as the Indiana Pacers STEM Fest celebrated its seventh year. With dozens of booths offering everything from engineering challenges to chemistry demonstrations, students had opportunities to experiment, learn, and be inspired.

Celebrate Science Indiana proudly returned for its seventh consecutive year with our booth theme, “Computers and How to Code.” Students explored both the digital logic behind coding and the chemistry of key plastics used in computers.

The specific plastic materials used to make laptops that were discussed included ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and PC – (Polycarbonate) using colorful posters and tactile molecular models crafted from pipe cleaners and beads that the participants could also build. PC was touted as “The Tough Guy” that adds the strength, and ABS was described as “The Shaper” making the material easy to mold into sleek laptop shapes.

Leading by example, we pointed out that the computers used at our booth were all donated by a school that received new ones. We emphasized options for a second life for your old laptops included selling or trade-in, donating, repurposing or using e-waste recycling, since they should never be thrown in the trash. The booth and our give-a-ways of laptop camera covers and “post its” also helped build excitement for SEFI’s fall event, giving families a preview of what’s ahead.

On these computers, kids used drag‑and‑drop blocks to control a character on the screen. To make a cartoon turn around, they combine simple commands that tell the character how to move and which direction to face. To draw in the shyer ones, Andy had a “Magic Trick” on one computer that they could see.
Our booth organizers and volunteers this year included Andy Harris, Robert Yost, Jacob Harris and his fiancé Cora Anson, and Linda Osborn. A special thank you to the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Central Indiana for generously providing a grant for this year’s booth. Their support helped us create an engaging, high‑impact experience that connected hundreds of students with the science behind the technology they use every day.
We’re already gearing up for the next big celebration. Celebrate Science Indiana returns on October 10, 2026, at Exposition Hall at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Join us from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM for a full day of interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and endless opportunities to spark curiosity and creativity. It’s a family-friendly event you won’t want to miss—come explore, discover, and celebrate the wonders of science with us!