At the Las Vegas Science and Technology Festival, science and technology are multifaceted fun.

Hands-on workshops, outdoor activities, tours and public talks occur throughout the nine days of this annual festival, presented by the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. All festival events are free.

Started in 2011, the Festival has become the largest educational event in Nevada. Collaborators include the Clark County School District and the National Park Service,. A committee of community volunteers help to run the event.

Programming is designed to make science and technology accessible and engaging to everyone–including guests who don’t consider themselves primarily “science” or “tech” oriented. Art workshops, Aquarium tours, family crafts, hiking, and the BattleBots competition are just a few of more than 60 events that will span the nine days of this year’s Las Vegas Science and Technology Festival, which begins on Friday, April 26th, and runs through Saturday, May 4th.

And the ultimate goal: to continue to educate tomorrow’s innovators, towards becoming a part of Nevada’s growing STEM community.

“Our goal really is to spark an interest in STEM careers,” says Las Vegas Science and Technology Festival Director Alexandra Liebman.

“It’s…what happens outside the classroom, that can impact the students’ interest.”

Alex talked about some of the upcoming Festival events, what’s involved in the preparations, and the ways the Festival is breaking down barriers to future careers for future community leaders.

On this edition of Over Coffee®we cover:

• How Alex first became involved with the Festival. from her background of marketing and community engagement;

• The story of the Las Vegas Science and Technology Festival;

• What’s happening over the nine days of this year’s Festival;

• Some of the more arts-focused events that will be happening;

• What’s involved in organizing the Festival;

• Some of Alex’s favorite experiences, from last year;

• A preview of the NASA guest who will be speaking on the first evening of the Festival;

• Some of the technology that’s going to be on display;

• What the first day of the Festival will be like, for Alex and the team at the Natural History Museum;

• The most fun Alex had, last year, preparing the Festival;

• How to support the Festival as it continues to grow;