Vision and Mission
The North Bay Science Discovery Day is a public, free, non-commercial youth science festival held in Santa Rosa, California. More than 80 companies, agencies, schools, nonprofits, clubs, and others offer over 100 engaging hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities designed for youth aged 9 to 14; the festival is open to all ages! Discovery Day started in 2011 by U.C. San Francisco and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging; U.C. Agriculture and Natural Resources began co-hosting with the Buck Institute in 2019.
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Vision
A world where all youth enjoy STEM, recognize the intrinsic and practical value of STEM, are workforce ready, are civically engaged and scientifically literate, and able to harness the power of science as a tool to contribute to solving complex environmental, economic, and social issues.
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Mission
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To spark young people’s wonder and curiosity about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM);
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To strengthen the San Francisco North Bay’s STEM learning ecosystem; and
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To connect the STEM industry, education, and public sectors to deepen and sustain young people’s STEM learning.
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Core Values
From the start in 2011, the North Bay Science Discovery Day has consistently been true to core values. As a result, the festival has developed an excellent reputation as a wonderful event for the community.
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The festival is completely free (including parking) and available to any who show up at the gates.
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The target audience is youth of 4th through 8th grades and designed to engage all ages.
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Exhibitor's participation is accepted based on its ability to engage kids in meaningful ways as well as the quality and appropriateness of STEM content.
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The festival is a non-commercial event; exhibitors do not engage in selling items or fund raising.
Origin and History
The North Bay Science Discovery Day began in 2011 with the inspiration of the North Bay Leadership Council and a National Science Foundation grant through University of California, San Francisco's Bay Area Science Festival. The Buck Institute for Research on Aging recruited a volunteer team.
In 2019, the event host transitioned to the University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources 4-H Youth Development Program.
​​National Science Foundation Awards
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Science Festival Alliance (NSF DRL-0840333)
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Broad Implementation of Science Festival Alliance (NSF DRL-1223170)
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EvalFest: Evaluation Use, Value and Learning through Festivals of Science and Technology (NSF DRL-1423050).
The National Science Foundation supported a series of initiatives to establish and expand science festivals across the United States, aiming to increase public engagement with science and technology, particularly among underserved communities. Initially launched through major science festivals in San Diego, San Francisco, Cambridge, and Philadelphia, the effort led to the creation of the Science Festival Alliance, a national network that now supports over 50 festivals annually, reaching millions. These festivals celebrate science through accessible, community-centered events involving scientists, artists, educators, and local institutions. Follow-up funding supported the broad implementation of the Alliance and the development of tools and strategies to engage low-income and diverse audiences. A separate project, EvalFest, developed evaluation tools and a multi-site assessment model to better understand festival impact and improve practice across the informal STEM education field. Together, these efforts helped embed science festivals into local culture, created sustained professional networks, and generated a robust evaluation framework to support the field’s growth and effectiveness.
​2011 - 1st annual
Our first year in 2011 we welcomed 4,000 visitors
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2012 - 2nd annual
In 2012 we had 8,000 visitors
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2013 - 3rd annual
In 2013 there were 10,000 visitors. The North Bay Business Journal provided an "After Hours" full-page spread about our 2013 Discovery Day.
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2014 - 4th annual
In 2014 there were over 14,000 visitors
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The Press Democrat has an on-line collection of beautiful photos from our November 1, 2014, event.
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Soroptimist International of Novato produced "A Sounding Board" conversation with Julie Mangada, PhD, and Don Pierce, MD, about the extremely successful Science fair which drew more than 10,000 people interested in Science.
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2015 - 5th annual
In 2015 there were over 14,000 visitors. The Press Democrat wrote about the event in October 2015.
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2016 - 6th annual
In 2016, in spite of the rain, we had at least 15,000
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KWMR West Marin Community Radio interviewed Carole Bennett and Lyman Black in September 2016.
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Soroptimist International of Novato produced "A Sounding Board" conversation with Dr. Julie Mangada, a Buck Institute scientist, and Lyman Black, a Civil Engineer, about the upcoming science fair and enrichment day which inspires thousands of kids to get excited about STEM.
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2017 - 7th annual
In 2017 following the horrific Tubbs fire, the community requested that we go ahead as planned. Our attendance was lower at 10,000, but they were most appreciative of some kind of wholesome distraction.
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2018 - 8th annual
​In 2018 our numbers returned to 15,000 attendees being involved with over 120 hands-on activities.
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2019 - Cancelled due to wildfire
In 2019, the NBSDD was cancelled moments before opening at 10am because the venue was called on to be used as an evacuation center for the Kincade fire.
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The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors recognized the North Bay Science Discovery Day at a meeting on October 8, 2019.
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NBSDD Newsletter October 16, 2019 "Discovery Day is only DAYS away!
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Educators October 14, 2019 "Get ready for another fabulous Discovery Day!"
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Educators September 23, 2019 "Teacher prep for Oct 26 Discovery Day"
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2021 - 9th annual (virtual)
The Committee discussed concerns over the fact that the last three Discovery Days were impacted by wildfires. In 2017 and 2018, the event was impacted by poor air quality. In 2019, the fairgrounds became an emergency evacuation center, leading to the cancellation of our event just minutes before opening. The event has grown too large for any other location in the North Bay. As a result, we changed the NBSDD to a Spring event to be held March 13, 2021, at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a shift to a smaller virtual format, with 18 organizations offering 30 unique events (38 events total, some were repeated).
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2022 - May 15 - 10th annual
Return to a place-based event, originally scheduled for March 12 but pushed to May 15.
Estimated attendance was 6,000 attendees participated in 60 hands-on activities in
Grace Pavilion and Shade Park.
May 1, 2022
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2023 - March 11 - 11th annual
The 11th annual Science Discovery Day was held on March 11, 2023 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. We estimate attendance between 8,000—10,000 attendees (even with rain!) participating in 100 hands-on STEM activities offered by 70 organizations.
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2024 - March 9 - 12th annual
Thank you to the 52 sponsors, 75 exhibitors (with 120 hands-on activities), and 150 volunteers who made the 2024 festival a success for 10,000 attendees!​
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2025 - March 8 - 13th annual
Nearly 12,000 attendees—children and adults—joined us for the 13th annual North Bay Science Discovery Day! This incredible event was made possible by 72 sponsors, 107 exhibitors (offering 150+ hands-on activities), and 150 dedicated volunteers. We deeply appreciate your commitment to igniting young people's passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
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