Galaxy Festival, Where Culture and Science Ignite
Get ready for an out-of-this world experience as Friends of James Weldon Johnson Park and The ScienceSIS are proud to announce, “Galaxy Fest, Where Culture and Science Ignite”, presented by JTA, on Saturday, September 9, 2023, from 11am to 4pm. Galaxy Fest is a science festival for girls of color in our community, which will provide them with the opportunity to engage with women STEM professionals, explore interactive exhibits, participate in hands-on activities, and immerse themselves in captivating demonstrations. Our goal is to inspire and empower youth to pursue their passions and to provide them with the resources, role models and support they need to succeed in STEM fields.
Galaxy Fest is based on the website called The ScienceSIS, which Erica Willie started around the kitchen table, creating experiments, and sharing her love of science with her three girls. This Festival will, quite literally, blow those homemade experiments up into a spectacular event!
“I created The ScienceSis to try to reverse the gender and race bias I kept experiencing in my own journey as a Software Engineer and Tech Account Executive,” said Willie. “Girls and Women of Color are less likely to have role models and mentors which will make it harder for them to vision themselves in STEM fields. Addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort to increase representation, and Galaxy Fest will do so with a day of fun filled events.”
This Festival is proudly sponsored by JTA, UF Health Jacksonville, Custom Strategic Solutions, Roberts Civil Engineering, Root Realty, Equitable Advisors, and Scratchwork. Additional sponsorships are available and will be announced at a later date.
The Festival is free to attend and family and multi-culturally friendly. Food Trucks and concessions will be available for purchase. Some seating will be available, but event goers are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs.
Galaxy Fest: Where Culture and Science Ignite will take place on Saturday, September 9, 2023, 11am-4pm at James Weldon Johnson Park 135 W Monroe Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202
