Contacting Us
How do we contact you about Science Festivals?
Please click
here to email us, or call us at 1-800-561-5161 for information.
Registering for the Festival
When does online or faxed registration close?
Registration normally closes at 2 pm (Pacific time) on the Friday before a Saturday festival and 5pm (Pacific time) on the Friday before a Sunday festival. This is subject to change for each festival, and the exact time will be shown on the festival registration page. Please remember also that festivals sometimes sell out fast (early registration is encouraged), and so registration may in fact close days before the event. There is no on-site registration.
I just registered online but got a blank screen after I submitted my credit card information. Am I
registered?
When that happens, please call us at 1-800-561-5161 to check whether your submission got successfully
processed. If not, you may have to register again.
The festival is very soon. Can I register today and still mail in my check?
Yes, if you fax us a copy of the check, after arranging this with our registration staff, before the close of registration. Our fax number is on the festival registration form.
Will I get credit card confirmation?
If you call or email us to request it, we will email you a confirmation when your credit card has been charged.
Can boys register for a Science Festival?
Yes. But they should be aware that the vast majority of the attendees will be girls.
Can my 3rd or 9th grader attend?
The level of the Science Festivals has been carefully designed for 5th to 8th graders. You may find that the Workshops are either above or below your 3rd or 9th grader’s abilities.
I'm a parent--if I'm just bringing my child and staying until she's finished do I have to register
and pay?
Yes - you'll be able hear the featured talk, wander the street fair, and eat lunch. You are also encouraged to sign up for an informative adult workshop.
Do I have to pay to attend just the featured talk?
Yes - you will need a name badge to get into the featured talk. You'll receive the name badge as part of the check-in process, and it also entitles you to lunch and access to the Street Fair.
Do you offer a group discount?
No, we don't.
Do you offer Festival scholarships for those in financial need?
Thanks to our generous sponsors, there are limited scholarships available for some festivals. Please
call us at 1-800-561-5161 for further information.
If I register, but then am unable to attend the Festival, can I transfer my registration to someone
else?
Yes. Your friend can check in under your name and use your badge. Unfortunately, you won't be able to
change the workshop selections.
Security
Is there security?
Yes. There are usually approximately 2-3 uniformed security and 2-3 plainclothes security patrols at the Festival. We also issue name badges on lanyards to all attendees, and monitor the grounds for people without name badges.
Workshops
Can my daughter get the same workshops as her friends?
Workshops are assigned on a "first come, first served" basis. We cannot guarantee workshop choices, but if she signs up for the same workshops as her friends, we will do our best to place them together. There will be a better chance of each getting the same workshops if they register together, and choose the same workshops in the same order.
I registered before workshops were available. How and when do I select my workshops?
Workshops are generally posted online 3 weeks before the festival. At that time, you'll be sent an email with a special URL and a passcode. You must then go to that URL, enter your passcode, and make your selections. We strongly recommend doing this as soon as you get the notification, as this will help you get your workshop choices. Please remember to check your junk mail and bulk mail folders at this time, in case the E-mail is routed there.
When will I find out what workshops I've been assigned?
You will be notified via the E-mail address you provided us, in the week leading up to the festival. When you pick up your name badge at the check-in booth at the festival, your choices will also appear on the badge. Once workshops are assigned, they cannot be changed (we do our best to give you your priority choices). It’s very important therefore to double-check that you give us your correct E-mail address when registering.
Can I change my workshops on the day of the festival?
Unfortunately, due to capacity limits, we are not able to amend workshop placements.
Can I stay with my children in their workshops?
Each workshop has limited space in the classroom, so only students can attend the student workshops. If parents attend there is less space for students, and we’ve also found that parents tend to inhibit the interactions between the students and the presenters. But don’t worry, we have helpers assigned to each workshop who will stay with the group through the entire workshop and lead them back to the Street Fair.
I'm an adult. If I register but don't want to attend a workshop, what is there for me to
do?
The Street Fair is a great day out in itself, as is the featured talk. You’ll also have a chance to buy gifts at the Sally Ride Science Store booth. Nevertheless, we encourage adults to select workshops in case they decide they want to attend one at the last moment.
Featured Talk
When does the featured talk begin?
Normally at 12:45 pm, after lunch. You must have picked up your name badge before then in order to attend.
How long is the talk?
Normally one hour, with lots of time for questions.
Lunch and the Street Fair
Do you offer a vegetarian option for lunch?
Always!
What exactly goes on at the street fair? What kinds of vendors do you have? Are there
giveaways?
The street fair usually has music, and about 30 booths and exhibits (for example: making slime, looking through telescopes). Some of the booths have giveaways; there are no outside vendors, but there is a Sally Ride Science merchandise booth with t-shirts, books and other items.
Are books available for purchase at the street fair?
Yes. There will be a booth with Sally’s books and other Sally Ride Science items (including t-shirts) available.
Directions, Parking and Drop-off/Pick-up
Is there parking close to the Festival?
We try to arrange parking as close to the Festival as possible.
Will I have to pay for parking?
No, we arrange for free parking at the venue and specify the designated free areas online on the festival “directions” page.
When will directions and parking information be up on website?
They are normally posted by the Monday before the festival.
Can I drop my children off at the Festival?
Yes, you can. They’ll be very safe. We have
over 50 helpers at each Festival who take the girls to and from each Workshop, and bring them back to the Street Fair after
the Workshops.
Each helper has a Festival ID badge. You may also want to pre-arrange a designated pick-up area with
your child for the end of the Festival at 4:30pm.
Offers to help
Can I help at a Festival?
We appreciate all offers of help! Please call us at 1-800-561-5161 for further information.
How can my company become a sponsor?
Call us at 1-800-561-5161, and ask for our Director of Business Development. We’d love to have your
company as a supporter.
How can I help spread the word about the festival in my community?
We’d be happy to send you flyers and posters to distribute, or give you other information that would
help you describe the event to others. We can also follow up on any suggestions you have for us.
Click here to contact us by email, or call us at 1-800-561-5161.
Is there a question and answer missing?
Then let us know by calling us at 1-800-561-5161 or
by clicking here to email us.
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