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After three years without the celebration of all things Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math, the Umpqua Valley STEAM Hub is bringing the hands-on experience back to Umpqua Community College on Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event is free and will have activities for all ages and a free food truck. The activities range from a pipe organ demonstration to taking apart appliances and electronics to building and testing robots. There is a mini makers station with activities for preschool-aged to about first-grade-aged children with some literary references. There will also be groups talking about aviation and radio as hobbies. The Aviva Health mobile unit will also be out there to talk about family health and wellness.

"Its primary purpose is to bring together a whole collection of partners and organizations across the county that have some touch to STEAM education," said Gwen Soderberg-Chase, Director of the Umpqua Valley STEAM Hub and Douglas County Partners for Student Success. "Within the activities, everybody has a chance to share who they are and what they do, and at the same time, engage families and kids in STEAM thinking activities."

The last time the event was held in 2019, the STEAM Hub estimated about 750 people attended. Soderberg-Chase said she doesn't anticipate having quite that many due to the break but is confident anyone who does attend will enjoy it as much as they would have in previous years. 

"It's a great day out on the UCC Campus!" Soderberg-Chase said. "It brings families out to a safe and healthy event with lots of activities for kids and families of all ages. It also lets the community see how many different organizations and entities offer opportunities for kids to explore different STEAM activities, STEAM learning, and, eventually, careers. We want to send the message that it's all interconnected."

Soderberg-Chase said families in the past have told her they wanted to spend the whole day at the event.

The first STEAM Extravaganza was held in 2017 and it has grown to include more community partners. Soderberg-Chase said she hopes to have more businesses that could be future employers bringing career-related, hands-on activities in the future.

STEAM Extravaganza Returns

The dark red Super Flower Full Moon will be rising in total eclipse on Sunday, May 15, and Umpqua Community College is inviting the community watch from the Paul Morgan Observatory for the first time in two years. Weather permitting, the observatory telescopes will project images of the eclipse onto a large digital screen showcasing the event in real-time for public viewing.

The moon will be near its perigee, or closest point to Earth, making it seem a bit larger in the sky, a phenomenon known as a supermoon. During the eclipse, the moon will be 225,015 miles from Earth. Additionally, the May full moon is sometimes known as a flower moon in the Northern Hemisphere, a tribute to the colorful blooms that appear in early spring.

The public is invited to the free Lunar Eclipse Stargaze event, weather permitting, from 8:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., Sunday, May 15, at the Paul Morgan Observatory, Umpqua Community College, in Roseburg. Dress warmly, and bring folding chairs, binoculars, and blankets. Parking is available in the lower lot near the Technology Center. The observatory is handicap accessible and designed for wheelchair viewing of the digital screen.

“This is the only active digital observatory in the northwest and only one of two community colleges with an observatory," Associate Professor of Astronomy Paul Morgan said in a press release. "Everyone will be able to see the moon up close without having to stand or climb up to look through the telescopes."

Eclipse totality begins at 8:29 p.m., with the moon rising in the southeast at 8:25 p.m. The moon will clear the hills in the southeast within the first 20-30 minutes, and visitors will be rewarded with a blood moon climbing slowly into view, rising from the hills south of Mount Scott, and totality will last nearly another hour until 9:54 p.m. The total eclipse concludes at 10:54 p.m. with the reappearance of the brilliant Super Flower Full Moon. 

STEAM Extravaganza Returns

Paul Morgan Observatory Opens for Full Red Moon