In 2010, the Drexel University and University of Pennsylvania Departments of Materials Science and Engineering were selected to be one of 15 outreach coalitions across the country helping promote PBS/NOVA’s Making Stuff, a TV series developed to take viewers on an exciting tour of the material world we live in, and what may lie ahead.
This initial collaboration resulted in the first Philly Materials Science and Engineering Day held at Drexel on February 5, 2011. This free, public event uses hands-on activities and demonstrations to introduce people to the world of materials science and engineering and give a sense of the excitement that comes with STEM exploration.
Because of the positive reception the first event received, Drexel and Penn have continued to hold Philly Materials Day annually on the first Saturday in February, and have involved additional key collaborators, such as The Franklin Institute, Science History Institute and Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Saturday, February 1, 2020 marked the 10th anniversary of Philly Materials Day, which featured over 30 hands-on demonstrations and several 45-minute workshops for ages 10+ and 14+ that provided an in-depth exploration of how materials shape our world.
When it became clear an in-person event would be out of the question for 2021, the Philly Materials Day collaborating organizations turned their disappointment into an opportunity to share the amazing world of materials with an even broader audience through this virtual Philly Materials Day online experience.
If you’ve never attended a Philly Materials Day event, we hope this site sparks your interest and gives you a sense of the broad impact materials have on every aspect of daily life. For visitors who are familiar with Philly Materials Day, we hope this is a fun way to revisit some of your favorite experiences of the event and add something new to your understanding of the field. We look forward to inviting all of you back to join us in person when it is safe to do so!
