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Tucson Hebrew Academy’s fifth STEM Festival in the works

At a past Tucson Hebrew Academy STEM festival, a visitor plays an electrical fruit piano. ( www.thastem.com )

“How Things Work” is the theme for Tucson Hebrew Academy’s fifth annual free community STEM Festival on Sunday, April 7.

Many exhibitors from previous years will be returning, along with some exciting new organizations, says Jennifer Lehrfeld, THA’s upper school science/STEM teacher. Vector Launch will invite students to send a note into space on board their next microsatellite launch and, encompassing all aspects of STEM, they will be talking with visitors about the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that go into launching those payloads. Rocketry Works and the Southern Arizona Rocketry Association will once again be launching rockets all day long.

The Fin Foundation will have a shark show-and-tell. Visitors can join flight challenges with HowThingsFly.com. Tucson Appliance will give visitors an inside look at the appliances they use every day and show us the technology that keeps food cold and gets dishes clean. Like cars? Take a peek under the hood at everything from a race car to a solar car to a custom vintage exotic and learn just what makes these cars run.

The festival’s biotechnology exhibit will have prosthetic hands and artificial joints on display as well as replacement heart valves, artificial skin, and other new technologies that can keep us living active, healthy lives. Once again, visitors will have plenty of opportunities to get their hands on a variety of critters with the Tucson Reptile Museum’s friendly reptiles and the cuddly insects from University of Arizona’s Insect Discovery. The exhibitor list is continuing to grow — for updates and more information, visit www.thastem.com/stem-festival.

Gates open at 10 a.m. on the THA campus, 3888 E. River Road.