Badger Talk – ACORNS (Activities for Community Outreach in STEM)

This is a free, in-person talk hosted on October 17, 2026 at 1:00 PM by Iron Ridge Public Library in Iron Ridge, WI. Registration is encouraged, but not required. More info to come on how to register. There will be no virtual option for this event. This event is a part of the Wisconsin Science Festival!

Studies show that feelings of belonging are the number one indicator of retention in STEM. The ability of students to see themselves in STEM spaces is crucial to building this sense of belonging. At the same time, students are only able to envision themselves as scientists in as much as they are doing science. An ACORNS program is a highly interactive, tactile STEM-themed activity. These could include modeling planet formation with ice cream and cookies, exploring stellar fusion with the ingredients of s’mores, and measuring the speed of light using a chocolate bar.

This shift from a lecture-style format to a hands-on, student-led dialogue allows for an immersive STEM experience, highlighting both that science can be fun, accessible, and messy, but also that anyone is capable of doing it, regardless of expertise. Science is a state of mind, defined by curiosity–and every person has plenty of that.

Zach Lewis is a graduate student in astronomy at UW-Madison. His research focuses on the evolution of elements inside galaxies. He uses JWST observations of distant galaxies to characterize how stars produce elements and eject them into their host galaxy, and how those elements then escape the galaxy or form new stars.

Registration link coming soon!