Science Festival to Share New Insight on Sustainability

Two day French-American program seeks to educate, enhance progress



The Scientific Office of the General Consulate of France in Chicago, in partnership with Northwestern University, will be hosting the second annual French-American Science Festival on October 29 and 30. From sustainable bio-energies to the premiere of several youth-directed films on waste and water management, this year’s French-American Science Festival will provide information on its theme of “Sharing Experience, a New Insight on Sustainable Development.”

The 2012 program includes scientific conferences, hands-on activities, films, an informal cafés des sciences discussion series, and workshops. The hands-on section will feature interactive booths examining different fields in biology, chemistry, nanotechnology, and nuclear energy.

The programs are marked by a strong educational focus where science enthusiasts of all ages can learn. Both French and American educational institutions, from the Lycée Français de Chicago to the École Normale Supérieure-Paris, have contributed to this year’s booths. Festival attendees will be able to explore the secrets of DNA, make gold nanoparticles, and handle meteorites among many other activities.

Some of today’s most pressing environmental questions will be discussed and debated by three panels of French and American experts. Through this collaboration, the scientists hope to advance dialogue towards solutions for today’s ecological problems and understand how environmental education and outreach programs can produce lasting positive effects.

The closing event of the festival will be a roundtable discussion at the Alliance Française of Chicago about the future challenges of renewable energy.

For more information on the 2012 French-American Science Festival, please click here: http://www.consulfrance-chicago.org/spip.php?article1675