STEM in Action – Learn about current science and research in our community! From noon to 4:00 p.m. visitors of all ages can meet volunteers from Coyote Canyon Mammoth Dig and learn what connections they are exploring between the Columbian mammoth and Ice Age floods. From 2:00 until 4:00 p.m. learn about “Hydro and the Grid“ with PNNL STEM Ambassador Penny McKenzie. This is a chance for middle schoolers to adults to meet a STEM professional from our community and understand how their work in cybersecurity is making a positive impact on the world. And Tri-Cities Area Gaming (TAG) is bringing a variety of indoor and outdoor games to try out from 2:00-4:30 p.m.

Celebrate the REACH Museum’s Tenth Anniversary with free admission all day long for local residents!  Come explore the museum and enjoy fun activities.

• About 70% of Washington state’s electricity is generated by hydropower—which utilizes dams to capture river water in a reservoir and releases that water through turbines to create electricity before it continues downstream. If even just one of the dams creating this power was no longer operational, Washington’s energy supply would be significantly impacted. Stable hydropower is critical for maintaining grid security. Teams of cybersecurity engineers, operations staff, modelers, power operators and more work to maintain secure operations at hydropower dams to ensure they continue to supply renewable energy to the grid. Cybersecurity experts at PNNL study systems that help keep dams safe from threats like cyberattacks. Their extensive research involves predicting risks, understanding vulnerabilities, and researching innovative, preventative solutions in order to protect the systems, networks, and programs that enable hydropower dams to provide consistent electricity to the grid.

Thank you to all our free admission day sponsors!