Host a STEAM event

Host a STEAM event

The COSI Science Festival invites you to join in the fun and showcase the STEAM occurring in your organization.

CSF Community Events: Join the Fun!

Variety of Formats:

CSF Community Events come in many formats. Whether it’s a small, intimate nature walk or tour, or a large, high-profile event with a well-known speaker or a block party, no event is too big or too small for the COSI Science Festival.

Diverse Contributors:

The COSI Science Festival is brought to life by businesses, organizations, museums, cultural and educational institutions, scientists, artists, engineers, designers, and technologists. We invite everyone to host events, contribute content, and show off your STEAM projects. Join us in developing high-impact programs that elevate science literacy in our community and beyond. Collaboration is key to our success!

Celebrate STEAM

All COSI Science Festival events share common bonds: celebrating science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) and their impacts on our world. Festival events are fun, engaging, and show that science is everywhere and for everyone. Join us to demonstrate  the excitement and wonder of STEAM, as well as the career opportunities within your organization.

Interested in hosting an event?

The 2025 Community STEAM Event application window has closed. 

Check out the list of this year's events here.

Benefits of Participation:

Increased Appreciation for STEAM:

In 2024, the COSI Science Festival saw over 81,000 attendees. A thorough evaluation indicated that attendees gained an increased appreciation for STEAM and a broader view of STEAM career options. 

Increase Community Visibility:

A key component of the COSI Science Festival is showcasing the impressive array of STEAM opportunities in the region and beyond. This includes research at colleges and universities, career paths at local companies, and neighborhood resources. We aim to foster an appreciation for STEAM and its interconnected benefits to our daily lives. Your work is an integral part of this mission. Hosting an event connects visitors with the idea that there is science (in all its forms) in what your organization accomplishes.

Gain New Audiences:

Ohio loves the COSI Science Festival, attracting tens of thousands of attendees each year, but it goes beyond attendance numbers. Our vision is to engage, inspire, and transform lives by making STEAM learning accessible to all. COSI serves as a hub for families, teachers, and students, equipping them with the tools and knowledge for lifelong learning. We need to create a STEAM-literate community that can thrive in the digital economy and tackle 21st-century challenges. 

Connect with Science, Cultural, and Educational Institutions:

The COSI Science Festival is a central point of connection for people and organizations passionate about STEAM education. By participating in the festival, you can grow these connections, create new ideas for exciting events, and collaborate to share the importance of STEAM with the public. Join the fun and let’s see what we can achieve together. 

Event Host Timeline:

Event Categories:

Science is Everywhere! A primary goal of the COSI Science Festival is to ensure quality science engagement opportunities take place throughout Ohio. While a wide array of formats are possible, events typically fall into one or more of these categories.

Be A Scientist Series: Showcase the amazing STEAM work you do! These events offer behind-the-scenes access to labs, museums, nature centers, and more, inviting the public to see what STEAM professionals do daily. It’s a fun and immersive way to engage the community and ignite curiosity about science.

Adult Science Series: Bring science to life for adults with engaging talks, hands-on experiments, and social fun. Whether 21+ or just for mature audiences, your event will prove it’s never too late to enjoy science. Cocktails, mingling, and curiosity await—make science an adventure at any age! 

Creative Sparks: There’s a commonality of creativity driving both arts and science—both solve problems and connect us to our world. Highlighting this connection makes science more accessible. Whether you have a performing scientist or an artist painting murals, we’re excited to share their stories with the public. Let’s inspire together! 

Science Block Party: Invite the whole neighborhood for a science block party with music, food trucks, and hands-on science stations. These large-scale events are fun, engaging opportunities to bring science to everyone. Let’s create a memorable community experience that celebrates the excitement of discovery! 

Career Lab: Discover your future in a STEAM career! Dive into hands-on workshops, career fairs, and expert-led panels where you’ll connect with industry leaders, develop real-world skills, and explore exciting career paths in science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Whether you’re a student or young professional, these experiences will spark your curiosity and help you build the skills needed to shape tomorrow’s workforce. Get ready to unlock your potential and take the first step toward a bright future in STEAM! 
 
Have an event idea that doesn’t fit in one of the above categories? Not a problem. You can always submit a proposal for any event idea that you have.

Want more in-depth information?

View our COSI Science Festival Partner Guide

CSF Partner Guide

Create an Impactful Event: Events, no matter their size, can leave a lasting impression on attendees. What important topic related to your organization’s mission would you like to share? We recommend hosting events after school hours for maximum attendance, but the time, topic, and format are ultimately up to you. Choose what aligns best with your organization’s goals and audience. We love new ideas, but a repeatable event can be just as impactful..

Promote Your Event and the Festival: Get the word out! Once you’ve planned your event, it’s time to tell everyone about it. COSI will provide you with a toolkit to help with advertising, but we encourage event hosts to work with us on promotion. Use social media posts, emails, and signage to attract a crowd and create buzz. 

Easy Application Process: Applying is simple, but there are a few key steps to follow. As we gear up for the COSI Science Festival, meeting deadlines is crucial. Timely information helps us both advertise your event effectively to the public.  

  • Showcase Your Passion: Your event should reflect your organization’s mission and passions. We’re excited to provide feedback if you need it. Every industry has something amazing to share. 
  • STEAM Focus: Your event should prominently feature science, technology, engineering, art, and/or mathematics. Don’t be afraid to try something new, but repeat ideas can also work well.  
  • Host Responsibilities: You are responsible for all aspects of the event, including organization, content, staffing, costs, etc.
  • Timing: Events should occur during the COSI Science Festival. Events that start before but end during the Festival might be acceptable. Avoid scheduling events on the last day during the Big Science Celebration at COSI.
  • Event Location: In-person events are usually held in Ohio, but virtual events are also welcome. Have an idea for an event outside Ohio? Let’s chat! Email us at [email protected]. 
  • Public Access: Events should be open to the public, with free events encouraged. When planning your event, consider the audience, transportation, timing, and parking. Special consideration will be given to events that bring science to underserved communities.
  • Event Costs: Free events are preferred, but free events with paid admission (e.g., museum entry) are acceptable. Ticketed events should only cover production costs. We usually can’t support fundraising events for other causes. 
  • Provide Feedback: You agree to give COSI the requested feedback on your event. 
  • Non-Commercial: Festival organizers may reject excessively commercial events and reserve the right to reject any event for any reason. 

COSI Science Festival organizers work with hosts to maximize attendance and ensure that every event meets Festival standards. To assist hosts, the Science Festival will provide:

  • Larger Audience: It goes beyond just increasing attendance numbers. The COSI Science Festival aims to connect new audiences with the idea that science is in your work. COSI’s brand helps make that connection, showcasing what you do while celebrating the benefits it brings to us all.  
  • Marketing Toolkit: This assists in advertising your event, and includes marketing strategy, promotional materials, signage, and a simple how-to if you aren’t a marketing professional.  
  • Event Promotion: Promote events on the COSI Science Festival website, via COSI social media feeds, and through a robust, statewide marketing campaign. 
  • STEAM Experts: Feel like your idea needs some extra expert power? Let us know, and we’ll work to find knowledgeable scientists that can assist.  
  • COSI Representative: We aim to send a COSI representative to your event. However, please ensure that the event programming focuses on your organization and team. With so many events going on, our representative’s attendance is not guaranteed.  
  • Festival Swag: Everyone loves free stuff – we provide hosts with COSI Science Festival swag.  
  • Festival Impact Report: This can be used for grant applications and other organizational needs. 
     

Possible events include tours, science cafes, family science events, exhibitions, performances, hands-on activities, and many more. Please see the 2024 Event Archive for more examples.

The COSI Science Festival team will review submitted events and ensure they meet our selection criteria. Events that meet the selection criteria are named “Official Events.” If a proposed event does not meet the selection criteria, Festival staff will contact the event organizer to suggest modifications.

Need help with an event idea?

If you’d like to host an event but need an idea, we can help. The Festival team is happy to consult with members of your organization to discuss event possibilities and to connect you with like-minded STEAM professionals in your region. For more information, please contact: [email protected].