The Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF) at the University of Washington (UW) partnered with UPWARDS for the Future during Engineering Discovery Days, hosted by UW’s College of Engineering. This free, two-day event is designed for more than 10,000 4th –8th grade students from across Washington state and features hands-on activities that showcase the exciting work of engineers. WNF hosted a booth where participants had the opportunity to step into the world of micro- and nanofabrication, experimenting with lithography using UV flashlights and photosensitive paper, spin coating with paint, and thinfilm deposition on a tabletop sputter system. And for the full cleanroom experience, guests even suited up in real cleanroom gear.

WNF Undergraduate Research Assistants (URAs) and UPWARDS fellows engaged directly with students during the event.

“I was thrilled to participate in Discovery Day as an UPWARDS Fellow at the WNF booth, sharing the science and engineering behind nanofabrication with students from 4th –8th grade!” said Yueyao Fan, UPWARDS fellow and PhD student within UW’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering.

“As someone who works almost exclusively in theoretical science, this kind of outreach is especially exciting and meaningful to me. Translating nanoscale ideas into hands-on demonstrations was such a fun challenge, and seeing young students light up with curiosity, ask creative questions, and engage with science so naturally was incredibly rewarding,” said Fan.