2019 Exhibitors
This year's event takes place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the PEC Arena on the College of DuPage campus in Glen Ellyn, IL. To see what to expect at this year's event, check out our exhibitors descriptions below.
American Chemical Society - Chicago Section
Explore a variety of hands-on chemistry demonstrations, including the processing and
absorbance of various types of paper, and an elemental spectroscopy experiment.
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
Come look at slides of blood from a healthy individual and one with leukemia and slides
of parasites. Also, test fake urine!
Argonne National Laboratory
Our booth will focus on nuclear energy. Participants will engage in a hands-on, interactive
demonstration and activity on fission and the transfer of energy.
Boy Scouts of America, Pathway to Adventure Council
Join us to make-your-own-codebreaker kits. Interested youth can make their own Caesar
Cipher kit and learn how it plays a role in cyber security.
Build-a-Blinkie
Blinkie is back! Learn how to solder your very own STEMCON blinkie.
Chicago Area LEGO User Group ("ChiLUG")
Come explore a LEGO Rube Goldberg ball loop display, along with other mechanized LEGO
creations, and also check out our play brick area.
COD Architecture
Use LEGOs to build structures to place on a city map, learning about scale and context as you develop designs for a specific location on the city plan.
COD Biology
Observe bacteria with a light microscope, and, through the use of Glo-Germ lotion
and an ultraviolet light, learn about the journey of bacteria from our hands to the
hands of others and everything we touch.
COD Biology – Botany
Plants have been used medicinally across the globe to treat a wide variety of illnesses
for thousands of years. Learn about a variety of plants and other beneficial products
that are available without a prescription.
COD Biology – Ecology
While Illinois is known as the "Prairie State," less than 0.01 percent of the original
22 million acres of prairie that once existed here is still intact. Test your knowledge
by guessing prairie seed numbers, learn about seed processing and take home seeds
to plant on your own.
COD Biology – Genetics
In recent years, selective breeding has led to an explosion of captive bred pythons
displaying a staggering variety of color and pattern mutations called "morphs." Get
an up-close hands on view of live pythons representing a variety of morphs while learning
about genetic concepts and responsible reptile husbandry.
COD Biotechnology Club
Visitors will participate in a hands-on activity that facilitates understanding of
genetic modification.
COD Chemistry
The booth activities will include acid-base neutralization detected by natural dyes
and indicators, chromatography with water soluble markers, and polymerization with
slime or silly putty.
COD Chemistry – Modeling
View and manipulate digital protein structure models to learn about the complex and
well-designed world of proteins
COD CIS – Game Design and Development
Play test a variety of student games which may include AR and/or VR.
COD Community Education Garden/Fuel Pantry
Learn about the establishment and maintenance of COD's community garden on campus,
as well as food security initiatives in the region.
COD Computer and Information Science
Explore hands-on activities demonstrating logical problem solving strategies used
in efficient software design.
COD Computer and Internetworking Technologies
The CIT department will highlight computer repair, summer camps, cyber security, and
cyber competitions.
COD Continuing Education
Learn how to investigate the impact of modern technology, cutting-edge techniques
of forensic science, and explore the role of the forensic scientist in real-life cases.
Participants will learn fingerprinting as well as engage with lead detective Don Comstock.
COD Earth Science – Astronomy
Explore telescopic viewing and make spectroscope observation of gas spectra to simulate
how astronomers identify the composition of stars.
COD Electrical Engineering
Students will demonstrate their design projects in electrical engineering classes.
There will also be interactive demos for participants.
COD Electro-Mechanical Technology
Get hands-on with motor controls and demonstrations of how programmable logic controllers
operate and how they are used in industry.
COD Electronics Technology
Learn about electronics by assembling a LED circuit that you can wear and take home.
COD Engineering and Technology Club
Comprising COD engineering and technology students across a range of disciplines,
the award-winning Engineering and Technology Team will share information about the
design and build process and provide demonstrations of their robots.
COD Environmental Science – Honeybee Project
Learn about the importance of honeybees to the environment and help construct 'Native
Bee Houses' to assist the native bee habitat on COD's campus.
COD Horticulture
Learn about horticultural machines and equipment and take part in an activity focused
on plant propagation.
COD Humanities - STEAM
Explore the mathematics of the golden ratio and its application to the arts and architecture
through a few interactive activities.
COD Library
Experience virtual reality through smartphone powered Google Cardboard devices, interact
with a 360-degree camera and learn how they can create their own immersive VR/360
experiences.
COD Mathematics ("Ciphers")
Explore the mathematics of how to decipher a message.
COD Mathematics ("Elliptical Pool Table")
Explore the mathematics behind an elliptical pool table.
COD Mathematics ("Games and Tricks")
Use mental math and paper and pencil to explore a variety of math games and tricks.
COD Mathematics ("Music and Math")
Math is creative, artistic, surprising, crucial to engineering and sciences, and fun.
Come explore how math and music work together in this hands-on visual booth.
COD Music – STEAM
A real-time use initiated music composition system based on random probability, logical
sieves and digital synthesis.
COD Physics
Numerous hands-on activities showing how the forces of electricity and magnetism are
related to the world around us and how they are related to each other.
COD Psychology – Cognitive Science
Experience interactive demonstrations of psychological phenomena, including visual
illusions, tricks of perception, the limits of attention and errors in memory. You
can also see your own brain in action using an electroencephalograph headset.
COD Student Education Association
Build a structure out of pipe cleaners that can hold an oreo cookie for 10 seconds!
Who will build the tallest structure? Will it be you?
COD Welding
Learn about different types of welding, including shielded metal arc welding (SMAW),
flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), and their differences
and uses.
ComEd
Learn how electricity is transmitted and used, and gain important safety tips on safety
around electricity.
Customer Service
Have a question? Need to check-in for your Prairie Tour? Lose something? This is the
booth for you!
Disney Y.E.S. - Engineering Your Dream
Visit Disney's Youth Enrichment Series booth to learn how science, technology, engineering,
and math are making dreams come true every day.
DuPage County Farm Bureau
Visit our booth and use packing peanuts made from corn to build structures. Then see
how they dissolve compared to regular packing peanuts.
FermiLab
Fermilab is America's premier particle physics and accelerator laboratory, the neutrino
research capital of the world! Learn through hands-on activities and engaging demonstrations
what particle physics studies, how neutrinos may uncover new information about how
particles and forces interact to tells about our Universe.
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Learn about the life cycle of freshwater mussels, how and why they are bred and studied
and interact with biological artifacts.
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwestern Indiana
At this booth, kids investigate floating by building tinfoil boats and loading them
with pennies until they sink. Through testing, kids will discover an important pattern—a
boat's size and shape make a difference in how much of a load it can carry.
Glen Ellyn Public Library
Explore a variety of AR/VR technologies. We will highlight the Occulus Rift and Playstation
VR.
International Society of Automation - Will/DuPage Chapter
Explore our industrial control systems and components, and interact with our volunteers
who are experienced engineers and technicians from the local area.
JeffreyApp
Come watch a demonstration of our educational robotic arm, which simulates a factory
working streamline
Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum
The Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum will provide hands-on exploration of pelts and skulls
from native wildlife. Additionally, we will offer sensory bins and natural material
building activities.
Lewis University Noyce Teaching Scholars
How far can you launch a rocket? Come explore stomp rockets and learn about Newton's
third law of motion.
Midwest Torrance Center for Creativity/Center for Gifted
Stop by and learn about chemistry while making your very own slime to take home.
Naperville Astronomical Association
Weather permitting, we will have outdoor telescopic viewing of the Sun using both
full-spectrum and hydrogen alpha films. Indoor demonstrations will include solar system
geometry (e.g. moon phases and solar/lunar eclipse geometry).
Prairie Tours
Visitors will learn about prairie restoration at COD and tour the Ecological Study
area, a section of approximately 15 acres of woodland, marsh, and reconstructed prairie.
No RSVP necessary. Tours at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Check-in at Customer Service booth 15 minutes prior to tour.
Prize Table
Collect all STEM stickers and then turn in your sticker card for a small prize!
Red Oak Nature Center
Ever heard of Big Foot or the chupacabra? Then you'll want to come explore our cryptid
crime scene! We will have staged investigation scenes set up requiring you to decide
what is evidence, then "collect" and measure the evidence. Then use a cryptid suspect
lineup to decide what took place.
SciTech Hands On Museum
Come and explore science up close with some hands on experiments with SciTech Hands
On Museum! Discover the connection between science and art with SciTech's harmonograph
and create your own masterpiece to take home. Let your imagination take flight by
creating your very own flying contraption and test your design in the venial wind
tunnel.
SimplyFly
Ever wonder what keeps a plane in the air? Learn about the physics of flight and how
aircraft are affected by the four opposing forces of thrust, lift, drag, and weight.
A real Remos aircraft will be on hand.
SimplyFun Games
Visit this booth to explore educational based STEM games that help children at every
skill level devlope their unique gifts using the power of play.
STEM Hall of Fame
Learn about STEM Careers and check out our COD STEM Hall of Fame.
STEM Teacher Resources
Visit our one-stop teacher spot for STEM resources from COD and other booths participating
in our STEMCON event.
STEMinar Stage Shows
Hear amazing presentations and see amazing demonstrations from some of our STEM experts
as well as nationally and internationally recognized speakers. View our Schedule for more information.
Swift Nature Camp
Meet "Bubba" the pig and learn about nature, earth science and the environment.
The Conservation Foundation
TCF will showcase native plants and pollinators with an interactive activity to show
how long the roots of native plants are.
The Morton Arboretum
Examining tree rings up close can tell you about a tree's history.
UIC Motorsports
We will highlight our Formula and Baja vehicles. Come learn about the engineering
from start to finish.
University of Illinois Extension
Explore the life cycle of the monarch butterfly.
To see our exhibitors from previous events, please visit the Past Events.
This event is funded pursuant to a grant from the Illinois Community College Board and funded partially through the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V).