Descriptions of Types of Proposals:

Hands-on Activities 

An interactive hands-on activity is an activity where festival goers walk up to you and dive into the science you’re presenting. The set up is similar to a vendor space at a conference, but all of the tables have engaging activities!

 

Choose your day or audience from the following:

- Friday, March 27 • 9:30am-12:30pm - Cool Science - 7th and 8th graders only for Field Trip Day

- Saturday, March 28 • 9:00am-4:00pm - Exploration Stations - All ages audience

**You can request to participate in both days; both options require a full day time commitment

 

Forums/Panels/Talk

A forum is "a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged." MSF forums are designed to foster audience interaction with experts. Our forums typically feature a panel of experts, though sometimes it may be a single individual, who will introduce their work, followed by a Q&A session with the audience and fellow panelists. Presenters should assume the audience has only a high school level of education. Preference is given to panels that involve collaboration between multiple organizations. If you would like assistance in finding other scientists or panelists, please indicate this when submitting the form.

 

- These sessions are typically 1 hour in length

- Sessions can take place Saturday, March 28 or Sunday, March 29

 

Workshops

Workshops are a set period of time where you present a topic and work through it (for example, nature illustration, Minecraft workshop, cheese making). The festival goer often (but not always) ends the workshop with something they can take home. The audience is determined by you and the difficulty of the science and/or the workshop approach.

 

- Friday March 27, 2026 9:30am-12:30pm - Cool Science - 7th and 8th graders for Field Trip Day (you will run your workshop 3 times) PLEASE NOTE - We understand that smaller group sizes are sometimes essential for your presentations. However, please keep in mind that we need to accommodate as many students as possible, which may mean students will need to pair up on devices or share materials as needed.

- Saturday March 28 or Sunday, March 29 - General audience on Saturday or Sunday, state your age preference on the form

 

 

Exhibits

In the past, the MSF has included exhibits in multiple capacities - from portraits of Americans Who Tell the Truth, to an interactive exhibit exploring human musculature and anatomy, to Maine Public's panels about climate change throughout Maine. Exhibits can be up for one day or the whole week, and are often hosted at locations Downtown or at the Cross Insurance Center.

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