Session 2 / 4:35pm  - 5:05 pm

Step into a briefing where students advocate for the future of Chicagoland’s wild spaces. Through detailed ecological mapping and impact reports, teams present the vital value of local ecosystems to key stakeholders. Explore how these landscapes function, the services they provide to our city, and the critical consequences of human intervention.

Witness a live exchange of ideas as students analyze the similarities and key differences between historical colonialism and modern-day gentrification. This session highlights deep-dive research into displacement, economic shifts, and cultural impact, challenging the audience to rethink how neighborhoods change and who they belong to. Participants will explore student-led arguments that connect global history to the local transformations happening in our own city streets.

Step into the sound of the next generation as students debut their original, self-produced mini-albums. This exhibition highlights the full creative process, from songwriting and lyric composition to the technical world of digital production and sound engineering. Visitors are invited to put on a pair of headphones, explore the unique genres our artists have mastered, and hear the stories behind the tracks.

Physics - This exhibit features student-built miniature models of "Net Zero" tiny homes, where every watt of energy used is balanced by renewable sources. Visitors can explore the engineering process behind these dollhouse-scale prototypes—from testing insulation materials and solar placement to iterating on passive heating and cooling techniques. See how students applied core physics concepts to build small-scale solutions for a more sustainable future.

Aerospace - Experience the intersection of science and imagination as students take to the skies through aerospace engineering. This exhibit features custom-built glider prototypes designed to master the forces of flight. Visitors can see how students applied aerodynamic equations to solve engineering challenges—navigating the balance of lift, weight, thrust, and drag—and explore the data from their flight tests to see how these designs performed in the air.