STEM Fest has provided engaging learning experiences for over 50,000 attendees over the years. STEM Fest attendees are extremely diverse, attending from urban, suburban, and rural communities across Northern Illinois.

STEM Fest is open to the public and is generally free. (Admittance is free to all, and nearly all activities are free. There have been charges for specific activities in the past that utilize consumable materials that participants take with them. One of the goals of this fundraising effort is to ensure that supplies necessary for a rich experience are available and to limit or eliminate any costs to participate.)

In addition to seeking to raise money for STEM Fest to ensure that high-level engaging learning opportunities are available for all families this October, the data from the ride will be turned over to the NIU STEAM team for possible collaboration and use in future classroom lessons, camps, and activities. Cycling is a sport that is deeply rooted in all aspects of STEAM (Science-Technology-Engineering-the Arts-Mathematics), both individually and the integrated manner inherent to STEAM, so there is a great deal of authentic learning that can occur from this bike ride as well as from sports science more generally.