Lessons Learned

Advertising: Meet People Where They Already Are

Successful outreach does not require expensive marketing. It requires visibility in the spaces your community already uses. Our most effective tools have been:

• A dedicated Facebook page where we post updates

• Join and share to local Facebook groups, which reach parents, teachers, and community members quickly

• Posters around town and postcards for nearby schools

• Contacting local newspapers and radio stations

• Participating in community events such as the fair parade, where we handed out things with event information

• A simple, free website that keeps all details up to date

What we have learned:
You do not need a large advertising budget. Consistency, visibility, and engagement across many small channels are enough.

Exhibitors and Volunteers: Build Relationships, Not Just a Roster

Attracting exhibitors can become more difficult over time, as many decline due to travel, budget, or scheduling constraints. We recruit volunteers and exhibitors through personal networks, email, and local organizations, including non-profits and STEM departments across Kansas. Despite this, our events typically feature around ten groups and forty to sixty volunteers each year.

Family and local friends are our most dependable support, handling tasks such as registration, managing the book table, coordinating prize drawings, and taking photos. To show appreciation, we provide lunch and a coffee bar.

After each event, we send thank-you emails with photos and attendance statistics, and for local volunteers, we include handwritten notes to recognize their contributions.

Lessons learned:

• Personal connections are more effective than cold outreach.

• Non-scientist volunteers are essential for smooth operations.

• Returning exhibitors provide stability and continuity, even if new participants are limited.

Budget and Sustainability: Make Every Dollar and Activity Count 

Our annual grant ranges from $2,500 to $3,500, with most funds going toward venue rental, books, and prizes, and a significant portion supporting reusable materials. To reduce costs, we store items in family homes rather than renting storage, keeping the cost per attendee around $5 to $8, not including exhibitor expenses.

As attendance has grown, our prize system has evolved. In the early years, we held a drawing for about 100 higher-value prizes, which worked well for groups under 200 children. With more than 300 children attending, every participant now receives a prize, while still drawing to determine whether they receive a lower-cost item or one of the few higher-quality prizes.

Event activities are also designed for reuse and low supervision. Popular independent booths include sensory bins, puzzles, blocks, Play-Doh, and floor puzzles. We incorporate a literacy component by giving every attendee a gently used STEM book sourced from library sales, garage sales, and thrift stores, keeping costs low and supporting reuse.

Lessons learned:

• Small budgets can achieve large impact when funds are focused on long-term materials.

• Prize systems must scale with attendance size.

• Reusable activities provide stability and make the event sustainable year to year.

• Book giveaways extend the event’s impact beyond the festival.

Activities for Everyone: Plan for Accessibility, Inclusion, and Adaptability

A successful outreach event should be enjoyable and usable for people of all ages and abilities. We host the festival in an ADA accessible venue, which is not always available in rural regions.

Our layout supports wheelchair users, people with mobility needs, and families with small children. Tables are spaced widely, seating is available, and pathways are easy to navigate.

Activities are designed so they can be adapted for different ages and skill levels. Examples include sensory bins, mineral identification, Mars scavenger hunts, robotics activities, and remote controlled rovers. Adults participate as well and often learn new information alongside their children.

We also offer translated materials and free Spanish language books.


Venue: Our event is held at the Colby Event Center, which is ADA accessible, complete with an elevator. There are two large gymnasiums, the north gym that can be converted into a concert hall (Figure 1). Our setup includes thoughtfully spaced tables in the south gym, making it easy for wheelchairs to navigate.

What we have learned:
Accessibility increases participation and builds goodwill.
Hands-on activities appeal to a wide range of ages.

Flexibility: Always Have a Backup Plan

Even the best planned outreach event will experience unexpected changes. We have had volunteers cancel shortly before the event and exhibitors withdraw because of illness or emergencies.

To stay prepared, we maintain float volunteers, keep table layouts flexible, and have backup activities that can fill empty spaces. Simple signage can help visually smooth over unavoidable gaps.

What we have learned:
Most issues remain invisible to attendees if the team adjusts quietly and quickly.
The goal is not perfect execution. The goal is a positive experience for the community.

Day of Event:

 
Upon arrival, visitors are welcomed at registration, where kids receive a door prize ticket and can take fun photos at the adjacent photo booth. Nearby, a table offers free posters, stickers, pencils, and other items generously donated to Rocks & Rockets each year.

North Gym
In the North Gym, attendees can explore two giant 25’ x 25’ Mars maps provided by the ShareSpace Foundation, either by walking in socks or driving remote-controlled rovers. Additional hands-on activities have included planetariums, stomp rockets, an astronaut obstacle course, and other interactive games.

South Gym
The South Gym features the exhibitor booths around the perimeter, as well as the free books booth and the prize table. Exhibitors often provide hands-on learning opportunities, including fossil hunting, mineral detective games, and volcano building. The center of the gym is dedicated to self-guided activities such as floor puzzles, sensory bins, blocks, Play-Doh, magnetic tiles, and the Little Tykes Space Shuttle.