From Bugs to DNA, Ohio students get hands-on at Intel® Education Outreach Day
The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF) welcomed nearly 1,700 young scientists representing 48 U.S. states and more than 60 countries, regions and territories to Columbus, Ohio, for this year’s competition. Alongside the 2025 finalists, hundreds of local students and teachers from Ohio schools were invited to explore their own scientific questions at Intel® Education Outreach Day, an awe-inspiring STEM experience at the largest science fair in the world!
In addition to Intel, Aramco, Battelle, Cisco and Jacobs sponsored this special event. The day included an overview video of Regeneron ISEF that introduced both local and international finalists from this year’s competition to the local student attendees, interactive STEM exhibits and tours of the Regeneron ISEF Finalist Hall. This included opportunities for local students to meet the finalists and learn about their projects. Students also explored the STEM Innovation Expo, where representatives from over 20 local and national STEM educational organizations led hands-on activities that introduced attendees to a wide range of scientific fields and future career paths.
Dawn Jones, retired Intel Corporation Human Resources Vice President and President of the Intel Foundation, was on site with her volunteer team of 30, to support Intel’s two AI hands-on stations. “When I look at all the students and how excited they are to do hands-on activities, that makes me excited that the future generation is embracing this thing called technology.” Dawn continued, “I spoke with a sixth grader who said, ‘I’m so excited. I’ve never experienced something like this before.’ The students here are making connections and developing AI and technical skills that will help build tomorrow’s workforce.”
Students also gathered around laptops and devices, their faces lighting up as they dove into AI activities. The energy in the room was palatable—a mix of curiosity and discovery that transformed technology into something truly tangible and exciting. Laurie Horenstein, Intel® Education Outreach Day lead and Strategic Workforce Engagement Manager, reflected, “Witnessing the spark of excitement, engagement and empowerment with this hands-on AI experience was electric! Students had access to leading edge technology, access to be creative working alongside our technical volunteers and made a real connection that science and engineering is cool. It opens a world of infinite possibilities and potential for everyone!”
Read on to learn about some of the highlights from Intel® Education Outreach Day, as told by the students, teachers, sponsors and exhibitors who made the event so memorable.
Student Excitement
“There are a lot of people from different countries and it’s really interesting to see everything that people who aren’t from the United States are doing.”—Brooke, student, grade 5
“There’s a lot of stuff that you can check out. It’s not just one type of science from a class. There’s one with bugs, there’s one with chemistry and it’s all really cool.”—Charles, student, grade 6
“My favorite project was one that was able to detect tissue because my mom is a nurse and I think this could really help her.”—Max, student, grade 6
“I really like the medical projects. My friend and I looked at a project about cardiovascular health, and I thought it was really cool because they 3D-printed hearts. They were finding ways to make technology cheaper.”—Paisley, student, grade 9
Exhibitor and Sponsor Response
“This is the BUGMobile. We have tons of different live insects: tarantulas, scorpions, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, millipedes and much more. It’s nice because kids can see these insects in person and get used to them. In the media, they’re told insects are scary or creepy crawlies. Here, they can interact and see they’re really gentle creatures. Students’ favorites have been the spiny flower mantis, tarantulas and the chance to hold the bugs. It’s like a petting zoo, but for exotic insects, a moving lab where they can interact in a hands-on way.”—Harlem Staples, The Ohio State University Department of Entomology, exhibitor
“We are here to showcase pharmacy careers because there’s so much that pharmacists do that many people don’t know about. We have some engaging activities for students and we’re speaking to teachers about how we can involve them in our future efforts to help kids discover pharmacy careers. I’ve met so many young people today. I’ve talked to them about their projects and it’s amazing that so many different countries are represented.”—Leslie Dybiec, The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, exhibitor
“We are using Legos as a model for DNA barcoding at our table. Students make short sequences of Legos to represent the four letters of DNA. We scan their sequences and compare them to known DNA sequences in a database. Then they can identify what species their DNA model would have come from. The students have been very active in participating and are asking great questions. I feel like they’ve had a lot of fun today.”—Kelly Eames, Regeneron Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, exhibitor
“My station has 10 molecular model kits. Students can build everything from aspirin to caffeine to TNT. Students can take selfies with their creations to show their friends. Chemistry can get a bad rap for being hard or boring, but here it’s fun, exciting and hands-on.” —Christopher Martin, American Chemical Society, exhibitor
“I have attended ISEF for the past four years, and it’s been amazing every year. All the finalists are incredibly talented. Since one of our biggest research centers is in Houston, we decided to bring one of our scientists to Education Outreach Day to demonstrate a few of our latest technologies, and we have tons of giveaways and different opportunities that we’re sharing with the students.”—Fahad Aljabry, Aramco, exhibitor and sponsor
“We’re showing students what it’s like to be structural engineers using shake tables to test how tall they can build before their structures collapse. We’ve also set up a small water conveyance challenge, where students use pipes to move marbles, fix leaks and build the longest network possible. The shake tables have been especially popular. We’ve had a few budding engineers make it all the way to the highest level without collapsing their buildings!”—Ashley Earl, Jacobs, exhibitor and category judge
Volunteer and Teacher Voices
“It’s fantastic, and so cool to see all the different schools and students here. Everything’s well organized, and the kids are wonderful. This is my first time volunteering, and it’s been a great experience!”—Kristin Frazier, volunteer
“It’s been a day full of hands-on experiments. I can’t pull the kids away! They’ve spent a lot of time at the DNA booth and the Invention Convention table. The Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation table was also a big hit.”—Bethany Hatch, The Plains Intermediate School, teacher
“It’s awesome. The kids are really interactive and having fun diving into all of these activities. They especially love anything hands-on: the Intel AI driving simulator, Lego DNA builder, just about everything.”—Jeff Merrill, Buckeye Local School District, teacher
“Passion, excitement, and the joy of learning. There’s nothing better than that, right?” —Chaperone from local Ohio middle school attending the Intel AI experience
Intel® Education Outreach Day inspired Ohio students and educators alike, sparking curiosity and community through STEM experiences that will help build tomorrow’s innovators.
