With choices like binary coding bracelets, galaxy jars and playing with magnets and Lego robots, the first-ever Festival of Curiosity at Cape Elizabeth Middle School next week should provide loads of educational fun.

Organized by the parent’s association at the school, the festival will focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and math, according to Jill Abrahamsen, who is heading up the Festival of Curiosity, along with help from Nicole McCarthy.

Abrahamsen said the festival, set for Thursday, June 2, from 6-8:30 p.m., is taking the place of a Makers Night, which the Cape Robotics program has previously hosted each spring. However, the robotics group was not able to hold the event this year.

“Nicole and I didn’t want the positive momentum of the Makers Night to fizzle so we stepped up to help (and) as we brainstormed ideas we felt a spring Festival of Curiosity better captured our goals,” Abrahamsen said.

“We want participants to engage in each activity. This is not an event where vendors are demonstrating their products. Instead each station (is designed to be) hands-on and interactive,” she said.

Abrahamsen said the curiosity festival “represents an enormous collaborative effort from many in Cape Elizabeth,” including nonprofits, teachers and local businesses.

“We hope the popularity of this festival soars so we may grow it,” she added. “We’re determined to keep admission free through sponsorships and grants and not lose sight of our mission, which is to celebrate science, technology, engineering arts and mathematics.”

Abrahamsen said planning has already started for next year and one thing she and the other organizers would like to add is a soapbox derby.

“We’d also love to offer a learning-based scavenger hunt, string art and maybe even an egg-drop contest,” she said.

Abrahamsen would also like to see even more community involvement “so students can see (science, technology, engineering arts and math principles being used) at work and relate (what they learn at the festival) to life-long careers and interest.”

She said the curiosity festival organizers also hope to offer a picnic dinner in coming years.

“But to do all this, we need more sponsors and a larger committee,” Abrahamsen said.

Overall, she said, the goal for the curiosity festival is to create “an event that will hopefully spark ideas and interests in many kids.”

Abrahamsen said the organizers picked activities they felt “that kids would really enjoy and that would not necessarily be done in the classroom, such as climbing into a life-sized humpback whale or paper making with ecomaine.”

Anyone interested in helping out with the planning of next year’s festival, or who has an idea for a learning station should contact Abrahamsen at [email protected].

“We’ll be looking for all techies, tinkerers, hobbyists, geeks and artists to join in,” she said. “I would (also) like to publicly thank Nicole McCarthy for being my co-chair. She has done a tremendous job organizing volunteers and finding outside community programs to come to our event.”

A closer look

The Festival of Curiosity, a celebration of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics will take place at Cape Elizabeth Middle School on Thursday, June 2, 6-8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Call 799-8176 for more information.