Independent scientific research institute partners with Morehead Planetarium to bring hands-on STEM events to all 100 counties statewide

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The North Carolina Science Festival (NCSciFest), presented by RTI International, will return for its 16th year this April, with the theme “Science Matters.” An initiative of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the festival highlights the essential role of science in everyday life and expands access to hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning opportunities.

The 2026 NCSciFest is expected to surpass 4 million in cumulative participation, building on 3,871,664 attendees to date. This year will also mark the 3,000th Duke Energy Science Night.
Festival events will feature more than 30,000 scientists and hundreds of STEM activities, designed to engage students, families, educators and community members, across all 100 North Carolina counties. Event categories include:

Large-scale public science demonstrations
Behind-the-scenes tours of university and industry laboratories
Citizen science projects that contribute real-time data to ongoing research

Morehead director Todd Boyette said, “The theme of Science Matters reflects how science touches every part of our daily lives in North Carolina, from our communities and economy to our health and environment. Science absolutely matters, and this is why we are excited to bring this event to the state once again in 2026.”

RTI has provided multi-year support to NCSciFest, encouraging participants to explore how science shapes decisions and drives solutions.

“Science is at the heart of everything we do at RTI,” said RTI President and CEO Tim J. Gabel. “It’s how we turn ideas into solutions that improve lives. By partnering with the NC Science Festival, we’re helping ignite curiosity and inspire the next generation to lead with innovation and purpose.”

2026 program highlights:

Duke Energy Science Nights throughout April
Statewide Star Party on April 24-25
UNC Science Expo on April 11
Science on the Rocks adult mixer, dates TBD

Founded in 2010, NCSciFest celebrates the economic, educational and cultural impacts of science in North Carolina. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit https://ncsciencefestival.org.

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About North Carolina Science Festival
Founded in 2010, the North Carolina Science Festival is the first statewide science festival in the United States. Through a series of community-based events each April (hosted by schools, colleges, libraries, museums, parks, businesses, and other local organizations), NCSciFest celebrates the economic, educational, and cultural impacts of science in North Carolina. It is an initiative of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For more information, please visit ncscifest.org.

About RTI International
RTI International is an independent scientific research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world’s most critical problems with technical and science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach—one that integrates expertise across social, statistical, data, and laboratory sciences, engineering, and other technical disciplines to solve the world’s most challenging problems. For more information, visit www.rti.org.

About Morehead Planetarium and Science Center
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is a unit of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Morehead serves North Carolina and beyond by bringing together the unique resources of UNC to engage the public for an enhanced understanding of science. For more information, please visit moreheadplanetarium.org.

Media Contact:
RTI International Media Relations
919-541-7300
[email protected]

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