Decisiontown opens in Washington D.C., promotes science and engineering

Heading to Washington D.C. with the family next week? The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine are getting together with the USA Science and Engineering Festival to present Decisiontown, a hands-on exhibit to show people how to use science, engineering, and medicine to make informed decisions in their daily lives. Decisiontown will be one of more than 3,000 exhibits at the festival, a free public event which takes place in Washington, D.C., on April 28 and 29. Decisiontown gives parents and children opportunities to practice the real-world application of scientific principles. Elements include a green grocer, where participants receive points for shopping for sustainable foods, a health center where visitors learn about sun damage and the benefits of sunscreen, a recycling center to create treasure from trash and more. In addition, the exhibit will feature a community theater with 29 performances and presentations from a variety of scientists, engineers and health professionals. The festival is free and open to the public 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 29. It will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place. Buses will be available to take visitors between the festival and the National Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting. For more information about the festival, visit http://www.usasciencefestival.org/.