Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/22/2025
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Location
Alma Mater Plaza
Categories
On April 22, Earth Day, Champaign Urbana community members are invited to a March for Science rally championing the benefits of science to society and a family-friendly People’s Science Fair where participants can learn about critters, conservation, and more.
A newly formed science-advocacy group, Rise Up for Science, is hosting the March for Science and People’s Science Fair in partnership with the University YMCA, which is taking donations to support the events. Confirmed rally speakers include:
- Julie Pryde, CU Public Health Administrator
- Rev. Leah Robberts-Mosser, Lead Pastor at Community United Church of Christ
- Joy O’Keefe, Wildlife Ecologist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Scott Oswald, laid off USDA Agricultural Research Service Employee
Rally speakers will share the importance of science in society as well as personal stories of recent science-related funding cuts. Following the rally, multiple groups and individuals will provide materials and demonstrations in an educational, family-friendly science fair. Confirmed science fair topics include:
- Bird banding
- Champaign County forest preserves
- Eco-emotions and mental health
- Illinois bat conservation
- Insect biodiversity
- Science advocacy
- Wetland wonders
The March for Science will begin at 3 p.m. at the Alma Mater statue, at the corner of Green St. and Wright St. in Urbana. Participants will then march down Green St. to Lincoln Square Mall, where the People’s Science Fair will be set up from 4 to 6 p.m. in the southeast corner of the mall’s parking lot (where the farmer’s market takes place). View the route.
Federally funded scientific research touches almost every aspect of modern society, including healthcare, the food supply, transportation systems, the telecom industry, and much of the global economy. Recent federal funding cuts and agency closures are impacting scientific progress, local jobs, and public health. The March for Science rally and People’s Science Fair aim to raise awareness of these issues and develop a greater appreciation of the role of science in our everyday lives.
Please remember that events may be canceled or rescheduled last minute due to unpredictable weather or other factors. We encourage you to reach out to event organizers before heading out to an event to verify it is still happening.
