Shaping a Sustainable Future: Oregon MESA’s ‘Demo Day’ Student Showcase

The Oregon chapter of MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) is excited to host their annual Demo Day community showcase event Saturday, March 1st, 2025 at OMSI.

MESA is an after school program advancing equity in education, equipping teachers to help underserved, underrepresented, and low-income middle and high school students excel in STEM through hands-on invention education. Aligning with our yearly theme “Climate Action: Designing for Environmental Sustainability” student teams have been working with a client in their community to design projects that create and maintain healthy, equitable and diverse communities and ecosystems. Students use the principles of human-centered design and
invention education when developing these client-focused solutions.

“Each year, the Oregon MESA community comes together to celebrate the incredible talent of our young inventors at our regional Demo Days,” said Elizabeth Stock, Executive Director of Oregon MESA. “Our students are addressing one of the most critical challenges of our time — environmental sustainability. Through research and client interviews, they’re developing solutions that tackle real-world issues while honoring the wisdom of climate justice leaders and Indigenous environmental practices. The creativity and dedication of MESA students are shaping a safer, more sustainable future for all. We’re excited to see their groundbreaking inventions come to life at Demo Day.”

With MESA’s emphasis on educational equity and removing geographic barriers for students and families, a total of four regional Demo Day events will take place across Oregon:

• Salem Demo Day is happening on Thursday, March 6 at Garmin from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This event features students from Marion county.
• Klamath Falls Demo Day is happening on Tuesday, March 11 at the Klamath Falls OIT Campus from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Lane County Demo Day is happening on Friday, March 14 at Spark by Booth Kelly from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Portland Metro Demo Day will be held on Saturday, March 1 at OMSI from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The
  event is open to the public. Guests should register at tinyurl.com/pdx-demoday-25

The Lemelson Foundation is the Premier Sponsor of Demo Day. Additional partners include Schrödinger, Meyer Memorial Trust, Oregon Community Foundation, Portland State University and Portland Children’s Levy.