BYU-Idaho’s 2025 AstroFest brought the local community to campus to learn all about the moon, space, and science.
On June 21, 2025, more than 800 people came out to learn about space, watch planetarium and demo shows, and participate in 25 hands-on science activities.
“The community in Rexburg supports BYU-Idaho so much; it is nice to give something back to the community in a meaningful way,” said Stephen McNeil, planetarium director and physics faculty member. “Our Heavenly Father’s universe is so amazing, and we want to just show a little of how amazing it can be!”
Dozens of student volunteers from physics, elementary education, and engineering majors led the activities to teach over 500 kids basic science principles. Activities included building and launching paper rockets, digging for real meteorites and shark teeth fossils, and learning about the sun through solar telescopes.
“There’s a stigma that physics is really hard and therefore can’t be learned. Physics is hard, but I think that makes the reward all the greater. Inspiring anyone who wants to try and learn physics, young or old, is exactly what AstroFest does,” said Alli Porter, a BYU-Idaho physics student. “I’ve especially loved seeing the amazement on kids' faces, you can really tell that their world of possibilities just got a little bigger.”
Leading the activities at AstroFest is an opportunity for university students to build their teaching skills.
“I love AstroFest! As a physics student, I love science and sharing it with others, especially kids,” said Makelle Wininger, a physics student. “When I volunteered with the physics demo shows, it was my favorite to see kids and adults learn more about the world around them and be excited to learn more! Oftentimes, I was surprised by how much the youth knew about some of the concepts we shared.”
The enthusiasm for the subject was shared by parents who attended the event.
“My son is obsessed with space, and it was such a cool experience to be able to take him to the different presentations and activities where he could learn from college students studying this subject,” said Victoria Passey, a BYU-Idaho alumna and current employee. “I love that the Physics Department offers this hands-on learning experience for the community each year.”