Let's Go Where the Kids Are: A Successful ICHEP Outreach Program

The ICHEP Local Organizing Committee created a partnership with the Chicago Public Library to put on physics presentations at neighborhood libraries in conjunction with ICHEP 2016. Each engaging presentation was offered by two physicists or engineers with interest and experience in outreach from universities and labs around the world. Most were ICHEP attendees, but some were local presenters including a group of graduate students from the University of Chicago and the Illinois Institute of Technology. The conference was committed to community outreach, and we were delighted to ``pop-up'' in Chicago neighborhoods with a science program geared for children ages 6-18. We reached over 675 ``neighbors'' at 30 libraries citywide. The presentations were so successful that the libraries plan to host more presentations offered by Fermilab during the school year. We describe our experience as a model adaptable for other meetings and conferences or as part of a university outreach program and in partnership with other venues such park districts.