Physics as a street art

Celebrating physics with the community – is this utopia or a mission of every university? There are more and more science festivals around the country, but how can we reach out to people who would never come to campus on their own accord? Can physics outreach become not only a service provided by an academic department to the public but also a unique learning opportunity for students?
This talk will discuss what it takes to build a successful physics outreach program, which includes everything from the annual Texas A&M Physics & Engineering Festival attended by thousands of people to shows and summer schools for K-12 students and teachers, physics demonstrations on downtown sidewalks, and of course Game Day Physics (we are in Texas). Perhaps the most important ingredient for success is to make every outreach project student-centered. As one example, teams of undergraduate students mentored by graduate students and faculty work throughout the school year on the design and fabrication of physics demonstrations. The same teams show these demos at the outreach events. The benefits for the students and the department are obvious. Students practice teamwork and obtain hands-on experience, learn how to communicate science effectively, and get to know graduate students and faculty. The department gets a lot of new demos to be used in regular classes. Last but not least, showing physics on the streets is a lot of fun!