Making Physics Viral

It is easy to get people together to enjoy sports or music. Can we get large numbers of people together to celebrate physics? How can we reach out to people who are usually not interested in science and would never come to university campus on their own accord? Can physics outreach become a unique learning opportunity for university students? We have built a diverse set of informal physics programs which try to address these questions. They range from short videos to large annual physics festivals. Our programs not only attract the public of all ages and backgrounds but also provide a unique growth environment to hundreds of student volunteers who facilitate these programs. Our studies have shown that participation in informal physics programs helps our students build their identity as physicists and boost their development through a less structured, but critically important, learning environment.