Midway Physics Day

Midway Physics Day was created by Professor Richard Childers in 1995 with the purpose of providing a fun lesson in physics for high school students from around the state of South Carolina. This outreach event is about communicating the excitement of physics to the community. With the support of the South Carolina State Fair, USC Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty and students volunteer their time to provide live demonstrations with the students’ participation and help explain the physics of the amusement park rides . Midway Physics Day won the Society of Physics Students (SPS) Marsh White award for our local chapter in 1999.

Recent Media:

October 16, 2024 - "Midway Physics Day brings over 2,000 high school students to the State Fair" (ABC 25 Columbia)
October 18, 2023 - "SC State Fair welcomes future physicists" (WLTX News 19)
October 18, 2023 - "SC high school students learn about physics at hands-on state fair event" (ABC 25 Columbia)
October 19, 2022 - "Physics Day inspiring next generation of scientists at SC State Fair" (WLTX News 19)
October 18, 2022 - "Physics Day at the State Fair: A decades-long tradition" (WACH Fox 57)
October 18, 2022 - "High school students attend Midway Physics Day at the SC State Fair" (ABC 25 Columbia)

Teacher Training Event:

We will offer a teacher-training workshop on Midway Physics activities online in October. This workshop is designed to help you get the most out of your time at the Fair. It will be a virtual training after school hours. A zoom link will be provided closer to the actual training day.

For some additional resources to utilize prior to Midway Physics Day, please see below:

Teacher Training Event:

Midway Physics Day will be held at the Academic Ave. Stage.

Check out the updated SC State Fair Map for more details!

The South Carolina State Fair is a local, self-sustaining, non-profit organization that has donated over $5 million in scholarships for South Carolina students since 1997. We are thankful for their dedication and ongoing support of our programming!

SC State Fair Address:
South Carolina State Fairgrounds
1200 Rosewood Drive
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
www.scstatefair.org

Department of Physics and Astronomy