This year, AIChE will feature its annual K-12 STEM Showcase as part of the 2025 Annual Student Conference and 2025 Annual Meeting. AIChE invites K-12 students, their parents, and educators to attend the event and learn about chemical engineering and STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math.
The showcase will be held on Sunday, Nov. 2, in Boston, MA, and includes a packed lineup of engaging events, including a keynote, demonstrations, a lunch and learn, and an awards ceremony. Attendees will also have the opportunity to watch college students compete for the international title in the 25th Annual AIChE Chem-E-Car Competition.
Learn more and register for the K-12 STEM Showcase. There are a limited number of spots, so don’t wait to sign up!
This year’s keynote event will be hosted by Jay Flores, a global STEM ambassador and children’s book author, who will perform his live show, It’s Not Magic, It’s Science! Flores’s show will feature experiments disguised as magic tricks, with the goal of showing kids the power of science at an early age. Through his work, he aims to provide equitable access to STEM education, inspiring youth from all backgrounds to become the next generation of innovators.
Above: Flores’s show, It’s Not Magic, It’s Science!, features engaging science experiments such as changing the shape of metal, making an egg bouncy, and extinguishing a candle without appearing to blow it out.
Before founding Invent the Change, Flores was an engineer at Rockwell Automation. He then became Rockwell’s Global STEM ambassador, a position he held for five years before starting his own company. Flores has his BS in mechanical engineering from the Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison. Get to know Flores and the motivation behind his work in this Q&A:
What inspired you to pursue a career in STEM?
As a child, I was always curious about how things worked. I loved taking out the pots and pans, building pretend-airplanes out of couch cushions, and trying to understand the “why” behind everything. That curiosity grew into a passion much later in high school, when I saw how engineering could be used to solve problems and create new possibilities. I wrote the bilingual children’s book Engineer Someday, and created my show, It’s Not Magic, It’s Science!, to give students the same chance to imagine themselves as problem-solvers and innovators at a much younger age.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
The best part of my work is watching kids go from skeptical to amazed when they realize what they can achieve with STEM. Through It’s Not Magic, It’s Science!, I love seeing students light up when they uncover the science behind what first seemed like an impossible trick. Additionally, with Engineer Someday, it is rewarding to help students picture themselves in STEM careers they may have never even heard of before. Those moments of discovery remind me of my own journey and keep me motivated to create more opportunities for them.
Above: With his children’s book, Engineer Someday, Flores hopes to inspire youth, particularly from communities traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields, so that they can grow up to become engineers, problem-solvers, and innovators.
Why is it important for students to be exposed to STEM at a young age?
Early exposure is everything. When students have access to hands-on experiences with STEM at a young age, it changes the way they see the world and their place in it. If they can picture themselves as engineers, scientists, or innovators before anyone tells them otherwise, it builds confidence and breaks down barriers. That is why I put so much emphasis on engaging PK–5 (elementary school) audiences through initiatives like Engineer Someday. The earlier kids see themselves in STEM, the more likely they are to pursue it.
What influence do you hope to have on students?
I want students to walk away feeling like STEM is accessible, exciting, and something they can own. If they remember one thing from my performances, I hope it is that the “magic” of science is really just them unlocking their own potential. My goal is for them to believe that they can be the engineer, innovator, and change-maker. They do not have to wait until someday; they can start building that future right now.
Register now to attend the 2025 AIChE K-12 STEM Showcase. Please note that this event is free to attend, but you must be registered.
Learn more about the 2025 AIChE Annual Meeting and the Annual Student Conference.
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