Neerja Raman Los Altos resident/Los Altos Town Crier
Supported by the Los Altos Kiwanis, powered by Explorabox, founded by longtime Los Altos resident Saroj Pathak and organized by the Los Altos History Museum, the Apricot STEM Fair 2026 drew an estimated 450 enthusiastic visitors. The fair also featured related exhibits like the living classroom, robotics, HAM radio and a book signing organized by the Los Altos Library.
The theme this year was Intelligence: Artificial and Biological. The target audience was children aged 4-10 years. About nine hands-on activity booths, designed and administered entirely by volunteers from Kiwanis and Explorabox, presented various STEM concepts.
At the Demystifying AI booth, Dr. Alka Jarvis and I had prepared five to six activities. We had no idea how it would go, but we knew we were in good company when we saw other booths with activities like: Photon Express: Have you ever wondered how a USB thumb drive or a smartphone remembers your favorite photos and games even when the battery dies? Or DNA Extraction: Have you ever wondered what a living recipe looks like?
The Demystifying AI activities were designed to support a learning arc. It began with machine learning through pattern recognition, then transitioned to algorithmic thinking. To understand how computers require step-by-step instructions to solve complex problems, children were asked to break down the process of drawing a circle, from picking up the pen and paper to executing the drawing. The arc concluded with a lesson on ethics and AI, emphasizing the critical need for human oversight to ensure ethical outcomes.
Around 11 a.m., families started strolling into the beautiful Los Altos History House garden and by noon all the booths had kids enthusiastically involved in the activities.
While the atmosphere was joyful all around, the kids were the absolute stars of the show…more
Kids learning about robotics at the 2026 Apricot STEM Fair. Photo by S.M. Lieu
