ALEXANDRIA, VA — What happens when you put a functioning rover, a team of Virginia Tech researchers, and a group of ambitious local teens in the same room? On Thursday, March 19, the Alexandria Teen Science Café is finding out.
The event, titled “Systems & Solutions; The Blueprint Of Power”, moves beyond the textbook to give students a hands on look at the invisible architecture of our modern world.
Hosted at Virginia Tech’s Academic Building One, the café connects students directly with the engineers from SPEC Innovations and the SPL (Systems, Programming, and Logic) team who build the technology we use every day.
The Lineup:
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The Rover Test: Watch a live demonstration of how hardware and software collide to create a machine that thinks and moves.
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The SPL Challenge: A fast paced, interactive logic game designed by the SPL team to test how students solve complex engineering puzzles in real time.
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The MBSE Blueprint: A crash course in Model Based Systems Engineering, the secret weapon used by pros in aerospace, energy, and healthcare.
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The Career Shortcut: Direct, “no-fluff” Q&A with engineers about how to land the best internships and pick the right college majors.
“We aren’t just talking about engineering, we’re letting students touch the systems that run the world,” says Zohreh Khoshnamak, CEO of Chrysalis Development Group (CDG).
Organized in partnership with VT’s K-12 program and the City of Alexandria RPCA, the café introduces students to the latest STEM fields, top professionals, and the pathways to get there.
Event Details:
When: Thursday, March 19, 2026 | 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM
Where: Virginia Tech Academic Building One, 3625 Potomac Ave, Alexandria
Perks: Free admission, food, coffee, service hours, and a certificate of participation.
Space is limited. Registration is available through the QR code on event flyers.
We keep this program free because every student deserves a seat in a room like this one, no matter their background, school, or zip code. If you believe that too, consider supporting the program. Not for us, for the next student who almost doesn’t participate, and then does.
Your generosity builds the next great system: the one called opportunity.
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