Veterinary health isn’t only about treating animals; the humans that love them need connection with care providers as well. At the annual MSU Science Festival in April 2026, veterinary nursing students practiced their client education skills by answering questions from kids and families about pet health and presenting their work as nurses in training.

“Our main goal was to work with animals—we didn’t think too much about the people until we got to our first job after college,” says Sarah Machniak, coordinator of student enrichment and community outreach in the vet nursing program at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Machniak worked in clinical practice as a licensed veterinary technician for over 6 years before starting at the college. “We want to make sure that we give [information] in a way that can be understood and implemented.”

The MSU Science Festival, organized by University Outreach and Engagement, is a free celebration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEAM) for learners of all ages. In 2026, over 20,000 attendees participated in 400-plus events at Michigan State University and community partner sites. These presentations are curated by the festival team through both direct outreach to faculty and calls for proposals every fall.

“We're dedicated to broadening access to education and building science literacy, which empowers us to make evidence-based decisions about the health and well-being of our families, communities, and the environment,” says Katherine Hagman Prokopchuk, coordinator of the MSU Science Festival. "MSU has such an incredible culture of outreach and engagement. There are so many passionate students and faculty members who are thrilled to share their expertise and excitement with other curious minds in our community.”

Since spring 2023, the vet nursing program has hosted a booth during the festival’s STEAM Expo Days, a collection of 100 talks, demonstrations, and hands-on activities held over one weekend in the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility on MSU’s campus. After seeing great interest in the booth by attendees during its first year, Machniak recruited student volunteers from the program’s preventative health care and capstone courses. As a part of their discussions with attendees about animal health, volunteers shared more about their program and future plans.

“We have to promote our career a little bit, because it is different than being a doctor of veterinary medicine and there is such a desperate need for veterinary nurses,” Machniak says. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects faster-than-average growth in vet technologist and technician jobs through 2034, for which MSU vet nursing graduates are qualified. “If more people knew veterinary nursing was an option, they would start to think about it as a career,” she says.

Along with vet career options, this year’s booth showed attendees different layers of bandages for injuries and demonstrated proper oral health care on models of animal teeth. Representing with Machniak and her student volunteers was Rosie, a live tortoise owned by the vet nursing program. Along with the other activities, attendees could pet Rosie in her enclosure at the booth.

“Some kids sit down and just want to watch Rosie, and other kids come in and ask 800 questions, and both are great,” says Machniak, who serves as Rosie’s caretaker. After seeking advice from Saving Scales, a reptile rescue in Dansville, Michigan, she encouraged the program to adopt Rosie for outreach events. “I thought, what [animal] is child friendly, nobody can be allergic to it, and doesn’t carry rabies? Those are the three biggest things that parents worry about,” Machniak says.

Over two days of the 2026 expo, student volunteers helped owners of exotic pets research hospitals that could help them, explained vet nursing pathways to high school students, answered questions about how human and animal public health issues can affect each other, and more. Machniak aims for experiences like the STEAM Expo to serve as a “dress rehearsal” for students to communicate about animal care in a setting where they aren’t directly responsible for it.

The MSU Science Festival will return in April 2027, with proposals accepted in fall 2026. As she prepares to continue her partnership with the festival, Machniak encourages more veterinary nursing students to volunteer for outreach initiatives. The opportunity to field questions from pet owners can provide invaluable experience as they prepare to enter the growing field of veterinary nursing.

“You never knew what people were going to ask when they came up to the booth,” Machniak says. “That really gave [the students] a chance to take the knowledge we’ve spent years giving them and figure out how to bring it to the client level. People are going to take their animals to a veterinary hospital that takes care of them, is kind to them, and educates them in a way that doesn’t make them feel silly.”