{"id":54658,"date":"2022-02-22T14:26:33","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T19:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ieeeusa.org\/?page_id=54658"},"modified":"2026-01-12T14:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T19:04:10","slug":"bighoopla","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ieeeusa.org\/bighoopla\/","title":{"rendered":"The Big Hoopla"},"content":{"rendered":"

IEEE-USA Supports The Big Hoopla as a Silver Sponsor<\/h2>\n

For a fifth consecutive year, IEEE-USA is sponsoring The Big Hoopla<\/a><\/strong>, a set of events opening the \u201cFirst Four\u201d as part of the NCAA\u2019s Men\u2019s Basketball Tournament, 17-18 March 2026, at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>
VOLUNTEER<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The Big Hoopla STEM Challenge – Sunday, 15 March 2026<\/h3>\n

The Big Hoopla STEM Challenge<\/a><\/strong> is a free family event for kids (K-8) that ties together the excitement of college basketball and the power of STEM education. IEEE-USA and other regional and national partners will be on hand to engage kids with hands-on STEM activities. Kids who stop by IEEE-USA\u2019s booth will learn about electricity through a special activity, such as How to Make a Paper Circuit Airplane<\/a>!<\/p>\n

IEEE member volunteers will be needed to assist us<\/a> at The Big Hoopla STEM Challenge on Sunday, 15 March at the Wright State University Student Union in Fairborn, Ohio<\/strong>, to help staff the IEEE-USA booth and oversee STEM activities for young attendees. Information will be coming soon regarding opportunities to volunteer, and to request tickets for the “First Four” games.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/div><\/div>

The Big Hoopla 2025<\/h3>\n

For the 3rd consecutive year, IEEE-USA were key sponsors for Dayton Big Hoopla<\/a>, a series of community events leading up to the first four games of the NCAA Tournament. Our team traveled to Dayton, Ohio to be a part of the Hoopla STEM Challenge<\/a>. This year\u2019s event saw record attendance, and also record IEEE-USA volunteer participation. Helping our members connect with K-8 kids allows us to:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Support kids STEM programs by helping kids learn about engineering and electricity at a crucial time in their intellectual development<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Connect with our amazing members and volunteers, including students<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This year\u2019s Hoopla STEM Challenge was the biggest we\u2019ve seen so far – 1,500 kids and 4k+ total attendees flocked to Wright State University, to engage with local, regional and national organizations through exciting, STEM-related activities. This year, IEEE-USA got even more into the spirit by giving away 2 Smart TVs! Kids who participated in the STEM Challenge were entered to win and names were drawn at the closing ceremonies. Another huge prize for the event is the set of full-ride scholarships given to winners of the Hot Shot Challenge – a series of basketball challenges for kids K-8.<\/span><\/p>\n

    After last year\u2019s mini-lightsabers were such a hit, we knew we needed to bring our game. So this time we showed the kids how to build Airplane Paper Circuits<\/a> – this activity was great because it ties in:<\/span><\/p>\n