Take part in CEHD research projects at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair

The Driven to Discover Research Facility (D2D) at the Minnesota State Fair is a great place for researchers to connect with people and engage them in exciting, innovative projects from a wide variety of disciplines. In 2024, 52,000 fairgoers visited the facility and took part in various research activities. This year, D2D is hosting several CEHD researchers. They include:

Emmanuel Bonney, School of Kinesiology
Play2Move
For children ages 6 to 17 able to move while standing and willing to wear a head-mounted display
Are you interested in seeing how your child coordinates their movements? Help us to discover how different sensory experiences influence the development of motor skills. Children will play active video games in both real-world and virtual reality environments while wearing an awesome head-mounted display. This information will help us to understand how children develop coordinated movements in different contexts.
August 29, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; August 31, 2:30-9 p.m.; September 1, 2:30-8 p.m.

Stephanie Carlson, Institute of Child Development
Predictors of Health Outcomes
For children entering fourth and eighth grade
Play a game to learn about your brain! Children will learn about executive function skills and their development through adolescence. Children and their caregivers will be invited to play brain games on an iPad to receive a closer look at what executive function means.
August 21, 23, 27, 30, 31, September 1, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Gresham Collom, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development
Madeline Rowe, student
Is college even worth it anymore?
For 18+
Is college even worth it anymore? Participants in this study will share their opinions on the value and purpose of a college degree.
August 30, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; September 1, 2:30-9 p.m.

Nicole Dillard and Taylor Cavallo, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development
Mom Knows Best (Even at Work!)
For working mothers 18+
Calling all working moms! We’re studying how the knowledge, insight, and problem-solving skills gained through motherhood—what we call maternal knowledge—serve as assets that help women navigate challenges and grow in their careers. Your experience matters. Come share your story and help us understand how motherhood shapes the way women lead, adapt, and succeed at work.
August 27, 2:30-9 p.m.; August 31, 9-2 p.m.

Jodi Dworkin, Department of Family Social Science
Mary Jo Katras and Aubree Derksen, College of Extension; Family, Health, and Wellbeing
Help Us Learn How You Want to Learn
For 18+
Your voice matters! Tell us how you prefer to learn about important topics like parenting, financial wellness, nutrition, and mental health-is it email, social media, in-person, website, print, or something else? 
August 27, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; August 28, 2:30-9 p.m.; September 1, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Alex Garn, School of Kinesiology
Steve Elmer and Erin Schumacher, St. Catherine University, Physical Therapy
Health and Wellness Check with a State Fair Twist
For 8+ able to stand, move independently, and exercise
This study will provide a free health and wellness check to assess muscle strength, cardiovascular endurance, balance, and walking speed. Participants will also have the opportunity to test their ability to complete the Minnesota Ball Toss challenge.
August 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 2:30-9 p.m.; August 24, 30, 31, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; September 1, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Brianna Leitzelar, School of Kinesiology
LACE Up for Cancer and Chronic Pain Research!
For 18+
LACE up your shoes and walk on in to tell us about your movement and wellness activities! Your responses to this brief survey will help us develop better, more relevant programs to support cancer survivors with chronic pain. All voices are needed! Plus, spin the prize wheel for a chance to win!
August 22, 24, 28, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; August 25, 30, 2:30-9 p.m.

Kait Macheledt, PhD student
Ginny Ramseyer Winter, School of Social Work
The Body Knows—or Does it?
For 18+
Bodies. We all have them. How connected and aware of your body do you feel? We are surveying people to gain understanding of their mind-body sensations, with special attention to individuals who are caregivers.
August 25, 28, September 1, 2:30-9 p.m.

Caitlin Mills, Department of Educational Psychology
Design Your Dream Tutor!
For children and teens 10 to 17
Create your ideal virtual math tutor and then see it in action! In this interactive study, kids and teens will help design virtual math tutors with the features they find most helpful. After designing your perfect tutor, you'll watch it teach a short math lesson while we use eye-tracking technology to see how you engage with your creation. Come help us shape the future of virtual tutors!
August 21, 25, 26, 29, September 1, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; August 24, 28, 30, 31, 2:30-9 p.m.

Jessica Simacek, Institute on Community Integration/Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (ICI/MIDB)
Damien Fair, ICD/MIDB
Telehelping Families of Children with Behavioral and Mental Health Needs
Providers, educators and family members of children who have developmental, emotional and behavioral health needs
The overall goal of this ongoing project is to expand access to developmental, emotional, and behavioral health care for children of families who are geographically dispersed, highly mobile, and/or military connected, through the use of innovative telehealth methods, including community-provider training, actionable telehealth utilization analysis and utilization of the ECHO model.
August 24, 2:30-9 p.m.; August 26, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; August 27, 29, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.