2026 Workshops

Middle schoolers (grades 5-8) will choose from a variety of interactive workshops designed to inspire curiosity and introduce them to real-world career possibilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

🍦 Freeze It! Ice Cream Lab

What happens when science gets really, really cold? Discover the science of gases, temperature and phase changes as you use liquid nitrogen to make your own flavored ice cream. Learn how scientists and engineers use the properties of gases in real-world applications—and enjoy a delicious experiment along the way!

❤️ Heart Beat: Read Your Rhythm

Want to see what your heart is doing? Learn how an EKG records the heart’s electrical activity, then work with a partner to record your own EKG and measure your heart rate before and after exercise. Discover how biomedical technology helps us understand what’s happening inside the human body.

🧬 DNA Extraction: Make Your Own Necklace

You’ve heard of DNA—but have you ever seen your own? Extract DNA from your own cells and turn your discovery into a one-of-a-kind necklace! Along the way, explore the amazing molecule that carries the instructions that make you uniquely you.

🦴 Inside Out: Discovering the Body with X-Rays

Think you have X-ray vision? Put it to the test! Discover how X-rays let us see what’s hiding beneath the skin as you piece together a full-body X-ray and reconstruct a human skeleton. Explore anatomy, medical imaging and the technology doctors use to look inside the body.

🏝️ Island Survival: The Clean Water Quest

You’ve discovered an island—but there’s a problem: the water is filthy! Your mission is to design a filtration system that turns muddy water into the clearest water possible. Test different ideas, solve problems and improve your design while using the engineering process to tackle a real-world challenge.

💧 Dirty to Drinkable: Build a Water Filter

Can you turn wastewater into cleaner water using a plastic bottle? Build your own water filtration system using materials such as gravel and sand, then put your design to the test. Discover how engineers and environmental scientists use filtration to help solve real-world water challenges.

🍓 DNA Detective: Crack the Strawberry Code

There’s DNA hiding inside a strawberry—and you’re going to find it! Use hands-on science techniques to extract DNA from a strawberry and see it for yourself. Explore cells, genetics and the science behind how researchers isolate and study DNA.

🚀 Straw Rocket Launch: 3…2…1…Blast Off!

3…2…1…BLAST OFF! Build your own straw rocket using simple materials, then launch it and see how far it can fly. Experiment with aerodynamic stability, forces and motion as you test your design, make changes and try to improve your flight.

🎮 Game On! Build Your Own Game with Code

You play games—now learn how to build one! Use computer code (HTML, JavaScript and CSS) to create a simple game that runs right in a web browser. Learn how programmers use code, logic and design to turn an idea into an interactive game you can actually play.

🎧 Beat Lab: Create Music with a Computer

Can you teach a computer to play music? Turn sheet music into computer code and discover how computers understand and produce musical notes. Explore the connection between music, technology and computer programming as you create your own digital sounds.

🚁 Drone Academy: Take Flight!

Ready to take the controls? Students learn the basics of drone flight and get hands-on experience piloting a drone through fun challenges. They’ll explore how drones use sensors, cameras, GPS, coding and engineering to navigate and complete tasks while developing problem-solving and technology skills.

🏗️ Build It! Architecture & Engineering Design Studio

Grab your building materials and get ready to design, build and test! Students become architects and engineers as they create their own structures. They’ll explore concepts like stability, balance, forces, materials and structural design while solving challenges, testing their creations and making improvements.

📱 The Science of Social Media

Go behind the scroll and discover the STEM behind your feed! Students explore how algorithms, data, technology and psychology influence what they see online. They’ll learn how information is collected and analyzed, how platforms make recommendations and how STEM helps shape the digital world.

👨‍🍳 Kitchen Chemistry: Science You Can Taste

What happens when science meets your favorite foods? Students become food scientists and explore the chemistry behind cooking, from changes in texture and temperature to the reactions that turn simple ingredients into something delicious. Through hands-on experiments, they’ll discover that the kitchen is a chemistry lab!

🐟 Fish Heroes: Become a Conservation Scientist

Grab your gear and get ready to fish for knowledge! Practice your fishing skills while discovering how healthy ecosystems support fish and other aquatic life. Explore the connections between habitats, water quality and conservation—and learn how scientists help protect the creatures that call our waterways home.

🔎 Microplastic Detectives: Hunt for the Tiny Stuff

Think your water is clean? Look a little closer! Become a microplastic detective and search for tiny pieces of plastic that are too small to see with the naked eye. Use a microscope to investigate these particles up close and discover how scientists study their impact on our water and environment.

🥁 Sound Lab: Make Some Noise!

What makes a drum go BOOM? Why does one note sound higher than another? Explore vibrations, pitch, frequency and other properties of sound through hands-on experiments with a professional percussionist. Then put the science into action by discovering how musical instruments create the sounds we hear.

🎤 Come On Down! The STEM Game Show

Come on down—you’re our next STEM contestant! Take on a series of fast-paced, game-show-style challenges where math, logic and strategy are your secret weapons. Work with your team, look for hidden patterns and strategies, and see if you have what it takes to win!

🐦 Beak Battle: Survival of the Fittest!

Put your beaks to the test! Compete with friends in fun challenges that explore how birds use different beak shapes to survive. Discover how adaptations help animals thrive in their environments—and see if you have what it takes to win the Beak Battle!