STEM Explorations
Bring your Pre-K through 8th Grade students to the University of Mississippi fo a day filled with hands-on STEM activities.
Exploring the World of STEM
The Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMSE) offers PreK-8th grade teachers an easy and convenient way for students to experience and explore the STEM fields!
- During STEM Explorations, students travel to the University of Mississippi and are placed into small groups to participate in 3 or 4 station rotations.
- The stations include hands-on activities designed around current grade-level curriculum and are specifically rich in the elementary-level science content.
Students will have the opportunity to learn by asking questions, observing demonstrations, completing experiments, and engaging in exciting group projects.
About Our Field Trip Experiences
The Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMSE) at the University of Mississippi is proud to offer field trip experiences for students in grades Pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.
- A typical STEM Exploration consists of hands-on activities relevant to current grade-level curriculum requirements and are designed to build on student knowledge of subject matter.
Each activity typically last 30 minutes – making an entire STEM Exploration approximately 3 hours (depending on the number of activities, 3 or 4). A sample schedule can be seen below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Planning
The CMSE staff members appreciate as much advance notice as possible. We recommend requesting your visit at least 1 month in advance to organize and plan a successful exploration. Suggested timing is provided below.
Steps to plan a successful STEM Exploration:
Step One: (at least 6-8 weeks prior) Determine potential dates, timing, and goals for your day. (You will need this information before step two.)
Step Two: (6 weeks prior) Submit a STEM Exploration Reservation Request Form. After completing the reservation request, you will receive an email outlining your submission.
Step Three: (4-6 weeks prior) After submitting the reservation request form, allow the CMSE at least two weeks to compile and confirm necessary logistics. During these two weeks, a CMSE staff member may reach out to you to clarify some information – please be attentive to the contact information you provided on the form.
Step Four: (2-4 weeks prior) After logistics are finalized, you will receive an email confirming your reservation. The email will also request necessary documents, such as: photo release forms, student roster(s), principal agreement (if applicable), etc. Please note: this is not an exhaustive list. These documents are traditionally requested to be submitted at least two weeks prior to the STEM Exploration.
Step Five: (at least 1 week prior) After the requested documents are submitted, you will receive a complete and detailed schedule for the day that identifies: parking, station rotation timings, maps, etc.
Step Six: Get excited for an educational, fun-filled day of STEM!
The associated costs for each STEM Exploration is:
Event Fee – $150 is assessed per group. Financial Assistance may be available, but will be based on available funds and needs of school/group. If interested in applying, please email cmsek12stem@go.olemiss.edu.
Activity Fee –$5 is assessed per participating student. This fee covers the cost of instructional and kit materials used during activities.
For Example – The total cost for a first grade STEM Exploration for 50 students would be:
Event Fee + (Activity Fee * # of students) = Total Cost
$150 + ($5 * 50 students) = $400 which equates to approx. $8.00/student
Please keep in mind that groups will need to budget for transportation, lunches (if applicable), and any planned activity off campus (i.e., movie, bowling, etc.).
There are many options available for lunch. Here are a list of suggestions of what other groups/schools have done in the past:
on-campus dining services (The CMSE can assist with organizing on-campus lunch through dining services.)
Picnic in the grove with pizza or sack lunches
Local restaurant options
Explorations are typically scheduled on weekdays and usually begin at 9:00AM and conclude by 2:00PM. However, these times can be adjusted to fit the group’s specific scheduling needs.
Sample Schedule:
- Arrive at the University of Mississippi: 8:30AM
- Introduction and Welcome: 8:30AM-8:50AM
- Station Rotation 1: 8:55AM – 9:25AM
- Station Rotation 2: 9:30AM – 10:00AM
- Station Rotation 3: 10:05AM – 10:35AM
- Wrap Up: 10:40AM – 10:55AM
- Lunch: 11:00AM – 12:00PM
- Optional Campus Tour: 12:00PM – 12:30PM
- Depart: 12:30PM
Although there are some limitations to STEM Explorations, we try our best to accommodate as many students as possible.
Each exploration will bring its own limitations. After completing the reservation request form, each individual request will be considered and further communication will take place via email.
Center for Mathematics and Science Education
The Center for Mathematics and Science works to improve mathematics and science education in Mississippi by fostering interaction between academic and K-12 communities, support the implementation of research-based methods in the classroom, and promote interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).