Penn State Science Outreach Office

OVERVIEW:

  • Our office engages Penn State Science faculty and students in order to bring inspiring, high-quality science outreach programming to K-12 youth from PA and beyond!
  • Please go here for more details about our programs and how to partner with us!

KEY EVENTS/PROGRAMS/SERVICES:

  • Science-U – Penn State Summer Science Camps: Every summer our office organizes about 15 one-week science camps for youth going into grades 2-12. We work with Penn State faculty, graduate students, and community educators to design the camp curricula and conduct rigorous training for our amazing camp staff! The Science-U camps reach over 500 youth every summer.
  • Summer Experience at the Eberly College of Science (SEECoS): SEECoS is a program that is a collaborative effort between ECOS and the Penn State Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) Program. The mission of SEECoS is to provide first generation, economically challenged students from Pennsylvania with the opportunity to participate in a summer science research project.
  • Expanding Your Horizons STEM Career Day for Girls: A one-day event held annually in late January/early February that brings together ~130 middle and high school girls for a day of interactive science workshops and inspirational STEM speakers
  • Think Outside the Beaker – After-School Science Program: An after-school program that brings ~30 students from the Bellefonte Area School District to Penn State’s University Park campus for interactive science sessions run by Penn State faculty and student groups
  • Exploration-U – Community Science Nights: 2-3 hour community science night events that are held at area schools and feature tables where STEM groups from Penn State and the community engage families through interactive science activities
  • Haunted-U – A Halloween Science Event: A half-day Halloween-themed science event held every October to excite K-5 students about science through spooky demos and activities

HOW TO COLLABORATE:

  • Please go here for more details about our programs and how to partner with us!

PAST EXAMPLES OF COLLABORATION:

  • Partnering with faculty and graduate students to design and implement new Science-U camps in order to bring their research subject matter to life for K-12 youth
  • Enabling faculty and graduate students to develop topical workshops that reached 130+ middle and high school girls at our Expanding Your Horizons STEM Career Day for Girls
  • Providing opportunities for faculty and student groups to demonstrate specific science concepts to youth across three school districts through our Exploration-U family science nights