Excursions are crafted to be meaningful and relevant to student outcomes and interests while fostering a sense of curiosity about science, technology, engineering and math. These sessions can occur in a classroom, laboratory, design studio, field of study or within any settings that cultivate a nurturing environment.

Sample Schedule:

8:30AM: Arrive at the University of Mississippi
8:30-9:30AM: National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA) Tour & Demonstration
9:30-10:30AM: Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME) Tour
10:30-11:00AM: UM Campus Tour
11:00-12:15PM: Lunch at Rebel Market
12:15-1:30PM: Physics Demonstration
1:30PM: Depart

Teachers will be asked to clarify the goals of the excursion on the Excursion Reservation Request Form. The goals identified by the teacher will be used to plan a beneficial excursion aimed to meet the needs of the students. 

A few questions that may be used to define these goals are:

What would you like students to get out of the trip?

What would you like for them to be exposed to?

How can we inspire them on their educational journey in the STEM fields?

How should/could the trip align with your curriculum?

During an excursion, groups will participate in a variety of activities, demonstrations, tours, and opportunities around the campus of the University of Mississippi. On the Excursion Reservation Request Form, teachers will be asked to identify which specific activities they are interested in.

Possible examples could include:

Tour of the Center for Manufacturing Excellence (limited to groups of 40 or less)

Tour of the National Center for Physical Acoustics (limited to groups of 20 or less)

Tour and Demonstration of the Field Station and The Center for Water and Wetland Resources

Visit the University of Mississippi Museum

Visit to the Mobile Planetarium (Additional Cost)

Chemistry Demonstration

Engineering Demonstration

Physics Demonstration

Robotics Demonstration

*On-campus opportunities are determined by funding and availability of our faculty and staff.

The associated cost for each STEM Excursion are as follows:

Activity Fee – $5 is assessed per participating student. This covers facility rentals and personnel as needed.

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.).

The CMSE staff members appreciate as much advance notice as possible. We recommend booking your visit at least 1 month in advance to organize and plan a successful exploration.

Steps to plan a successful STEM Excursion:

Step One: Determine potential dates, timing, and goals for your day. (You will need this information before step two.)

Step Two: Submit a STEM Excursion Reservation Request Form by completing the form on the tab labeled reservation request. After completing the reservation request, you will receive an email outlining your submission.

Step Three: 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: After logistics are finalized, you will receive a 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 Excursion.

Step Five: 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!

 Please click here to request a reservation for 2023-2024 school year.

Center for Mathematics and Science Education

The University of Mississippi
1111 Jackson Avenue W., Suite Q
P.O. Box 1848
University, MS 38677

Phone: (662) 915-6621

Fax: (662) 915-1762

Email: cmsek12stem@go.olemiss.edu

The Center for Mathematics and Science Education (CMSE) at the University of Mississippi is excited to partner with North Mississippi teachers of grades 7-12 to provide valuable learning experiences to students through a Nanobiotech Excursion! The purpose of this offering is to generate interest in and expose students in grades 7-12 to STEM, specifically Nanobiotechnology, and the University of Mississippi.

Dr. Thomas Werfel, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Mississippi, received a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation. This award will fund Dr. Werfel’s efforts to create innovative biomaterials that will help immune systems better respond to illnesses. As part of this project, the Nanobiotech Excursion gives students the unique opportunity to be immersed in the field of nanobiotechnology through research seminars, hands-on demonstrations, and laboratory facility tours.

Participating schools will receive:

• $100 transportation reimbursement
• $100 teacher stipend
• $100 substitute stipend
• Lunch provided for students and teachers

Click here to be notified when dates for the 2023-2024 school year are released!

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2141666. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in the material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.