The departments within the College of Integrated Science and Engineering have a long and distinguished record of providing a variety of learning opportunities and resources in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) for teachers, counselors, administrators, and students and educators in K-12 schools. We are currently involved in a wide array of off-campus educational outreach efforts. In addition to the programs discussed below, other highlights include Hour of Code, First Lego League, Geospatial Semester, and Professors in Residence.
Off-Campus Learning Experience
With funding and transportation issues, we understand it's not always easy to plan a field trip. Yet we know how important it is for students to be part of an awesome STEM learning experience. Our off-campus program allows our faculty and student ambassadors to visit your classroom and lead your students in exciting, hands-on STEM activities and demonstrations.
*Off-campus-opportunities are determined by funding and availability of our faculty and staff.
Visit STEM Education & Outreach Center to schedule your visit.
On-Campus Learning Experience
With an on-campus learning experience, your students will have an opportunity to participate in an exciting, hands-on, relevant STEM learning experience.
Visit laboratories on campus and incorporate a demonstration or interactive lab experience for your students. Plan the entire day around STEM facilities or make it an interdisciplinary visit by including a visit to Science on a Sphere, the Planetarium, or the Center for Wind Energy. Bring your lunch and sit outside in the Arboretum or buy lunch at the East Campus Dining Hall.
*On-campus opportunities are determined by funding and availability of our faculty and staff. Visits to Science on a Sphere, the Planetarium, the Center for Wind Energy are scheduled separately.
Visit the STEM Education & Outreach Center to schedule your visit.
Sphere Theater
The Sphere Theater contains Science On a Sphere (SOS), which uses computers and projectors to display data onto a 68-inch diameter sphere. It was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is primarily utilized by museums and science centers for informal education. There are 62 institutions in the United States (and 51 more institutions internationally) that use SOS. JMU was the first university to install SOS and is one of a few universities to use SOS as a pedagogical tool in university courses. The Sphere Theater is also frequently used for school visits, which are arranged through JMU’s Middle School Visit Program and the STEM Education & Outreach Center. JMU faculty and staff who would like to use the Sphere Theater should email stewardship@jmu.edu.
East Campus Hillside Naturalization Tour
Campuses can leverage their facilities and operations investments to directly support student education by expanding the vision of the role of the grounds. The East Campus Hillside project transformed a typically managed lawn area into a natural educational landscape that diversifies the campus aesthetic, approaches the landscape as an ecosystem, provides educational space outside, and demonstrates environmental stewardship. Partners: Scholar-in-Residence Michael Singer, and members of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Integrated Science and Technology, and Department of Biology.
Madison Automotive Apprentices
Madison Automotive Apprentices (MAAP) is a non-profit that exists to share the love of the automobile with the next generation, to provide educational and bridging opportunities for automotive restoration/preservation, and motorsport experiences. Their mission is to create Cooperative Opportunities between Auto Manufacturer(s), Higher Education Institutions, Vintage Auto Clubs and Enthusiasts and other Non-Profit Organizations to promote learning among Students with aptitude in Engineering, Non-Profit Management, Economic Development, Grant Writing, Automotive History, Communications, Social Marketing, Event and Project Management. Enroll in a workshop or stop by for a cup of coffee and check out their facility!
