Font Size

content body

girl with snake

The College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM) at Auburn University hosted its annual Destination STEM event on Oct. 2, at the Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum, attracting more than 900 students and educators from 14 Alabama schools in nine counties (Lee, Houston, Pike, Elmore, Chambers, Lowndes, Russell, Montgomery, Bullock).

This informal program aims to ignite interest and passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) among middle school students that may not receive this exposure at their school.

More than 150 faculty, staff and volunteers led in excess of 50 engaging interactive exhibits, allowing students in grades six to nine to explore diverse topics such as physics, biology, geology, chemistry, medicine and mathematics. All exhibitors shared hands-on experiences and knowledge that would otherwise not be available in many local schools.

“Destination STEM is an amazing chance for middle schoolers to see up close the amazing phenomena of STEM they would otherwise not be able to learn about in a traditional classroom setting,” said program coordinator, Karen Dane. “We are so fortunate to have exhibits from every department in the College of Sciences and Mathematics and as well as several other science outreach groups!” 

Among the highlights was the exhibit hosted by the Donald E. Davis Arboretum where students designed nature mandalas utilizing objects from the Arboretum such as leaves and pinecones to create circular artistic structures. Two students from W.F. Burns Middle School, Adeline and Dynasty, enjoyed their time at this exhibit. “We really liked the plant station because we don’t get to learn a lot about nature at school and we really like nature. Since this event is so fun, it makes us want to learn.”

Destination STEM 2024

Each of the five COSAM departments showcased their expertise with six to 12 tables each. The Department of Geosciences brought Stan, a full-size T-rex skull and an array of beautiful fossils, rocks and minerals. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offered a Math Carnival fully equipped with puzzles that taught complex mathematical theories.

Biological Sciences allowed students to see the microscopic world up close and learn about “Genetics on the Fly.” The Department of Physics showcased their Biodome and Plasma Universe. Chemistry and Biochemistry hosted “Medical Detectives” where students tested for Frankenstein’s blood type and “Fun with Chemistry” where students learned to identify different metal ions based on the color their flame test produced.

Other notable exhibitors included the Auburn University Natural History Museum which brought their collection of live reptiles and invertebrates; AMSTI education specialists taught students how to use Snap Circuits; the Southeastern Center of Robotics Education allowed students to compete with Freezebots and Sphero robots; and the MitoMobile showcased its traveling mitochondria research facility. In addition, several exhibitors came from outside COSAM including VCOM, who brought their Laparoscopic Trainers and the Alabama Space Grant Consortium/NASA EPSCoR Outreach Group, which allowed student to build mini-paper rockets.

Local educators praised the event for creating a dynamic learning environment.

“I think this event will spark curiosity in our students. We bring sixth graders that have not had exposure to these items, and it provides a sneak peak for what they will learn later,” said Christy Carter, science department head at W.F. Burns Middle School, said.

This is the school’s third year attending Destination STEM.

Destination STEM is dedicated to positively impacting the community by inspiring the next generation of scientists and mathematicians. Through outreach initiatives, STEM experts shared their knowledge and passion for STEM, helping to cultivate interest in science for students in a fun, engaging field trip.

For more information about Destination STEM and COSAM's outreach programs, please visit the COSAM Outreach website at https://aub.ie/cosamoutreach.