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Due to a number of logistical issues this year, unfortunately we are cancelling College Days for Kids this spring and will resume the program in the spring of 2025. This is a disappointment for us as the UWSP School of Education, but several constraints are impacting the feasibility of the program this year and we don’t feel we can meet the high expectations of our stakeholders given these current limitations. By postponing the event this year, we feel we can overcome our current challenges and deliver a strong program in the future. If there are other things that we can do for your school district in lieu of attending College Days for Kids, please let us know. We will do our best to meet the requests that we receive.

School of Education College Days for Kids

Welcome to College Days for Kids!

College Days for Kids is a program designed for high-ability sixth graders. Participating schools bring young people to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus for enrichment classes taught by university faculty and academic staff. From “A Quest with the Dragon to “Architecture Outside the Box” and “Your Amazing Ears,” students get hands-on classes in the college classroom.

Class Descriptions

Disclaimer: Pre-registration numbers should represent 10% of any given sixth grade class. Once pre-registration numbers have been confirmed with the UWSP School of Education, additional students may not be added on as spots are limited for this event. Class assignments are subject to change due to limited class offerings.

Adaptations of Reptiles and Amphibians: The course will cover how reptiles and amphibians evolved over time and adapt to their habitats. You will get to be up close to many of our animals from our laboratories and will be able to touch them when asked too. Come learn how a frog jumps high, or why does a snake crawl on the ground. You will come to understand and love these amazing creatures as much as we do. Are you ready explorers? Instructor: Colton Lemke, UWSP Herpetology Society

Architecture Outside the Box: This workshop involves teams of three to six students who explore architecture, the art of physical spaces and information they contain. This workshop will address the following three questions: As clients, what space do you want to commission? As an architects, how would you design a plan to meet the commission? As builders, how would you realize the client’s commission and architect’s plans? Instructor: Henry St. Maurice, School of Education

Build an Insect Collection!: Have you ever been to a museum and wondered how people make the displays you see? The displays are called “collections”. When entomologists (people who study insects) build insect collections for research and museums (or even just for fun), they use several skills to make their collections. These skills include identifying their insects, figuring out how you they will display them, and organizing their insects in a display case. In this course you will become an amateur entomologist and build a collection using the skills you learn in the course. Instructor: Jamee Hubbard, School of Biology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry

Fish Frenzy: Learn about bluegills, smallmouth bass, darters and more! Watch the fish and learn what they need. Then each person will “inherit” a piece of waterfront property and get to decide what to build on it…and what impact your property will have on the fish! Instructor: Lynn Markham, College of Natural Resources

Hot Takes on Habitats: Come learn about plant, animal, invasive species, and habitat management with the use of fire! During this class, we will be going over topics like forests without fire, the benefits of having fire and public opinion. We will also briefly talk about jobs in prescribed fire. You wouldn’t want to miss this hot class! Instructor: Cailey Wolf, UWSP

Instant Improv: Want to challenge yourself to think on your feet? Try out Instant Improv. Your team will be served up several challenges to solve and present during this session. Instructor: Amber Garbe, School of Education

Mathematical Modeling – Candy Count: Imagine a contest where you had to guess how many pieces of candy were in a jar. Is it possible to win a contest like that? How do you create an accurate guess? In this session, you will get your chance to use mathematics to answer this question. We will develop strategies to apply to real world problems and we will eat some candy. Join us to learn how math can help you see the world differently. Instructor: Abe Wallin, School of Education

Phantom of the Universe – The Search for Dark Matter: The realistic visuals/animations, combined with the appropriate explanations offer an immersive environment for students to grasp fundamental topics in modern science. Instructor: Sebastian Zamfir, Physics & Astronomy Department

Physiology and Behavior of Hissing Cockroaches: We will explore the physiology and behavior of Madagascar hissing cockroaches by conducting experiments, analyzing our data, and interpreting our data. Instructor: Sarah Alger, Department of Biology

Say What?! Your Amazing Ears!: In this class, students will learn all about their ears, how hearing works, and how to protect their hearing. Students will participate in activities that relate to the ear such as earwax removal on fake ears, look at their ears through assisted video otoscopy, investigate hearing aids, as well as other equipment that audiologists use to assess hearing. Doctorate students in the UW-Stevens Point Doctor of Audiology program will assist Dr. Veith, a licensed audiologist and professor, to help students learn about how important their hearing is! Instructor: Tonya Veith, School of Health Sciences and Wellness

Soil – Mother Nature’s Filter: Did you know that soil has an electrical charge? Learn how this important property of soil actually helps soil filter our drinking water. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty as we will also explore different soil textures using the “feel method.” Instructor: Alyssa Gunderson, College of Natural Resources

Sustainable Papermaking and Careers: Get your hands wet and learn what it takes to make a sheet of paper. You’ll also learn about the wide variety of career paths you can take in the paper industry – you might just be surprised!!

Taekwondo: Learn kicks, blocks, and punches. Then put them into practice. Tap, tap sparring will also be a part of this program. Instructor: Karen Johnson

The NASA Shuttle Launch Dark Moon Ray Mystery: On February 7, 2001, the Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched to help build the International Space Station. A series of photos of the launch show a dark ray emanating from the Moon and aimed directly at the Atlantis. What was it? Aliens? A new, top-secret military weapon? Come find out! Instructor: Ken Menningen, Department of Physics and Astronomy

Two Small Pieces of Glass – The Amazing Telescope: The realistic visuals/animations, combined with the appropriate explanations offer an immersive environment for students to grasp fundamental topics in modern science. Instructor: Sebastian Zamfir, Physics & Astronomy Department

Wrestling: Learn moves, play games, and wrestle with members of UWSP’s wrestling team. Instructor: Jake Wozniak, UWSP Athletics

Adaptations of Reptiles and Amphibians: The course will cover how reptiles and amphibians evolved over time and adapt to their habitats. You will get to be up close to many of our animals from our laboratories and will be able to touch them when asked too. Come learn how a frog jumps high, or why does a snake crawl on the ground. You will come to understand and love these amazing creatures as much as we do. Are you ready explorers? Instructor: Colton Lemke, UWSP Herpetology Society

Architecture Outside the Box: This workshop involves teams of three to six students who explore architecture, the art of physical spaces and information they contain. This workshop will address the following three questions: As clients, what space do you want to commission? As an architects, how would you design a plan to meet the commission? As builders, how would you realize the client’s commission and architect’s plans? Instructor: Henry St. Maurice, School of Education

Build an Insect Collection!: Have you ever been to a museum and wondered how people make the displays you see? The displays are called “collections”. When entomologists (people who study insects) build insect collections for research and museums (or even just for fun), they use several skills to make their collections. These skills include identifying their insects, figuring out how you they will display them, and organizing their insects in a display case. In this course you will become an amateur entomologist and build a collection using the skills you learn in the course. Instructor: Jamee Hubbard, School of Biology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry

Hot Takes on Habitats: Come learn about plant, animal, invasive species, and habitat management with the use of fire! During this class, we will be going over topics like forests without fire, the benefits of having fire and public opinion. We will also briefly talk about jobs in prescribed fire. You wouldn’t want to miss this hot class! Instructor: Cailey Wolf, UWSP

Instant Improv: Want to challenge yourself to think on your feet? Try out Instant Improv. Your team will be served up several challenges to solve and present during this session. Instructor: Amber Garbe, School of Education

Learning About Special Education and People with Disabilities: Within the workshop, G/T 6th graders will be able to pick from multiple different options for topics to learn about. These topics will be taught by special education majors. Each lesson will be 25 minutes long so 6th graders will have the opportunity to two select and attend two lessons. The main goal of the creation of this workshop is to help create a more inclusive classroom environment in which each and every child is treated with the proper respect. Instructor: Mariah Pfundheller, School of Education

Mathematical Modeling – Candy Count: Imagine a contest where you had to guess how many pieces of candy were in a jar. Is it possible to win a contest like that? How do you create an accurate guess? In this session, you will get your chance to use mathematics to answer this question. We will develop strategies to apply to real world problems and we will eat some candy. Join us to learn how math can help you see the world differently. Instructor: Abe Wallin, School of Education

Phantom of the Universe – The Search for Dark Matter: The realistic visuals/animations, combined with the appropriate explanations offer an immersive environment for students to grasp fundamental topics in modern science. Instructor: Sebastian Zamfir, Physics & Astronomy Department

Physiology and Behavior of Hissing Cockroaches: We will explore the physiology and behavior of Madagascar hissing cockroaches by conducting experiments, analyzing our data, and interpreting our data. Instructor: Sarah Alger, Department of Biology

Say What?! Your Amazing Ears!: In this class, students will learn all about their ears, how hearing works, and how to protect their hearing. Students will participate in activities that relate to the ear such as earwax removal on fake ears, look at their ears through assisted video otoscopy, investigate hearing aids, as well as other equipment that audiologists use to assess hearing. Doctorate students in the UW-Stevens Point Doctor of Audiology program will assist Dr. Veith, a licensed audiologist and professor, to help students learn about how important their hearing is! Instructor: Tonya Veith, School of Health Sciences and Wellness

Soil – Mother Nature’s Filter: Did you know that soil has an electrical charge? Learn how this important property of soil actually helps soil filter our drinking water. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty as we will also explore different soil textures using the “feel method.” Instructor: Alyssa Gunderson, College of Natural Resources

Sustainable Papermaking and Careers: Get your hands wet and learn what it takes to make a sheet of paper. You’ll also learn about the wide variety of career paths you can take in the paper industry – you might just be surprised!!

Taekwondo: Learn kicks, blocks, and punches. Then put them into practice. Tap, tap sparring will also be a part of this program. Instructor: Karen Johnson

The NASA Shuttle Launch Dark Moon Ray Mystery: On February 7, 2001, the Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched to help build the International Space Station. A series of photos of the launch show a dark ray emanating from the Moon and aimed directly at the Atlantis. What was it? Aliens? A new, top-secret military weapon? Come find out! Instructor: Ken Menningen, Department of Physics and Astronomy

The Wonders of DNA!: Information about how you look, or act is passed down through something called DNA: which is in all living things, including the fruit you eat! You will learn how to extract DNA from fruits and compare the ploidy of strawberries, kiwis, and bananas! Instructor: Ashley Prebeg, UWSP Biochemistry Club

Two Small Pieces of Glass – The Amazing Telescope: The realistic visuals/animations, combined with the appropriate explanations offer an immersive environment for students to grasp fundamental topics in modern science. Instructor: Sebastian Zamfir, Physics & Astronomy Department

Wrestling: Learn moves, play games, and wrestle with members of UWSP’s wrestling team. Instructor: Jake Wozniak, UWSP Athletics

Adaptations of Reptiles and Amphibians: The course will cover how reptiles and amphibians evolved over time and adapt to their habitats. You will get to be up close to many of our animals from our laboratories and will be able to touch them when asked too. Come learn how a frog jumps high, or why does a snake crawl on the ground. You will come to understand and love these amazing creatures as much as we do. Are you ready explorers? Instructor: Colton Lemke, UWSP Herpetology Society

Animal Myth-busters: The Untouchables: Join this session to myth-bust animals who get a bad reputation and learn why they are important to our world! Instructor: Rachael Rost-Allen, School of Education

Architecture Outside the Box: This workshop involves teams of three to six students who explore architecture, the art of physical spaces and information they contain. This workshop will address the following three questions: As clients, what space do you want to commission? As an architects, how would you design a plan to meet the commission? As builders, how would you realize the client’s commission and architect’s plans? Instructor: Henry St. Maurice, School of Education

Code Making and Breaking: Come join us and learn how to create and break secret codes. Instructor: Andy Felt, Department of Mathematical Sciences

The NASA Shuttle Launch Dark Moon Ray Mystery: On February 7, 2001, the Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched to help build the International Space Station. A series of photos of the launch show a dark ray emanating from the Moon and aimed directly at the Atlantis. What was it? Aliens? A new, top-secret military weapon? Come find out! Instructor: Ken Menningen, Department of Physics and Astronomy

Water-Friendly Food Game: Students will be learning about the water footprint of foods by working in small groups to create a meal that uses the least amount of water possible. They will research the amount of water used in the growth and production of different foods, then create a meal using the least amount of water possible, while still maintaining adequate amounts of macronutrients. This is meant to be a fun, interactive way to learn about food choices and how food systems impact our water systems. Instructor: Jessica Cordaro, School of Education

Writing Moves Toolbox: Enhance your writing skills by studying the intentional craft moves of published writers. In this inquiry-based class, you will search for writing moves in text, discuss the impact of the writer’s craft on the reader, and think about ways you can incorporate the craft in your own writing. Instructor: Amber Garbe, School of Education

 

 

Program Goals

  • Introduce sixth graders to a university setting and thereby encourage them to set appropriate educational goals.
  • Provide higher level enrichment through exposure to a variety of topics in the humanities and sciences.
  • Promote healthy effective development through interactions with peers from other schools.

Program Benefits

  • Attend multiple workshops that align with your interests
  • Explore UW-Stevens Point campus and see what it’s like to be a Pointer!
  • Meet new people and enjoy interacting with youth from all over Wisconsin.
“It was super fun. I wish we could come back every year.”
“It was a great experience and I’m thinking about applying to this college since it has a lot of opportunities.”
“I want to stay here … I’m definitely going to this college.”
“The teachers made the classes REALLY fun to learn. I could stay here all day!”
“I loved how big the campus is and how welcoming everyone is.”
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FAQs

  1. The fee for each student is $50 for one session, $90 for two sessions, and $120 for three sessions. This includes all class materials as well as lunch and a T-shirt.
  2. The student fee also covers lunch for attending chaperones.
  3. Each school is responsible for providing its own transportation.

Headquarters for College Days for Kids is located in the Skyward Fieldhouse in the Marshfield Clinic Health System Champions Hall (formerly Health Enhancement Center). All College Days classes will be held in surrounding academic buildings. UW-Stevens Point students escort sixth grade participants to and from their classes, “regrouping” at the headquarters several times during the day. Every effort is made to provide a safe and reassuring setting while taking advantage of the many resources the UWSP campus has to offer.

April 28 virtual classes will be held on Zoom. Virtual Requirements: High speed internet, computer/laptop/device with microphone and camera, free Zoom app—see our Zoom Tutorial webpage for how to install and use.

College Days course offerings vary from year to year. A full list of classes will be available in December. Most students report enjoying and learning from all classes available through College Days for Kids. A sample of the courses offered in the past sessions included: Amazing Reptiles, Backpacking and Camping 101, Chemistry Magic, Code Making & Breaking, Creative Writing, German, Origami, Taekwondo, and The Stargazer.

Since the first College Days event in 1985, over fourteen thousand sixth graders have participated. Interested school districts in counties surrounding the University are invited to select a certain number of sixth graders to attend College Days. Students may or may not be formally identified as “gifted” — they should, however, be able to benefit from stimulating, fast paced classes. Teachers and/or other adult chaperones in the ratio of 1:10 or less accompany each group. In addition to helping supervise lunch activities, adults are encouraged to attend College Days classes and provide evaluation feedback to the program director. A typical College Days session involves 20-25 school districts and a total of around 300 students. Some classes are taught in groups as large as 50 and others as small as 20.

The School of Education Talent Development Center sponsors College Days for Kids. The Center offers enrichment opportunities for high-ability students throughout Wisconsin. For further information regarding other programs the Center offers, visit our website or contact us at: gifted@uwsp.edu.

UWSP admits male and female students of any religion, race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the university. It does not discriminate on the basis of marital status, religion, race, color, physical handicap, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, recruitment and admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, employment practices, and athletic or other university sponsored programs. The university is committed to a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of sex in all its educational programs, personnel policies, and employment practices in compliance with provisions of Title IX of the Federal Educational Amendments of 1972.

Our Staff

Abe Wallin

Abe Wallin

  • Assistant Professor – Education
  • Director of Youth Outreach – School of Education
208-596-6961