Our science programs are designed to spark kids' interest and develop their questions through learning experiences. Each week, students create their own science projects, most of which they have the opportunity to take home in order to establish their own science collection! This allows students to show others what they have learned and reflect on fundamental science principles.

For more detailed information on a specific program, please click the "Learn More" link at the end of that program's description. Please click on the registration tab for location details, or contact us directly.

Crime Scene Science

If your child has ever asked you how police inspectors search for clues and analyze evidence, this course can provide them with an age appropriate understanding of crime scene and forensic science. We will learn about evidence that is typically found at crime scenes and investigate our own clues. At each class meeting, we will add to our crime scene kits, as we learn more about the science of fighting crime. This class features age appropriate topics, discussions, and props. Due to the nature of the topic "crime" and children's imaginations, this class is not recommended for those who are particularly squeamish or sensitive to possible student discussions. Projects include fingerprinting ink and cards, lifting fingerprints, testing mock blood types, extracting DNA, ciphers and the Polybius Checkerboard, testing for counterfeit money, footprint impressions, engineering locks, dental impressions, and testing and identifying unknown substances. Learn More!

Simple Machines with Lego's

Students will be placed in teams of two to face a series of design and construction challenges. These challenges will make use of simple machines such as screws, pulleys, levers, inclined planes, wheels, and axles. Each team will be asked to design a solution that transfers power from a hand or motor source to different mechanisms to accomplish a task. Some of these tasks include constructing the slowest car, catapults, an elevator, rope climbing machines, and even a tight rope walker. Learn More!

Electricity@Work

Nearly every home has a doorbell, and, with common items such as paper clips, wire, a magnet and a battery, we can build one! We can even create an electric ID card system that can distinguish between our friends and strangers. Program projects such as these help students to understand the basic electrical systems that work in various everyday devices such as traffic lights and thermostats. In this program, we will create working models of basic thermostats, motor-generator systems, doorbells, simple electronic pass card systems, rheostats, traffic lights, lightbulbs, electric propeller-driven cars, engraving pens that use plasma, and electroplating devices. Learn More!

Circuit Board Circuitry

Electronic items have all kinds of functions and are used for many different purposes. On the inside however, they all look very similar, because they all contain a circuit board. This class will help students understand many of the electronic pieces found on a common circuit board, how they work, and why circuit boards that look so similar can do such different things. Students will discover what is happening to electrons on their own circuit board, as they test and create simple devices to illustrate the function of basic circuit board components such as capacitors, transistors, resistors, diodes, and choke coils. Projects include automatic night lights, burglar alarms, lie detectors, fish callers, ultrasonic pest repellers, metal detectors, digital dice, nerve testers, FM transistors and reaction testers. Learn More!

Early Inventions

Ball bearings allow car wheels to move easily, and they minimize friction. If we did not have this invention, our car wheels would wear down very quickly and fall off! Ball bearings are just one example of the many early inventions that have been modified and are still in use today. Students will learn how these early inventions have led inventors to experiments that helped them discover and create new technologies. Students will have the opportunity to build several of these awesome inventions that have helped shape the world around them. Projects include cannon devices, block and tackle systems, motorized towers, periscopes, catapult devices, pan balances, hot air balloons, solar water heaters, early pumping systems, and hydraulic cranes. Learn More!

Modern Inventions

Without the advancements of the post-Industrial Revolution era, many of our everyday goods and communication methods would not exist or would be luxuries reserved for the elite. In this program, students will have the opportunity to build and learn about several of these awesome innovations that have redefined the way that we communicate and manufacture goods. We will build and investigate some of the devices surrounding the advancement of goods and communication. Projects include simple automated systems, water wheels, zoetropes (early motion picture machines), ballast tanks, fiber optic cable models, airplane wings, pinhole cameras, electromagnetic Maglev trains, simple boiler-powered boats, and hovercrafts. Learn More!

KinderScience I

Our KinderScience programs bring early-awareness of the sciences to preschoolers and kindergartners. Children learn that science is fun and that it is important to their world. This program reflects our belief that children are natural scientists and engineers who are eager to learn about the world around them. The projects that KinderScience students will complete have been hand-selected from a pool of more advanced programs and modified to meet the specific needs of this age group. Projects include terrariums, tornado tubes, fossil impressions, sundials, building with magnets, kaleidoscopes, bouncing polymers, tricking the brain's audio perception, testing and challenging the sense of sight, and volcanoes. Learn More!

Discover Electricity

When we experience a power outage, we realize that electricity is big part of our day-to-day life. Following in the steps of history, students will discover electricity through hands-on projects. They will learn what electricity is and how it was first discovered, stored, and produced in large quantities. We will also talk about the benefits of using renewable energy to satisfy our growing need for electricity. Projects include aluminum atom models, experimenting with a Van de Graff Generator, fruit batteries, compasses and electromagnets, electric motors, electric generators, battery-powered lights, circuits that test filaments and fuses, transformers, and solar-powered race cars. Learn More!

Science Fair: Cells to Skyscrapers

This program complements Science Fair: Telegraphs to Tornadoes. These two classes may be taken in any order. Like Telegraphs to Tornados, this class focuses on several topics and combines classroom discussion with hands-on learning to help students discover what areas of science they enjoy and are interested in learning more about. In addition, they will create projects that complement the week's lesson and help to facilitate their own learning! Projects include animal cell models, DNA double helix models, airplanes, skyscrapers, kaleidoscopes, prisms, solar system models, planet weather season models, weather stations, and prop cars. Learn More!

Science Fair: Telegraphs to Tornadoes

This class focuses on several different and engaging science topics. It is a combination of classroom discussion and hands-on learning that helps students to discover what areas of science they enjoy and are interested in learning more about. Children will create projects that complement each week's topic and help to facilitate their own learning! Through these projects, students will investigate and build or model the properties of tornadoes, bridges, walls and dams, electric circuits, boats, fossils, water filter, torsos (age appropriate), volcanoes, and telegraphs. Learn More!