Avenues of Scientific Discovery

Making science approachable for middle & high school students.

Avenues of Scientific Discovery

Thank you for making this last year's event a success, students, teachers and parents!

The North Dakota State University Office of Teaching and Learning’s Avenues of Scientific Discovery conference (formerly Expanding Your Horizons) is a one-day conference for middle and high school students focused on cultivating an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Workshop sessions will be held throughout the day for grades 5th-12th and will feature NDSU faculty, staff, and graduate students. Our goal is to share STEM related knowledge with regional students!

 

Avenues of Scientific Discovery Postcard
View in PDF  |  Audio (MP3)

Distribute this postcard to anyone interested in participating in or sponsoring this event.

 

 

Registration

Registration for the 2023 event has closed. Students and school districts for the 2024 Avenues of Scientific Discovery event will be able to sign up on this webpage in the future. Schools can email Sommer at Sommer.Korn@ndsu.edu for any questions regarding next year's event.

For this event, lunch is provided for all students, chaperones, and drivers on campus at a dining center. There are options for those with dietary restrictions at the dining center. 

In 2023, the student registration fee was paid for by our generous sponsors. We hope to be able to do the same this next year!

 

Workshops

We offer 45-minute or 90-minute sessions regarding anything related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). These workshops will share knowledge of STEM fields of study through hands-on workshops with undergraduate students, graduate students, and staff from NDSU and professionals in the field. 

A full list of last year's workshops can be found on our Workshops page.

Volunteer

Do your students need volunteer hours? Volunteers are needed for Avenues of Scientific Discovery every year.  This is a conference for middle and high school students where volunteers assist with a variety of tasks including helping with workshops, participant registration, and helping students navigate campus. The event normally takes place on the first Saturday of April in the AG Hill STEM building on NDSU’s campus.  

Volunteers will receive free lunch at the dining center, coffee, break snacks, and a t-shirt. 

Sponsor Avenues of Scientific Discovery

We are now accepting sponsorships for the 2024 event. Thank you to the 2023 sponsors who contributed to making the event FREE for the middle and high school students that attended! 

To continue making an impact on the middle and high school students of our region, Avenues of Scientific Discovery (formerly Expanding Your Horizons) needs your support. This conference is a prime opportunity to develop interest in the career field your organization works in.  There are no minimum sponsorship requirements for this conference.  Companies and organizations can provide a monetary donation in any amount they are comfortable with or donate door prizes for the students who attend. All sponsors are recognized on marketing materials, including the website, and conference packets.

What do sponsorships pay for? Sponsorships help keep our registration costs minimal so that more students can participate in this event and go toward covering registration fees for those who apply for a scholarship, as well as cover meal costs.

Frequently Asked Questions 

We put together a list of questions that participants, parents, and coordinating school districts frequently ask about the Avenues of Scientific Discovery event. Please review these questions prior to coming to NDSU for the event. 

If you have any other questions not addressed here please contact Sommer Korn, Project Coordinator for NDSU's Office of Teaching and Learning at: (701) 231-9712 or Sommer.Korn@ndsu.edu

What is Avenues of Scientific Discovery? 
The objective of Avenues of Scientific Discovery is show middle and high school students that science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are fun and interesting fields. We also want to make science approachable for students, which might guide them into a field of study they would not have otherwise known about or been interested in. More important, showcasing different scientific fields of study allows students to experience what science is all about in postsecondary education and the real world.   

Who can attend Avenues of Scientific Discovery? 
Avenues of Scientific Discovery is open to all regional middle and high school students, though we have an attendance cap of 300 students. 

Does our school have to pay anything for our students to attend? 
Last year students were able to attend and eat lunch for free because of our generous sponsors. This year we hope to do the same with sponsor aid.

Why do we have to pre-register students? 
Students must be pre-registered for this event. The reason for this is, we need to have a waiver signed by their parents that allows them to attend the event. The waivers parents sign are required by the NDSU Police and Safety Office for any minor attending any event on campus. The event itself is generally considered safe and any required personal protective equipment (goggles, rubber gloves, etc.) is provided by NDSU. 

Where do we park our school bus? 
Event coordinators will give you directions to the designated bus parking. You may also choose to bring a school van.  

Is there a fee to park our school bus? 
Parking is free for busses and vans when you park in the designated parking area. If you choose to park a school van in one of the visitor lots, please ensure you have paid for a parking pass at one of the pay stations. Your bus or van will receive a parking ticket if you are not parked in the designated parking area.   

What should my students do with their coats? 
We will have a coat hanging station for students to bring their winter coats if they’re still needed by the time of the event. Some schools have also chosen to leave their coats on their bus since students are dropped off right at the door. It is up to your school which option you choose but please ensure students remove any personal items from their jackets to ensure items are not lost. 

Do my students need to bring anything? 
Your students are not required to bring anything. If they are interested in taking notes, they are welcome and encouraged to bring a notebook and pen or pencil.  

Event Contact

 Sommer Korn Sommer.Korn@ndsu.edu - Project Manager  //  701-231-9712

 

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