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STEM Academic & Career Exploration Day


High school student in Technology Open House workshop.Friday, March 21st 8:30 am – 1:00 pm

High school juniors will participate in three hands-on lab sessions in science, technology, engineering, math, business and the health sciences. Each school will be limited to 20 high school juniors.

Registration for Spring '25 is now closed.

The Exploration Day includes the following academic programs:

  • Biology / Biotechnology
  • Chemistry / Chemical Technology
  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Mathematics
  • Allied and Rehabilitative Health
  • Nursing
  • Business
  • Astronomy
  • Fire Science
  • Geology
  • Computer Science / Cybersecurity
  • Occupational Therapy

LAB SESSIONS

Engineering

It’s Water Under the Bridge

Learn how to problem solve like an engineer.
Mathematics

Math Magic Cracks the Code

Join the mathematical quest to reveal the magical code that will open the box of sur-prizes.
Business

The Design Sprint

Learn how designers “Build to Learn” when creating new product ideas.  This lab includes hands-on, interactive exercises that are used to find solutions to design challenges. Highly interactive!

Chemistry / Chemical Technology

Forensic Files: A Penchant for Poison

When someone dies suddenly, homicide detectives become suspicious. In the Crime Lab, you will be the forensic chemist who analyzes samples for possible poisoning using chemical instrumentation.
Biotechnology

Mystery of the Crooked Cell

Use DNA fingerprinting to unravel a mystery.
Advanced Manufacturing

Automation and Beyond

Making keychain tabs for the students on the CNC milling machines.
Astronomy

Space Physics... It Is Rocket Science!

Learn some space and planetary physics using a spectroscope, telescopes, and bottle rockets to learn how NASA scientist study other planets in our solar system and beyond!
Computer/Cyber

Capture the Flag - Cybersecurity Heroes Wear Digital Capes

Cybersecurity is all around us. Learn how items or messages can be hidden in different pictures or websites.

Engineering

Using Wind to Charge Your Phone

Wind Energy Fundamentals & Activities: Generator power measurement and testing in the Wind Tunnel. 

Occupational Therapy

Guess the Occupational Therapy Gadget

Learn how to measure grip strength and explore adaptive equipment/tools used to help people perform daily tasks as independently as possible.
Fire Science

EMS Rodeo

Students will be introduced to some of the real-life interventions in pre-hospital EMS by current students and EMS faculty. 
Nursing

The STEM of Care: Where Science Meets Compassion

Jump into action and use your STEM skills to see how nurses make a difference every day. Use science to understand a patient’s condition, technology to gather info, and math to calculate dosages. Get ready to apply STEM to real-world nursing scenarios.
Biology

A Muddy Mystery: A Whodunit Case to Discover the Cause of a Declining Salt Marsh

Students will learn about the ecological and economic importance of salt marsh ecosystems and work together to solve a mystery of what caused a salt marsh to decline. Was it human activity, climate change, biodiversity loss, or invasive species?

The STEM Day Schedule

Time Activity
8:00 am—8:30 am Registration - 2nd Floor Entrance
8:30 am—9:15 am Welcome + Moving to Lab Session I
9:15 am—10:10 am Lab Session I
10:10 am—10:20 am Transition to Lab Session II
10:20 am—11:15 am Lab Session II
11:15 am—11:25 am Transition Time to Lab Session III
11:25 am—12:20 pm Lab Session III
12:20 pm—1:00 pm Lunch & Dismissal

Important Information

Learn about CCRI's dual enrollment program where high school students earn college credits. https://www.ccri.edu/earlycollege

Plus, find out how to become a Rhode Island Promise Scholar and enroll tuition-free at CCRI. https://www.ccri.edu/ripromise/