Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
Explore all workshops in the STEM learning track below!
Aquaculture Virtual Field Trip
- Tuesdays, July 9, 16, 23
- 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
- Open to all youth ages 9 and up
- Maximum 15 attendees
Have you ever wondered what aquaculture is and what does a real aquaculture facility look like? Join us in this three part series to answer these questions and more!
- Week 1: Explore the basics of “What is Aquaculture?” through a game, digital resources and hands-on activity.
- Week 2: Embark on a virtual field trip to the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR). Explore the facility and learn about the aquaculture that happens there!
- Week 3: Put what you’ve learned to use and design your own aquaculture business. What will you grow and why? What will your business need to be successful?
Each week we will spend time getting to know each other, learning, and doing hands-on activities. Think you might want more? We will be sharing digital resources and games so you can keep the learning going between sessions. Register by June 25.
Exploring Maine’s Water Ecology
- Wednesdays, July 10, 17, 24, 31, August 7
- 2:00 – 3:00 pm
- Open to all youth ages 9 and up
- Maximum 12 attendees
Are you a young scientist who wants to learn more about the ecology of Maine’s oceans? Want to know how microscopic algae are connected to whales and fishermen; or learn about the ecology of your own backyard? Sydney, a UMaine graduate student with an expertise in harmful algae and its community impact will share her research and field observations alongside us and we explore Maine’s natural environment together.
In five engaging virtual sessions, you’ll learn how to design experiments, collect data, and share your observations with your group. Participants must be prepared to get outside between sessions to collect observations locally. Access to a digital camera will be helpful, but is not required.
This workshop is proudly supported by Maine EPSCoR at the University of Maine, and supplies will be mailed to registered attendees’ homes. Join us and unleash your inner scientist as we discover the fascinating ecology of Maine together. Register by June 24.
Farm Animal Care – FUNdamentals
- Tuesdays, July 16, 23, 30
- 3:00 – 4:00 pm
- Open to all youth ages 9 and up
- Maximum 15 attendees
Are you interested in learning about livestock animals (such as cows, goats or sheep)? How to care for them? How do you know what to feed them, how do you actually do regular health checks and have proper housing? Join the 4-H Animal Science SPIN club. We will have 3 virtual sessions focused on what livestock need to live a healthy life and one field day that provides hands-on experience. Set yourself up for success in your 4-H project by learning the basics of animal care. Participants do not need to have any prior animal experience or currently own livestock to participate. This is a beginner/introductory level program.
An optional, complementary in-person workshop will be offered at Maine 4-H Days, July 20th (register separately for Maine 4-H Days). Register by July 2.
Fun in the Forest
- Thursday, August 1
- 10:00 – 11:30 am
- Open to all youth ages 9 – 11
- Maximum 15 attendees
What’s in your woods? In this class we will explore native tree species in Maine, why they are important and special, and finish with some forestry arts and crafts! Take a walk through the woods and collect some fun and interesting leaves leading up to this class and we will learn how to press leaves and make leaf etchings all while learning how to identify the trees we see around us. Register by July 18.
Gaga for Goats
- July 9, 10, 16, 17
- 4:00 – 5:00 pm
- Open to all youth ages 9 and up
- Maximum 15 attendees
Goat in a box! We will send you all the fun materials to participate in this series of 4 sessions. Youth will learn about the different kinds of goat breeds, what purposes they are bred for, and the body parts of the goat. We will also explore products made by goats like soap, fiber, and candy. In our third session, we will practice making up different nutritional rations for these super cool animals. Finally, we will explore some basic goat health care and tips for owning and caring for goats. If you are curious about goats and want to learn more this series is for you! You do not need to own goats (or any animals) to participate. Register by June 25.
Rockhounding
- Mondays July 8, 15, 22, 29, and August 5
- 2:00 – 3:30 pm
- Open to Maine youth ages 9 and up
- Maximum 15 attendees
Do you pick up rocks when you are out walking and collect them? Do you want to spend time with others who do too? Do you want to be able to identify the rocks you find and explore Nature? Join us on a treasure hunt in your own backyard with the added bonus of playing in the dirt. You never know what you might find! We will be discussing and practicing ways to identify different types of rocks found in Maine, finding and sharing rocks in our area, and recording what we find. Optional in-person meet-up at Maine 4-H Days for a session. Optional meeting in Augusta for the Gem and Mineral Show in late August. Possibility of a meet-up at a mineral mine in Western Maine. Register by June 24.
Sun-Sational Science & Crafts
- Wednesdays, July 17, 24, 31, and August 7
- 10:00 – 11:00 am
- Open to all youth ages 5 – 8
- Maximum 10 attendees
Using the bright summer sun, we will work together to create incredible art, and conduct experiments using only solar power (and a few other things)! Harnessing the natural power of sunlight to create unique art pieces such as sun-printing, and sunscreen painting, we will get to watch how the sun works up close! (while also learning about sun safety!) Not only will we be creating art, but we’ll also be learning about the sun and all it does! So get ready to soak up the sun with this fun, and oh-so ‘sun-sational’ workshop! Register by July 3.
Start Your Own Fish Tank
- Thursdays, July 11, 18, 25, and August 1
- July dates: 3:30 – 5:00 pm, August: 5:30 – 6:30 pm
- Open to youth ages 9 and up
- Maximum 10 attendees
Join the 4-H Aquaculture Team for an engaging, practical workshop aimed at helping you set up your own fish tank! Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, this 4-part series has something for everyone. Throughout the workshops, participants will learn the basics of maintaining a healthy aquatic environment. From understanding water chemistry, fishless cycling, and nutrient cycles, to keeping track of data, we’ve got you covered. We will provide some essential equipment, like aquatic plants, a biofilter, an air pump with tubing, a digital thermometer, fishless cycling products, and a water quality test kit – mailed to your home before the workshop starts. Participants will also need to purchase a few items locally, such as a fish tank, lid, gravel/substrate, and eventually your fish.
Parents or guardians should be aware that this project requires a small financial investment and time commitment from them and their child. The last workshop of the series will be a meeting of the 4-H Aquarium Club, a club that participants can join for ongoing support from UMaine experts year-round! Register by June 17.
Tick Trackers
- Thursdays, July 11, 18, 25
- 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Open to all Maine youth
- Maximum 10 households (siblings can share materials and screens)
Join the mission to monitor and study ticks in your community! Join Carla and Becca from the 4-H Tick Project for an interactive exploration of ticks in Maine. This workshop will explore ticks by collecting and preserving your own, identifying species, investigating where ticks are found in Maine, taking safety precautions when outdoors, and more. Participants will conduct tick drags to collect tick specimens in their local area. Specimens will be returned to Hancock County 4-H and then submitted to the UMaine Diagnostic Research Laboratory Tick Lab for identification and disease testing, which contributes to the lab’s Tick Surveillance program. Youth data also contribute to a community science (aka “citizen science”) project called the Maine Forest Tick Survey, which is a multiyear, multidisciplinary research project established to determine how forest land management practices impact tick populations and disease risk across Maine. The project provides youth an opportunity to explore ticks and tick-borne diseases, which is a connected story of climate, ecosystem change, and public health.
All materials will be provided and will be available for pick up at your local county Extension office prior to the first meeting. Register by June 17.
Virtual Touch Tank
- Wednesday, July 31
- 11:00 am – noon OR 4:00 – 5:00 pm
- Open to youth of all ages
- Maximum 20 screens (siblings can share a screen)
Melissa and interns from the UMaine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR) will introduce participants to some of Maine’s common sea creatures! Youth will visually explore and learn about some of Maine’s sea creatures. Register by July 26.