STEM-ology Focuses on Meteorology for All Ages at UW During October

STEM-ology, a monthly series of themed science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) events for all ages, continues this month at the University of Wyoming, with events including Toddler Tuesdays, Senior Science Fridays and fun-filled family STEM Saturdays.

This month’s events will have a meteorology theme and will take place in the STEM Sandbox, located on the fourth floor of the Science Initiative Building, which is on the corner of Ninth and Bradley streets.

Last spring, STEM-ology drew more than 383 participants from the local community and neighboring states, says Karagh Brummond, director of the UW Top-Tier Science Initiative Engagement and Outreach Program. During fall 2025, STEM-ology events attracted 304 attendees.

“We are bringing STEM to life with engaging, hands-on experiences for all ages. Programs are designed to spark curiosity, inspire creativity and make science, technology, engineering and math fun and interactive,” Brummond says.

The October schedule is:

-- Tuesday, Oct. 20, 10-10:30 a.m.: Toddler Tuesdays allow children to explore the world through hands-on activities and sensory play. Toddlers and their caregivers will learn about weather and wind. Participants will read a story about preparing for weather and then talk about wind and how wind might be measured. Attendees will then use hands-on learning to create homemade wind sticks to visualize, measure and investigate how wind is moving outside. To RSVP, go here.

 

-- Friday, Oct. 23, 10-11 a.m.: Senior Science Fridays offer a fun and engaging way for older adults to explore the wonders of science. Seniors will explore concepts of meteorology and building weather maps. They will hear from Kinsale Day, a UW graduate student studying atmospheric sciences and the daughter of Wyoming meteorologist Don Day, about instruments used to measure weather. Seniors will then apply their observations of weather to construct and build weather maps. To RSVP, go here.

 

-- Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m.-noon.: STEM Saturday is a fun-filled family day designed for all ages. Attendees will kick off STEM Saturday with a weather balloon launch from outside the Science Initiative Building with Coltin Grasmick, an associate research scientist in the UW Department of Atmospheric Science. Families will learn how meteorologists measure weather variables; explore the instruments they use; and apply their observations to construct and interpret their own weather maps.

Additionally, participants will explore the weather with a focus on wind, observing how wind moves and using homemade wind sticks to investigate, measure and visualize how windy it is; build a simple barometer and use it to explore how changes in air pressure can help predict changes in weather; and explore different types of clouds and discover what their shapes, heights and characteristics can tell us about the weather. An RSVP is not required, but families are asked to arrive in time for check-in from 10-10:15 a.m.

The final fall STEM-ology event will focus on mathematics in November.

For more information, email Brummond at STEMSandbox@uwyo.edu or go to www.wyomingspacegrant.org/stem-ology/.