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Student Learning Programs in Wisconsin
Biotechnology Field Trips
The BTC Institute offers Biotechnology Field Trips to middle and high school students and their teachers. Designed as a 1.5 - 5 hour visit to the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center, field trip experiences include hands-on laboratory experiments based on molecular biology techniques and, for high school students, an optional tour of Promega's production facilities. Field trips are offered on Tuesdays-Fridays between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM. This year's program features eight topics designed for students at different levels of experience. Several of these labs can be taken "on the road" to schools.
For more information about these field trips please visit our website at www.btci.org or contact Barbara Bielec at or (608) 277-2618.
The BTC Institute offers Biotechnology Field Trips to middle and high school students and their teachers. Designed as a 1.5 - 5 hour visit to the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center, field trip experiences include hands-on laboratory experiments based on molecular biology techniques and, for high school students, an optional tour of Promega's production facilities. Field trips are offered on Tuesdays-Fridays between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM. This year's program features eight topics designed for students at different levels of experience. Several of these labs can be taken "on the road" to schools. For more information about these field trips please visit our website at www.btci.org or contact Barbara Bielec at or (608) 277-2618.
Spirit of Innovation Challenge
This competition was created to encourage students to create technologies and products that solve global issues. For the past four years, the Innovation competition has helped transform the way science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is being embraced by high school students.
Hosted by the Conrad Foundation, the Spirit of Innovation Challenge invites high school teams to use STEM skills in developing commercially viable, technology-based products. It is the only competition of its kind to combine education, innovation and entrepreneurship, giving students the tools they need to succeed and sustain a knowledge-based economy.
For more information about this competition, please visit the Spirit of Innovation Challenge website and sign up your team today! Download Flyer
This competition was created to encourage students to create technologies and products that solve global issues. For the past four years, the Innovation competition has helped transform the way science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is being embraced by high school students. Hosted by the Conrad Foundation, the Spirit of Innovation Challenge invites high school teams to use STEM skills in developing commercially viable, technology-based products. It is the only competition of its kind to combine education, innovation and entrepreneurship, giving students the tools they need to succeed and sustain a knowledge-based economy.
For more information about this competition, please visit the Spirit of Innovation Challenge website and sign up your team today! Download Flyer
FIRST FIRST strives to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership. For more information about FIRST visit their website.
Science Olympiad Science Olympiad is an interscholastic competition designed to increase student interest and enthusiasm in science and improve the quality of science education. The Science Olympiad tournaments consist of 20-25 individual and team events which students prepare for during the school year. These challenging/fun events motivate and confront students from all ability levels with both theoretical and practical science problems.
The tournament will bring some 3,000 middle and high school students, their coaches and thousands of family members to campus for this competition. Van Valaskey and Gary Graper, both active members of the UW-Madison Science Alliance, are the co-directors of the Tournament. For more information about the tournament please contact Kevin Niemi, kjniemi@wisc.edu.
EngineerGirl! - Essay ContestNational Academy of Engineeringbring you the EngineerGirl! Essay Contest for students (boys and girls) in grades 3-12. There are cash prizes for the top essays and students' essays are posted on the EngineerGirl! web site. Previous winners have been invited to participate in student conferences and given recognition in local press.
Learn more about the National Academy of Engineering at our web site www.nae.edu. You can find the guidelines and related information on the EngineerGirl! Information on the current as well as past contests can be found at http://www.engineergirl.org/CMS/Contest.aspx.
Destination ImagiNation'sConstruction Challenge
Destination ImagiNation also offers a unique, one-day competitive event that offers a customized workforce development program for high school students, called the Construction Challenge.
Top teams from the Milwaukee rally will advance to the national Finals competition held in Las Vegas at the Conexpo/Con-Agg Show in Las Vegas.
For more information please visit the website at http://www.constructionchallenge.org
Engineering Expo DaysEngineering Expo is a three day event held
every two years at the UW-Madison's College
of Engineering.
Expo is run entirely by students and brings over 10,000 visitors to campus biennially.
Visit http://engineeringexpo.wisc.edu for more details.
NFPA Fluid Power ChallengeThe NFPA Fluid Power Challenge is a skills competition that challenges middle school students to solve an engineering problem using fluid power. They learn teamwork, math, engineering and problem-solving skills.
Held at various times throughout the year at different locations
Grades 8-9 and 50/50 male & female student ratio; program has a great deal of diversity and all kinds of students participate.
Destination ImagiNationDestination ImagiNation is a non-profit after school program that develops teamwork, creativity, and problem solving skills through a suite of competitive student challenges that includes technical, scientific, engineering, service learning, improvisational, and fine arts. More than 3700 Wisconsin students tackle brand new challenges each year, and have distinguished themselves for many years among the 100,000 students participating around the world in this high impact, high quality program.
To learn more about ImagiNation visit their website at http://www.idodi.org and the Wisconsin local website at http://www.wisconsindi.org/
Wisconsin Envirothon
The Envirothon is a problem-solving natural resource competition for high school students. Teams of students are tested, on “in the field” test stations, their knowledge of soils, forestry, wildlife, water and a current environmental issue. The teams are also required to give an oral presentation on the current environmental issue. Participants gain teamwork skills, public speaking skills and are able to learn about careers in the environmental field. The winning team from the state competition then moves on to North America's largest high school environmental education competition, where they compete with teams from throughout the U.S. and Canada for scholarships and Canon products. Not only a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about natural resource challenges in another part of the country, it is an opportunity for teachers to compare and discuss their environmental studies programs with one another.
The Envirothon is a problem-solving natural resource competition for high school students. Teams of students are tested, on “in the field” test stations, their knowledge of soils, forestry, wildlife, water and a current environmental issue. The teams are also required to give an oral presentation on the current environmental issue. Participants gain teamwork skills, public speaking skills and are able to learn about careers in the environmental field. The winning team from the state competition then moves on to North America's largest high school environmental education competition, where they compete with teams from throughout the U.S. and Canada for scholarships and Canon products. Not only a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about natural resource challenges in another part of the country, it is an opportunity for teachers to compare and discuss their environmental studies programs with one another.
Please call Kirsten Moore at (608) 441-2677 or email her at kirsten@wlwca.org if you have any questions or comments. You can also request Envirothon promotional items which will assist you in gaining general knowledge about the event, recruitment of a team, or motivating your team for the competition.
Mazomanie Science Outreach Outpost (M.O.O.)
M.O.O. brings UW-Madison based science outreach to the K-12 community and general public of southwestern Wisconsin. We provide a venue for science outreach programs, such as summer science camp and wilderness exploreers.
For more info visit: http://www.wistep.wisc.edu/moo.html
M.O.O. brings UW-Madison based science outreach to the K-12 community and general public of southwestern Wisconsin. We provide a venue for science outreach programs, such as summer science camp and wilderness exploreers. For more info visit: http://www.wistep.wisc.edu/moo.html
National Lab Day
National Lab Day is a nationwide initiative to build local communities of support that will foster ongoing collaborations among volunteers, students and educators.
National Lab Day is a nationwide initiative to build local communities of support that will foster ongoing collaborations among volunteers, students and educators. The digital Media and Learning Competition
The Digital Media and Learning Competition is designed to find "and to inspire" the most novel uses of new media in support of learning. Projects explore how digital technologies are changing the way people learn and participate in daily life.
The Digital Media and Learning Competition is designed to find "and to inspire" the most novel uses of new media in support of learning. Projects explore how digital technologies are changing the way people learn and participate in daily life. 
ExploraVision AwardsSponsored by Toshiba and NSTA, ExploraVision is a competition for students of all interest, skill, and ability levels in grades K-12. Entrants must be United States or Canadian citizens or legal residents, living within the United States, U.S. Territories, or Canada. The purpose of the competition is to encourage students to combine their imaginations with the tools of science to create and explore a vision of a future technology.
Future City Competition The National Engineers Week Future City Competition is a fun and exciting educational engineering program for 7th and 8th grade students that combines a stimulating engineering challenge with a "hands-on" application to present their vision of a city of the future. Groups of students use team work, problem-solving approaches, and skills in mathematics and science, computers, and research and presentations to design cities using SimCity software.
Odyssey of the Mind Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem—solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Kids apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics.
Intel Science Talent SearchThe Intel Science Talent Search is America's oldest and most highly regarded pre-college science competition. For more than 60 years, this competition—often referred to as the "junior Nobel Prize"—has provided an incentive and an arena for U.S. high school seniors to complete an original research project and have it recognized by a national jury of highly regarded professional scientists.
Discovery World's S.T.E.M +PLUS program amplifies the existing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.) education model by connecting it to concepts that motivate students beyond the classroom by including new media, design, creativity and innovation. 
Siemens Westing-house Competition The Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science & Technology recognizes remarkable talent early on, fostering individual growth for high school students who are willing to challenge themselves through science research. The competition, which is administered by The College Board and administered by the Siemens Foundation, awards tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships to finalists and winners.
Intel International Science and Engineering FairThe Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF)—world's largest pre-college science competition, provides an opportunity for the best young scientists from around the globe to share ideas, showcase cutting-edge science projects, and compete for over $4 million in awards and scholarships.
American Jr. Academy of ScienceThe American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) is American's only honor research society for high school scientists! Membership is by invitation only. Each state academy of science chooses premier high school scientists from their state to nominate as AJAS delegates. Usually, the senior scientists in each state academy organize junior academy of science. Under the direction of the junior academy of science, a state—wide scientific research competition is held. The winners of these state-wide competitions are nominated to represent their state at the national AJAS convention.
USA Biology OlympiadAs the premiere biology competition for high school students in the United States, the USA Biology Olympiad enriches the life sciences education of nearly 10,000 talented students annually. It provides the motivation, curricular resources, and skills training to take them beyond their classroom experience to the level of international competitiveness.
International Physics OlympiadThe International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) is an annual physics competition for high school students. The purpose of this competition is to promote and demonstrate academic excellence through preparation for and participation in an international competition. At the international competition, students compete as individuals and must sit for intensive theoretical and laboratory examinations. For their efforts the students can be awarded gold, silver, or bronze medals or an honorable mention.
SkillsUSASkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives, working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations.
Discovery World
Discovery World connects innovation, science, technology and the environment with exploration and learning through interactive exhibits and experiential learning programs. Discovery World is dedicated to help-ing people positively impact their communities by dev-eloping a better understanding of technology and the env-ironment while fostering both innovation and creativity.