Fiesta of Physics and Environmental Science Extravaganza

Twice a year, elementary school kids from surrounding districts flock to the St. Mary’s campus for a day of wacky science experiments, hands-on science demonstrations, and indoor and outdoor fun. Leading these young scientists around are a handful of the University’s most dedicated and energetic Physics and Environmental Science students.

The event is a great way for these students to learn hands-on how to capture young kids’ interest while imparting knowledge of the world of physics. They even get to see original oysters that used to live on campus grounds 100 million years ago when our grounds were covered by a shallow ocean.

Fiesta of Physics and Environmental Science Extravaganza: Fall 2017

STEM Events

The School of Science, Engineering and Technology hosts an array of annual events including the Computer Science Symposium, Pre-Health Career Conference, and a Women in STEM Luncheon.


Mathcounts

To secure America’s global competitiveness, MATHCOUNTS® every spring inspires excellence, confidence and curiosity in U.S. middle school students through fun and challenging math programs. With the generous support of all MATHCOUNTS® sponsors and volunteers, and leadership of the National Society of Professional Engineers at the local and state levels, MATHCOUNTS® is providing today’s students with the foundation for success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.

Saturday, February 17, 2024, the Bexar Chapter MATHCOUNTS®, led by volunteers from Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc. in conjunction with St. Mary’s Mathematics Department, will again host the official chapter MATHCOUNTS® competition in the University Center of St. Mary s University. The top students from this regional competition will advance to the Texas state competition in Austin.

MATHCOUNTS® is a national enrichment, club and competition program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement through grassroots involvement in every U.S. state and territory. MATHCOUNTS® is one of the country’s largest and most successful education partnerships involving volunteers, educators, industry sponsors and students.

For more information about the MATHCOUNTS® San Antonio competition, contact the Bexar Chapter Coordinator.


Pre-freshmen Engineering Program

The Pre-freshmen Engineering Program (PREP), through funds allocated from the University of Texas at San Antonio, is held on college campuses around San Antonio.

The program identifies achieving middle and high school students with an interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and provides an academic curriculum to increase their potential for careers in these areas.

Contact: Ozgur Aktunc, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Engineering


S.A. Best

S.A. Best is competitive event held annually to spark local students’ interest in science and technology. Teams of students are paired with a volunteer mentor to build a remote-controlled, task-oriented robotic machine in just six weeks.


Summer Camps

The school sponsors summer camp programs for middle and school students in topics ranging from coding and cyber security to physics and environmental science.


Fitzgerald Earth Science Museum

Contained within the second floor hallway of Garni Science Hall is a collection of more then 1,300 minerals, rocks, fossils, maps and scientific instruments.

The Earth Science Museum is used for undergraduate research both at St. Mary’s and other San Antonio schools. The museum is free and open to the public on weekdays throughout the year.

Earth Science Museum

Contact

For more information on STEM Outreach at St. Mary’s University, please contact the office of the Dean at 210-436-3996.

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