Whether you have an entire class of students who are academically gifted and talented or you have a smaller group of students brought together to cover curriculum as the schedule allows, we have programs developed to meet both needs.  Our convocations (listed below) are topic, date and grade specific, while our year-long programs offer different topic choices and scheduling flexibility.  Information on both can be found on this page.

For more information or to book a program, please call 201-390-5583.

Year-long Enrichment Programs for the Gifted & Talented

$25 per student (minimum of 10 students required)

G&T Enrichent 2024 (PDF)
Enrichment 2023-2024 (PDF)
Grades 2 – 3

Wind and Water: Building for the Weather  Picture of a tree blowing in the wind

In this elementary STEM program, young engineers will be exposed to the forces of nature resulting from weather.  Hands-on models will be used to demonstrate how wind and water can impact human structures and change the land.   Teams will then investigate ways to resist weather effects.  Using natural materials and testing criteria, can students build a wind-resistant tower AND float their boats?  A fun, open-ended exploration!

See the Forest for the Trees

An introduction to a key element of the Garden State’s “dark side”, this program enables students to investigate the towering giants that define New Jersey’s forests, its trees.  Teams will learn about the physical characteristics of these woody wonders, consider the many ecological benefits they provide, and apply this knowledge to investigate the local species growing in DeKorte Park.

Grades 4 – 6

CSI:  The Case of the Missing Moustache Picture of a magnifying glass and crime scene tape

Something’s amiss in the Meadowlands…can you help solve the crime?  Your students will be introduced to a “theft” from the MEC’s science building and be challenged to act as Forensic Scientists.  We’ll first distinguish between observations and inferences, and then focus on the analysis of physical crime scene evidence with the help of chemistry, chromatography, and dactyloscopy (fingerprint) methods.  Investigators must communicate results, synthesize the entire body of evidence, and deliberate over which suspect is the most likely culprit. Can they justify making a strong case against a person or persons for the crime?

Raptorology

Raptors or birds of prey have held a position of admiration in many societies both in ancient and modern times. This program continues this tradition, introducing students to the many adaptations these birds possess that make them such effective hunters.  Going beyond simple fact finding, Raptorology culminates with an engineering challenge, tasking the learner to mimic the birds’ physiological attributes in designing a device to solve a human problem.

Grades 7 – 8

Go With the Flow: Plankton Adventures  Picture of plankton from the SpongeBob cartoon

The concept of density will be made concrete for your students while investigating water, buoyancy, and some of the planet’s most numerous organisms:  PLANKTON!  We’ll introduce and microscopically observe plankton samples, and participate in activities about sinking, floating, and measuring density.  Teams will then apply these principles in the Design-a-Drifter Challenge using common craft materials, office supplies, and stuff from the junk drawer.

Environmental Planning

The issues of flooding and poor water quality that many New Jersey citizens deal with demonstrate the familiar adage “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” In this program students will investigate the benefits and pitfalls of various land uses and attempt to strike a balance between the wants and needs of a community and best practices for preserving the integrity of the watershed. Their investigation culminates in the building and presentation of a 3-D model of their environmentally friendly town.

Convocations

Developed for our partnerships with G&T Consortiums, where several towns within a county bring their students together for one specific topic per grade, the following programs are only offered on specific dates and are subject to availability.  For more information or to join in a convocation, please call 201-460-4623.

Picture of an eye with colors in itThe Environment Through Artists’ Eyes  –  4th Grade Only

  • Offered on two back-to-back days in late November & early December.

This two-day program allows children to explore their surroundings through visual art.  The program will begin at a professional art museum (typically Newark Museum or Montclair Art Museum) where the MEC staff will introduce students to how artists have historically portrayed the environment, together with the vocabulary of the elements of art.  Day Two will be held at the MEC, exploring and field sketching outdoors.  Returning inside, each student will create a personal work of art to portray the environment through his or her own eyes.  All works are put on display and shared in a student gallery at the end of the day.  Students bring their artwork home.  MATCHES TO: Practices; Developing and using models; Planning and carrying out investigations; Cross-cutting concepts; Patterns; and Scale, Proportion and Quantity. 

Image of the sunSolar Astronomy  –  5th Grade Only

  • Offered in February

The Sun Through Time is a one day convocation featuring drama, technology, and model demonstrations, all in support of understanding our closest star.  Students will participate in modules highlighting human understanding of the Sun through history with themes such as ancient sundials, telescope development, and modern solar energy.  The convocation will culminate in student presentations with a creative spin.  NGSS/NJSLA-S: MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4, MS-PS3-2, MS-PS3-3

Picture of forensic science and DNACSI  –  6th Grade Only

  • Offered in January

Forensic Science is the star of this one day program, where students will investigate a (fictitious) crime scene in our Science Building.  Students will learn how to properly collect, analyze, and document evidence in one of several forensic specialties, such as fingerprinting, hair & fur, tracks, fragments, or ink analysis.  Forensic groups will then present their evidence findings to “law enforcement” and discuss building a criminal case.  Do we have enough to know “Who Done It”.  NGSS/NJSLA-S: MS-PS1-2, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3

Picture of a city surrounded by waterEnvironmental Planning  –  7th and 8th Grade Only

  • Offered in February

Not everyone lives by the water, but everyone lives in a watershed.  In this one day experience, middle school students will consider the development of a riverside community.  Introductory materials on topography and water issues (quantity, quality, point vs. nonpoint source pollution) will inform their decisions.  Each classroom team will create a large 3-D town model, trying to balance human land use needs and environmental conservation.  Projects will be presented and evaluated on a rubric for their overall sustainability.  NGSS/NJLA-S: MS-ESS3-3, MS-LS2-4, MS-LS2-5, MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4

Convocation Costs:

  • General Admission (MEC): $20 per student, per program, per day (teachers/chaperones are free)
  • Museum fee (4th grade):  Newark charges $10 per person (teachers/chaperones too) and a $30 booking fee (these fees are set by the host museum and subject to change)
  • Supply fee (6th grade): $100 per day to be divided among the number of schools attending the same day
  • Supply fee (7th/8th grade): $75 per day to be divided among the number of schools attending the same day

For more information please call 201-460-4623. Registration for these programs only are taken over the phone.