Activities

Register for Updates
Explore UT is open to the general public with online programming that is accessible to all. Activities specifically designed for K-12 students include an indication of a suggested grade level, denoting the difficulty of the concept or activity presented. Some programs will require participants to join virtual platforms (Zoom, Brazen, etc.). Children who are participating in these programs must be monitored by an adult chaperone (parent, guardian or a teacher) in order to join the virtual platform. Some may require verification that a chaperone will be present in order to register for participation.
 
Anytime

Switch Energy Lab

Dr. Scott Tinker demystifies the complex world of energy and gets to the core of concepts through unexpected experiments and fieldwork. For viewers of all ages and experience levels.

Jackson School of Geosciences Science
Anytime

Switch On

Join Dr. Scott Tinker on an amazing global adventure to remote corners of Africa, Asia and Latin America to meet leaders, entrepreneurs and everyday citizens working to eradicate 'energy poverty' in their countries. In a journey that's enlightening and emotional, uplifting and unforgettable, Switch On will change the way you look at energy and the developing world forever. The entire documentary is approximately one hour and 20 minutes long. Links to the Switch On Energy Poverty video series which are approximately 20 minutes long each are also included in this educational resource.

Jackson School of Geosciences Science
Anytime

Clean Energy for a Cleaner Tomorrow

Sustainable energy storage and conversion technologies are needed to tackle the emerging challenges caused by using fossil fuels and by global climate change. Join Professor Arumugam Manthiram to discusses battery and fuel cell technologies from a chemical and materials science perspective. The presentation will include demonstrations of the construction and performance of a metal-air fuel cell and a lithium-ion battery.

Cockrell School of Engineering Engineering
Anytime

Space: Fact vs. Fiction

This video presentation of Space: Fact vs. Fiction contrasts a number of common and not so common misconceptions about space by sharing the real facts about those issues. Issue topics include gravity, living in space, rockets, atmospheric entry, the costs and benefits of space exploration, the civilian space program, Star Trek and extra-terrestrials.

Jackson School of Geosciences Science
Anytime

Thirst for Power: A Virtual Field Trip

Water and energy are the two fundamental components of a society, and they are interconnected. View the film, Thirst for Power, shot on location across France, California, and Texas, to explore our dependence on water for energy as well as vulnerabilities in our current systems.

This on demand film screening with a digital study guide, Q&A session, and virtual field trip are vailable March 6 through May 31.

Cockrell School of Engineering Engineering
March 5, 2021, 11 a.m. to noon

Look (Safely) at the Sun

Feast your eyes on the sun as you’ve never seen it before: live, through specially filtered telescopes and cameras. Learn about sunspots, prominences, solar flares, and more. As a bonus, learn how, when, and where to safely view the upcoming total solar eclipse, a once in a life time event, on April 8, 2024. The host and moderators will answer your questions live.

College of Natural Sciences Science
March 6, 2021, noon to 4 p.m.

Girl Day at UT Austin: Interactive Booths, Live Broadcasts, Interactions with STEM Role Models

Explore 50 booths with hands-on STEM activities, demonstrations, videos, and role models available for one-on-one video chats with participating families. Students with an adult can choose which activities they'd like to explore and come and go during the "live" virtual booth experience from noon to 4 p.m. CT. Girl Day at UT Austin, including Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day and the Girl Day STEM Festival, is a free STEM event hosted virtually through Sunday, March 7, 2021.

Cockrell School of Engineering Engineering
March 6, 2021, 10 to 11 p.m.

Live Deep Sky Tour

Take part in a special night time Explore UT program, starting at 10 p.m., to go where no human has gone before: thousands of light years from Earth. Join the McDonald Observatory for a live tour of galaxies, nebulae, star clusters and more through a research-grade telescope in West Texas. An astronomer will discuss the unique features and scientific observations of each target and moderators will answer your questions live.

College of Natural Sciences Science