school year
2023/24 SCHEDULE
The Science Station offers four sessions of lab-based STEM classes for elementary (3-5th) and middle school (6-8th) students on Wednesdays during the school year. These hands-on two hour classes meet once a week for six weeks. Class size is capped at 14 students.
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IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION
We use a registration system called CAMPBRAIN which allows you to pay by MasterCard or VISA. If you are new to the system, we recommend PRE-REGISTERING by establishing a CampBrain account and completing ALL the required online forms before registration opens.
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Setup your account and pre-register here:
Elementary Classes (3rd-5th grade)
Session 1: Life on Earth $300
In this class, students investigate the kingdoms of life by growing bacteria colonies, feeding yeast, experimenting with seeds, dissecting squid, and studying the biology of vertebrate animals.
MORNING OPTION: Wednesdays 10 am – 12 pm (9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11, 10/18)
AFTERNOON OPTION: Wednesdays 2 pm – 4 pm (9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11, 10/18)
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Session 2: Electrical Engineering $300
Build and test circuits, fuses, and batteries to understand current and voltage. Experiment with a Van de Graaff generator and be an electrical engineer while dissecting and constructing electronic devices.
MORNING OPTION: Wednesdays 10 am – 12 pm (11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/29, 12/6, 12/13)
AFTERNOON OPTION: Wednesdays 2 pm – 4 pm (11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/29, 12/6, 12/13)
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Session 3: Design Lab $300
Use the gale-force winds of blast cannons, the soaring height of our 30-foot tower and the extreme temperature of liquid nitrogen to design devices that defy gravity, reduce impact and retain heat.
MORNING OPTION: Wednesdays 10 am – 12 pm (2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/6, 3/13)
AFTERNOON OPTION: Wednesdays 2 pm – 4 pm (2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/6, 3/13)
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Session 4: Wacky Waves $300
Investigate sound and light by playing with giant springs, tuning forks and flaming tubes. Build bottle xylophones, test the Doppler effect and make rainbows.
MORNING OPTION: Wednesdays 10 am – 12 pm (4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22)
AFTERNOON OPTION: Wednesdays 2 pm – 4 pm (4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22)
Middle School Classes (6th-8th grade)
Session 1: Mythblasters $300
Test the validity of myths to determine if popularly held beliefs, manufacturer’s claims, and rumors are truths or tall tales. We use bacteria, vacuum chambers, and an old pirates’ tale to learn the scientific method before moving on to test your own myths.
MORNING OPTION: Wednesdays 10 am – 12 pm (9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11, 10/18)
AFTERNOON OPTION: Wednesdays 2:45 pm – 4:45 pm (9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11, 10/18)
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Session 2: ChemQuest $300
Goggle-and-glove-up to explore elements, explode alkali metals, investigate pH, experiment with chemiluminescence, and develop skills as a chemical engineer in this hands-on chemistry class.
MORNING OPTION: Wednesdays 10 am – 12 pm (11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/29, 12/6, 12/13)
AFTERNOON OPTION: Wednesdays 2:45 pm – 4:45 pm (11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/29, 12/6, 12/13)
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Session 3: CSI: Bend $300
Whodunit? Use science to investigate our own crime scene and determine whodunit by analyzing blood, DNA, fingerprints, handwriting, hair samples and tracks.
MORNING OPTION: Wednesdays 10 am – 12 pm (2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/6, 3/13)
AFTERNOON OPTION: Wednesdays 2:45 pm – 4:45 pm (2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/6, 3/13)
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Session 4: Harnessing Energy $300
Investigate renewable energy with hydrogen fuel cells, engineer wind turbines, model mag-lev trains, and experiment with photovoltaic cells and thermoelectric drives.
MORNING (ONLY OPTION): Wednesdays 10 am – 12 pm (4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22)
Independent Research (application only)
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The Independent Research program is a guided scientific research course where high school students design and conduct their own experiments. To complete a project, participants in this program need to be self-motivated and willing to work both in and out of class. The course culminates with presentations at the Northwest Science EXPO. Students typically work in the labs sometime between 2:30 and 5:30 pm on Mondays or Thursdays from September through April. We ask that students commit to at least one and a half hours of lab time each week. As students get closer to presenting their research at the science fair, time commitments may increase. The first meeting will be on September 25th from 4 - 5:30.
To schedule an interview or learn more please contact us at bss@bendsciencestation.org or 541-330-0433.
The Stewart C. Malone Scholarship Fund
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Scholarship opportunities further our values of inclusion and create greater access to STEM learning opportunities for the youth of Central Oregon. We want to make sure that every student has access to our programming, regardless of finances. Our scholarship fund is named for Stewart C. Malone, in recognition of his dedication to Guardian Ad Litem, advocating for the rights of abused and neglected youth, and his long-time support of the Science Station. We’ve tried to make the application process as easy as possible. Please call or email for specifics!
Payment + Cancellation Terms
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If paying by credit card, full payment will be charged at the time of registration.
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If paying by check or cash, payment must be received by BSS within 5 days of registration or your student’s spot may be forfeited.
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In the event that you need to cancel a registration, 50% of the cost is refundable (or available for credit) if BSS is notified at least 7 days prior to the start date of the class. The remaining class balance (less $25 cancelation fee) will be refunded if we can fill your student’s space.
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Unfortunately, we cannot refund your payment or credit your account if we are notified of a cancellation less than 7 days before the start of a class.
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There will be no partial refunds for missed days. A prorated credit will be considered if an enrolled student is unable to complete a class due to serious illness or injury.
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ALL CANCELLATIONS WILL INCUR A $25 CANCELLATION FEE.