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The Natural Sciences Education & Outreach Center is a part of the College of Natural Sciences at Colorado Sate University and engages with CSU faculty and students as well as 4th – 12th grade faculty and students in a variety of ways.

Opportunities for CSU Students

Opportunities for CSU Faculty

  • Broader Impacts STEM Kit Development – The NSEOC provides support to faculty NSF grants by developing, maintaining and housing STEM Kits for their broader impacts section.
  • Science and Mathematics Teaching Methods Course Support:
  • Join CSU’s Sigma Xi Chapter – Sigma Xi is an international, multidisciplinary community of science and engineering professionals dedicated to research excellence, to promoting public engagement with science, and to fostering the next generation of researchers. Through the recognition and honor of induction, Sigma Xi members join a distinguished community of researchers, including more than 200 Nobel Laureates. In collaboration with the NSEOC, Sigma Xi offers two keynote talks each year to faculty, staff and the community.

Opportunities for 4th-12th Grade Faculty

  • NSCI 696G: Engaging Students with Authentic Scientific Research Experiences – Monthly evening teacher professional development workshops during the fall and spring semesters.
  • Master of Natural Science Education degree – CSU has a distance graduate program for in-service science teachers that combines science content and pedagogy. It includes hands-on lab experiences that the NSEOC coordinates with the faculty for all of the classes.
  • STEM Kit Lending Library – The NSEOC has a growing inventory of STEM educational materials available for loan to local teachers.
  • STEM Friday Expeditions – The NSEOC offers the opportunity for teachers in the Northern Colorado area (at most an hour’s bus ride to Fort Collins) to bring up to 30 students to CSU’s main campus to do one of our STEM kits.
  • GetWET STEM Experience – The GetWET Observatory is one of two outdoor hands-on groundwater education facilities in the Rocky Mountain Region. Located on CSU property along Spring Creek is a groundwater well field that allows students to study the interaction between the creek and the groundwater.
  • Scientific Inquiry – Learn how to integrate experimental research projects into the classroom.
  • Resources for Teaching Mathematics – Here are a number of resources for math and science teachers created by the Math Education faculty at CSU.
  • Resources for Teaching Science – Here are a number of resources for math and science teachers created by the Science Education faculty at CSU.
  • National Park Service Partnership – The NSEOC and the National Park Service partnered to make park science come to life in classrooms.

Opportunities for 4th-12th Grade Students

  • Triunfo Mentoring Program – This program matches CSU students with 3rd – 5th grade students from Harris Bilingual Elementary School to provide homework help, reading and math tutoring as well as fun science experiences. The NSEOC partners with El Centro and the CNS Learning Community for this program.
  • Colorado Science and Engineering Fair – The CSEF is the state level science fair competition where winners from the 13 regional science fairs win the opportunity to present their research projects each spring at CSU.
  • SciVet Summer Program – This is an opportunity for students entering the 10th-12th grades in Fall 2025 to explore the sciences and veterinary medicine at one of the top research universities in the country. Participants will carry out investigations, using real tools, and collecting data both in the lab and the field as well as taking a real and sometimes gritty look at the field of veterinary medicine. Students can choose to participate as a commuter or as a resident staying in the dorms. Application period will open in early January. to be put onto our contact list, please complete this form.
Stems from a Science Kit