Mission
Our outreach program is dedicated to bringing physics closer to the community, especially to those with limited access to scientific experiences. We aim to inspire curiosity and excitement about science at all ages, fostering future scientists while strengthening the connection between research and society.
Outreach Activities
We engage the community through a variety of initiatives across Central Florida. These include interactive school visits, hosting K–12 students on campus at UCF, hands-on exhibits at the Orlando Science Center, and summer research opportunities for high school students and teachers.
Upcoming Events
Physics Exploration Career Day, Fall 2026
Date & time: Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 10 am to 3 pm
Location: Colleges of Sciences building (CSB), room 101, 12716 Pegasus Dr, Orlando, FL 32816
Physics Career Exploration Day Description
Did you know that physics graduates develop medical technologies, design sustainable energy solutions, create new software, teach future generations, work in patent law, and explore the universe? Physics opens doors to diverse careers by helping us understand how the world works and solve real-world problems. Join us to explore career opportunities in physics and learn about research, student life, and academic programs at UCF. Middle and high school students, parents, and teachers are invited to attend.
Registration Info: here.
STEM Day
Date & Time: Friday, October 16, 2026, from 10:45am to 2:15pm
Location: Physical Science Building, Rooms 160-161 and 445
Registration: Through the UCF STEM office (https://stem.ucf.edu/k12outreach/stemday/)
The UCF Department of Physics will offer two hands-on outreach programs designed for different grade levels.
Physics Explorers: Discover, Predict, and Investigate!
Audience: Elementary School Students
Description: Through exciting hands-on experiments, elementary school students will explore the properties of everyday objects while learning how scientists observe, make predictions, gather evidence, and investigate the world around them. Participants will develop critical thinking skills, discover the excitement of scientific inquiry, and gain a deeper appreciation for how science helps us understand our everyday world.
Sound, Music, and Waves: The Physics Behind Every Note
Audience: Middle and High School Students
Description: Mechanical waves are responsible for many of the sounds we hear every day, from musical performances to spoken communication. Through interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities, students will explore how waves travel, how musical instruments produce sound, and how physics helps us understand pitch, resonance, vibration, and acoustics. Students will also uncover the science behind music and experience how vibrations are transformed into sound.
Chemistry Under Construction
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Location: Dr. Dare’s Lab, Orlando Science Center, 777 E. Princeton St., Orlando, FL 32803
Event Organizer: Presented by the Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in celebration of National Chemistry Week, with contributions from the UCF Department of Physics.
Registration: No registration
Description: Discover the science behind the materials that build our world! Through engaging hands-on demonstrations and interactive experiments, participants will explore the physical and chemical properties of common construction materials. Students will learn how physicists and chemists study properties such as strength, density, elasticity, and durability to design safer, stronger, and more sustainable structures.
Past Events
Recent
UCF STEM Day
Date & time: April 3, 2026
Location: UCF, Physical Sciences Bldg. Rooms 160-161
Description
Registration info: Closed
Old Events
Orange and Seminole County Public Schools
Several Physics faculty members engage in activities with the Orange and Seminole County public schools through presentations in classes, working one-on-one with K-12 faculty, and hosting high school students in their laboratories and research groups. A large number of such students continue to receive awards at local school competitions and science fairs. Faculty members like Thomas Brueckner help judge local annual science fairs (at St. Luke’s Lutheran School in Oviedo, Florida, in Brueckner’s case).
The Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education
Josh Colwell runs the Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education that runs teacher training workshops in gravity, kinematics, and Newton’s laws for local K-12 teachers. The Center’s website provides interactive tools for teachers and students to use in the classroom as well as videos and simulations.
Partnership with Women’s Studies Center and Society of Physics Students
With the help of Society of Physic Students (SPS) members, Archana Dubey has initiated hands-on activities to girls from 7th grade from Orange County Schools in a program organized by the Women’s Studies Center. The success of the program has encouraged us to make it a regular event. Plans are in place for such hands-on sessions on the first Saturday morning of each month (in conjunction with SPS activities). Josh Colwell, Yanga Fernandez, and Joe Harrington give presentations at local schools on gravity, the solar system, and planetary systems in general. Dr. Campins has helped recruit and supervise astronomy tutors who work at UCF’s Student Academic Resource Center (SARC), a free tutoring program. Another popular outreach activity is the open house at the Robinson Observatory when Planetary Science students and faculty engage in the public in viewing and discussions. See the latest schedule of open houses here .
Knights Under the Stars (Robinson Observatory)
Richard Jerousek runs an astronomy outreach program through UCF’s campus observatory, Robinson Observatory, with the help of many of the department’s graduate students and the Astronomy Society. Each semester, hundreds of UCF students and members of the general public visit the observatory through our weekly “Knights Under The Stars” stargazing program. Many Scout troops and grade-school classes also visit over the course of the academic year for special programs that we create. We also make off-site visits to bring telescopic views of the night sky to local schools, parks, and science-related festivals. In a typical year the Robinson Observatory outreach program brings astronomy to well over a thousand people.
Society of Physics Students
Society of Physic Students (SPS) members continue to carry our exemplary outreach activities at the University of Central Florida and in the Orlando area. They have received several awards from the National SPS for their phenomenal hard work, dedication and achievements.