The USAARL GEMS program engages rising 4th through 11th grade students in hands‐on, inquiry‐based experiments and nurtures students’ interest in STEM career fields. USAARL’s GEMS program aims to reach students who are from southeast Alabama and who are historically underrepresented in STEM.
About USAARL
Since 2011, the USAARL GEMS program has provided STEM education to over 1,000 students from Fort Rucker, Enterprise, Ozark, Daleville, Dothan, and other local communities. Each year the program has grown in both the modules offered and the number of students who complete the program.
Sessions
Simple Machines – Exploration of basic engineering techniques to build, test, and evaluate simple machines. 4th-5th graders
Forensics – Investigation of problem solving, engineering, physics/force of motion, and forensics techniques. 6th-7th graders
Robotics – Building and programming robots to maneuver and conquer different tasks using VEX engineering, design, and programming. 8th-9th graders
Medical – Investigation of the physiology of various human organ systems, and exploration of various healthcare professions. 10th-11th graders
Important Dates
November 15, 2024
Near-Peer Mentor and Teacher Applications Open
January 15, 2025
Near-Peer Mentor and Teacher Applications Close
TBD
Student Applications Open
March 14, 2025
Student Application Closes
March 15, 2025
Student Waitlist Opens
April 15, 2025
Student Waitlist Closes
June 9-13, 2025
GEMS Session 1
June 16-20, 2025*
GEMS Session 2 *GEMS will not meet on the Federal holiday, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
June 23-27, 2025
GEMS Session 3
July 7-11, 2025
GEMS Session 4
More Information
Session 1, 3 and 4 are Monday to Friday from 8:30am – 3:30pm.
Session 2 is Monday to Wednesday and Friday from 8:30am to 3:30pm.
Student recommendation and application form coming soon.
Interested in This Program?
If you are interested in this program email us or call 1-334-255-6907 or 1-334-255-6920. We'd love to hear from you!