Cestem UNCW

10/20/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦!

This initiative will connect high school students from rural and Title I schools with STEM faculty, postdocs, and graduate students who can provide guidance and support as students develop their science and engineering fair projects.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: This is an opportunity to receive guidance from an experienced STEM mentor while preparing a project for a local or regional science and engineering fair.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: Volunteer approximately 3 hours of your time to help students develop, conduct, and present their research projects.

Students and mentors will meet virtually at least three times between December 2026 and March 2027, with the goal of completing mentor-student matches by December.

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠? See the attached flyers for more information and how to get involved!

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬?
- Student participation: [email protected]
- Mentor opportunities: [email protected]

Help expand access to meaningful STEM research opportunities for students across North Carolina!

09/22/2026

We love seeing where science fair can take students!

Wilmington student Isabel Garcia has been named a 2026 Davidson Fellow and awarded a $25,000 scholarship for her research into bacteria that could help combat cholera-causing bacteria in water. Her research was also recognized at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)!

Stories like Isabel’s are a great reminder of the opportunities that can grow from student curiosity and research. We’re proud to support young scientists in our region through the Southeast Regional NC Science & Engineering Fair and can’t wait to see where this year’s projects take them!

Congratulations, Isabel!

Read more about her research below.

Eighteen-year-old Isabel Garcia from Wilmington, North Carolina, has been awarded a $25,000 Davidson Fellows Scholarship for a research exploring whether bacteria taken from corals could help control the bacteria responsible for cholera. Her project examined 4 coral bacteria and found that 3 showed....

09/17/2026

08/31/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡?

SeaPerch is an underwater robotics program where students design, build, and operate their own remotely operated vehicle (ROV), putting their engineering and problem-solving skills to the test through underwater challenges and competition.

Interested in bringing SeaPerch to your students? Join us for our FREE, two-day SeaPerch New Coaches Workshop and build an ROV from start to finish while learning how to get your students involved. No previous robotics or SeaPerch experience is needed!

📅 September 18, 5:30-8:30 PM & September 19, 8:30 AM-1 PM
👥 Grades 6-12
🎓 1.0 CEU
💲 FREE

Plus, while supplies last, schools new to SeaPerch whose representative completes the training will receive one ROV kit to help get their team started!

🔗 Register by September 16: bit.ly/cestem010-27

08/21/2026

Individualized Virtual Learning Opportunities with the Ed Lab
👉 Enroll here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/jqSzWA7u37
💳 Pay enrollment fee: https://ebill.uncw.edu/C20231_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=41&SINGLESTORE=true

08/10/2026

𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗮 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆! 🚌🔬💡

After touring the CESTEM storeroom, educators browsed the shelves, pulled out items that caught their interest, and got hands-on learning how to use them! They also explored ways to connect CESTEM’s Technology Loan Program resources to their curriculum and classrooms.

Sandbox Sessions are a fun way for groups of educators to explore what CESTEM has available and discover new technology and resources that are 𝙵𝚁𝙴𝙴 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚠!

Want to explore CESTEM for yourself? Contact us to schedule a 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀 Sandbox Session for you and/or your team!

08/07/2026

𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠! 🔬📝⚙️

On Tuesday, educators joined us for 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, where they put the design process into action through hands-on challenges using KEVA Planks and the Chomp Saw.

On Thursday, Manley Midgett joined us to lead 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. Educators explored strategies for using science notebooks to encourage student writing, provide meaningful feedback, assess understanding, and support science content knowledge.

And we’re not done yet! Today, Michelle Hafey is welcoming educators from Alpha Academy for a 𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝘅 session to explore our resources and possibilities for hands-on STEM learning. Contact us to schedule your own 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 session!

We love having educators in our space learning, collaborating, creating, and exploring! 💙

📸 Check out a few highlights from this week’s workshops!

07/11/2026

𝐵𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑠.

Join guest instructor 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 for 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁: 𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝟲-𝟭𝟮 and and discover how tools like algebra tiles and geoboards can strengthen conceptual understanding in 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔.

Participate in hands-on activities, reflect on implementation challenges, and leave with practical strategies for your classroom.

📅 August 11, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
👥 Grades 6-12
🎓 0.3 CEUs
💲 $15
🔗 Register by August 9: bit.ly/cestem008-27

Additional PD Opportunities: bit.ly/cestemprofdev

07/10/2026

𝑀𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒

Join guest instructor 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁 for 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 and discover practical strategies for using science notebooks to encourage student thinking, reflection, and scientific communication. Explore classroom-ready ideas that support inquiry-based science instruction.

📅 August 6, 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM
🎓 0.5 CEUs
💲 $20
🔗 Register by August 4: bit.ly/cestem007-27

Additional PD Opportunities: bit.ly/cestemprofdev

07/09/2026

What happens when students are challenged to design, build, test, and improve?

Join us for 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and explore hands-on engineering design challenges using KEVA Planks and the Chomp Saw. Discover practical strategies for bringing the Engineering Design Process into your elementary classroom while fostering creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.

📅 August 5, 1-4 PM
👥 Grades K–5
🎓 0.3 CEUs
💲 $15
🔗 Register by August 3: bit.ly/cestem006-27

Additional PD Opportunities: bit.ly/cestemprofdev