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General
On April 17, 2027, all students in 6 – 8th grade are invited to the Duke University Marine Lab (DUML) for a day of fun and scientific exploration! Students will participate in hands-on activities related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and learn from diverse scientists, educators, and community members. Students will meet new peers and mentors through fun icebreaker activities followed by rotations into exciting STEM activities and STEM Panel Discussions where students meet incredible scientists and community members who share their journeys and insights into various rewarding careers in STEM.
How to Register to Attend GEST 2027
Registration for GEST 2027 is now CLOSED. If you missed GEST 2026 or just want to join us again, mark April 17, 2027!
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Student Registration Form: Will be coming out early 2027
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Participant Permission Form [Participants MUST bring this form with them on the day of the event ]: fill out here
Event Details
- When: April 17, 2027 | 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Where: Duke University Marine Laboratory
- Address: 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd, Beaufort, NC
2026 TENTATIVE Event Schedule (subject to change)
8:45 – 9:30 AM: Registration and ongoing activities/vendor tables
9:35 – 9:45 AM: Welcome address in auditorium
9:45 – 9:50 AM: Puppet show set up
9:50 – 10:05 AM : 8 min show + (5) min introduction
10:05 – 10:10 AM: Break into assigned groups and icebreaker activity
10:10 – 10:25 AM: Group photo and individual group photos
(10:25 – 10:35 AM: Break)
10:35 – 11:15 AM: Activity 1
(11:15 – 11:20 AM: Break – Transition)
11:20 – 12:00 PM: Activity 2
12:00 – 1:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 – 1:40 PM: Activity 3
(1:40 – 1:45 PM: Break – Transition)
1:45 – 2:25 PM: Activity 4
(2:25 – 2:30 PM: Break – Transition)
2:30 – 3:30 PM: STEM Panel Discussion (separate locations)
(3:30 – 3:40 PM: Break )
3:40- 4:00 PM: Whole group check in, Q&A and opportunities to win swag / raffle prizes (auditorium)
4:00 PM: Pick-up in parking lots
GEST 2026 activities are below!
1. Salt Marsh Exploration
Study the salt marsh using quadrats to learn about data collection and marsh ecology as well as living shorelines.
2. Cell Party!
Learn about organelles and cell function!
3. Extracting Strawberry DNA
Use common household ingredients to extract DNA from strawberries!
4. Up, Up, Up! Primate Jumping and Movement
Use force plates to measure jumping performance associated with different jumping behaviors.
5. Bait and Switch: Can You Spot the Fake Media?
Dive into media headlines, videos, and images to decide what’s real and what’s fake.
6. Strong as Bone!
Investigate how minerals and collagen make bones strong.
7. Marine Invertebrate Touch Tanks
Interact, explore, and discuss local marine invertebrates and their characteristics.
8. Who’s Who? Using Pictures to Study Wild Dolphins
Use real photo-identification data collected to look for matches and calculate the size of the population of dolphins in NC.
9. Introduction to Fish Medicine?
Walk through basic anesthesia and diagnostic procedures with a live goldfish and observe demos of ultrasounding and blood sampling on fish.
10. Crash Course in Predatory Fish Tagging and Tracking
Overview of why ecologists study the movement of animals across marine habitats and the basics of acoustic tracking.
11. Science Underwater… What Does it Take?
Check out SCUBA diving gear, transect/quadrat sampling practice, and spearfishing demonstration.
12. Fish Aging Lab: Discovering Otoliths
Use fish aging structures under the microscope to determine the age of fish and discuss how this information is relevant to fisheries management.
