UW-Eau Claire’s Environmental Science Day brings together high school students, teachers, and university faculty and students for a day of freshwater exploration and discovery.
“Our first Environmental Science Day [in May 2024] was a huge success,” says Sarah Vitale, an associate professor who organized the event. “One of our goals was to have broad representation in environmental and water science so the students could envision a variety of pathways, including STEM fields, humanities, and social sciences.”
The second annual event will take place May 2. Vitale plans to build upon last year’s success. The inaugural event drew 40 high school students and four teachers from Elk Mound and Memorial High Schools.
Students saw the university’s lab, classroom, and field facilities and interacted with UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff and undergraduate students. Alaina Steinmetz, who graduated from UW-Eau Claire in May 2024, was an integral part of planning the event. She helped lead a team of undergraduates who determined how to create a positive flow of fun activities while also teaching attendees important skills.
“Showing the attendees how the environment and science is a broad world that has a variety of paths was the main goal we all strived to achieve,” Steinmetz says.
A program fair featured information from multiple departments to demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of environmental work. Eight undergraduate students showcased their research posters, providing a glimpse into undergraduate research opportunities.
Participants attended classes in oceanography, radiation pollution and health, and environmental conservation, giving them insight into what university-level coursework entails. Interactive experiences brought scientific concepts to life. They included a liquid nitrogen demonstration, a greenhouse tour, a drone demonstration, a radiation Geiger counter activity, and a planetarium show.
High school students also learned about freshwater summer program options, including the Freshwater Science Summer Field Experience for high school juniors. They received information about the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, which provides funding for the summer field experience and the Environmental Science Day.

For Steinmetz, helping to organize the science fair provided an opportunity to work with a variety of clubs and students. She gained skills she now uses as an environmental scientist with the consulting firm Foth.
“I work across various business units and markets for my company. Being able to collaborate and make sure we are all on the same page makes the work flow much easier,” she says. “Communication and collaboration are a huge part of the workforce, and working events helped prepare me for a variety of real-life situations.”
Beyond benefiting students, the Environmental Science Day strengthened connections among high school teachers and UW-Eau Claire faculty. The participating teachers gained new ideas for implementing environmental science activities in their classrooms. And the connections laid the groundwork for future collaborations and potential curriculum development.
“The students loved being on campus and learning about environmental science programs,” Vitale says. “We hope these experiences will encourage the participating students to consider going into the freshwater/environmental science workforce.”
If you are an educator interested in participating in the 2025 Environmental Science Day, contact Sarah Vitale at VITALESA@uwec.edu.