Audience: Youth in grades 3-12

When: February 6-28, 2025

(Register between December 20 (8:00 AM) and January 13 (4:30 PM).)

What’s your ultimate favorite chocolate chip cookie? Do you prefer your cookie to be soft or are you a crispy cookie person? Do you prefer thick or thin cookies? Everyone likes what they like. In this program, you get to find or create your own perfect recipe that turns out every single time you make it.

Some of the things we will cover in this curriculum are as follows:

• Softened butter vs melted butter
• Chilled dough vs baking right away
• Changing the baking temp
• Best practices for measuring flour
• Measuring vs weighing ingredients

There are so many variables or science to making the perfect chocolate chip cookie. By the time you’re done going through all these lessons, you should have your perfect recipe!

Project Supplies:

What are we providing? What are families asked to gather on their own? We are not providing supplies for this project. Here is the supply list so you can plan ahead.

Kitchen Scale: We encourage the use of a kitchen scale that shows ounces. If you have one to use or can purchase one, please do so. We understand that buying a kitchen scale might not be possible for everyone. To ensure everyone can join, we have a limited number of free scales for those who need them. If you need a free digital kitchen scale sent to you, please let us know in the registration form.

Connection:

This is a self-guided course with connection activities that use Padlet.  As we get closer to the start date for this program, we will send registered participants a link.

Please plan to participate in the virtual session on February 27 at 6:00 PM, on Zoom covering the best way to measure ingredients and why oven temperatures matter. Watch your email for a Zoom link and reminders. The session will be recorded and shared with participants for up to 30 days following the session.

Questions?

Contact: Carlea Liermann, carlea.liermann@wisc.edu (program content) or Heather Vierling, heather.vierling@wisc.edu (program logistics)

Audience: Youth in grades K-2

When: February 17-March 31, 2025

(Register between December 20 (8:00 AM) and January 13 (4:30 PM).)

Get ready to explore the exciting world of Dinosaurs and Unicorns! 

This at-home lesson series encourages creativity and imagination while introducing science and building life skills.  We will divide up our journey into four lessons:

• Sound
• Color
• Paleontology (the study of dinosaurs)
• Importance of creativity

We hope you’ll explore with us!

Project Supplies:

What are we providing? What are families asked to gather on their own? We are providing the hard-to-get supplies for this project. Here is the supply list so you can plan ahead. Watch for an email to pick up your program kit from your local Extension Office between February 3 – 14, 2025.

Connection:

Participants can attend any or all sessions. Zoom links will be emailed to you at the address you listed. Sessions will be recorded and shared with participants for up to 30 days following the session.

• March 3, 2025 (6:30pm – 7:00pm), Zoom – Sounds
• March 17, 2025 (6:30pm – 7:00pm), Zoom – Show & Tell

Questions?

Contact: Emery Bork, emery.bork@wisc.edu (program content) or Heather Vierling, heather.vierling@wisc.edu (program logistics)

Audience: Youth in grades 4-9

When: March, 2025

(Register between January 2 (8:00 AM) and January 24 (4:30 PM).)

Are you ready to accept the challenge of creating a low-voltage electronic circuit?

We’re going to use copper tape, a battery, LEDs, and paper to learn about electrical circuits! Get ready to learn and have fun through this hands-on introduction to electric circuits.

This program will allow participants to explore and be challenged to problem-solve and think creatively and critically. 

Project Supplies:

What are we providing? What are families asked to gather on their own? We are providing the hard-to-get supplies for this project. Here is the supply list so you can plan ahead. Watch for an email to pick up your program kit from your local Extension Office between February 17 – 28, 2025.

Connection:

This project is entirely self-paced from March 1-April 4, 2025. Participants will connect about their successes, questions, and challenges on Padlet. Watch your email for a link.

Work with a Buddy: We encourage all youth participants to identify a buddy to work on this project with. Think about a caring adult, a friend, a neighbor, or others who might want to explore circuits and have fun together.

Questions?

Contact: Joanna Skluzacek, joanna.skluzacek@wisc.edu (program content) or Heather Vierling, heather.vierling@wisc.edu (program logistics)