The Maine Mobile BIOLAB will stop at the University of Maine at Presque Isle in July, offering local middle school students hands-on STEM lessons and giving the community a look inside one of Maine’s most recognizable rolling landmarks. As part of the visit, UMPI will host a Community Night on Tuesday, July 8, from 5-7 p.m. in the Gentile Hall parking lot, featuring tours of the BIOLAB and an ice cream-making activity. Additional festivities include lawn games, food trucks, live music, face painting, a pet-a-pony opportunity, a theater pop-up, and free ice cream.
“We’re pleased to be able to host the BIOLAB on our campus this summer and provide a community showcase for this state-of-the-art mobile science classroom,” UMPI President Ray Rice said. “Fostering STEM learning—science, technology, engineering, and math—is a priority as it plays such a crucial role in Maine’s economic growth. We’d encourage everyone to stop by during our UMPI Community Night to tour the BIOLAB and enjoy all the festivities.”
Educate Maine’s Mobile BIOLAB brings hands-on, no-cost STEM learning to students across Maine—sparking curiosity and creativity through real-world bioscience challenges that foster teamwork and problem solving while encouraging kids to explore bioscience and engineering. Consistent with its commitment to support student success and build a STEM workforce, this visit to Presque Isle is in partnership with the University of Maine System.
During the week of July 7 through 11, two BIOLAB educators will deliver lessons to groups of middle school students from central Aroostook County, including groups from the Presque Isle Recreation and Parks Department, Easton Recreation Department, TRIO, and local homeschool groups. During their lesson, titled “The “Fizz”-ics of Motion,” students will design and launch bottle rocket trucks powered by science—or more specifically, a baking soda and vinegar reaction. During their high-energy, hands-on adventure, students will race, redesign, and experiment while uncovering the secrets of Newton’s Laws of motion and chemical propulsion.
“We’re delighted to share the BIOLAB—and some cool science—with the local community,” Kate Howell, deputy director of Educate Maine, said. “STEM learning is for everybody and the lab is designed to accommodate all different groups in Maine.”
During the July 8 UMPI Community Night, the whole region will be able to get in on the fun. The BIOLAB will be open for tours and visitors can take part in a “Science of Ice Cream” STEM activity, exploring the chemistry of freezing points, states of matter, and emulsions and learning how tiny particles, trapped air, and freezing temperatures come together to form a favorite summer treat.
Participants can also enjoy lawn games, face painting by local pageant royalty, a pet-a-pony opportunity with Freya the mini-horse from East of Eden Stables, and live music by Larry Feinstein and the Aroostook Catz. In addition, the County Community Players will host a theater pop-up event just a short walk away at UMPI’s Gauvin Family Center for Cultural Arts in Wieden Hall. The group will feature acts from its summer show Backstage Pass: A Musical Journey, with shows in Gauvin Auditorium at 7 p.m. Friday, July 11, and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12. For those looking for food options, there will be popcorn, food trucks including Cheri’s Wiener Wagon, Northern Maine Soda Wagon, Mami’s Spanish Kitchen, and Smoky D’s BBQ, and free ice cream from Big Red’s Sweet Treats food truck. This free event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Melissa Lizotte, (207) 768-9452, melissa.m.lizotte@maine.edu.