HILLIARD, Ohio – Faculty and staff from The Ohio State University at Marion partnered with Hilliard City Schools to provide approximately 600 eighth-grade students with immersive, hands-on STEM learning experiences during Hilliard’s Middle Schools Ohio State STEM Exploration Day at Heritage Middle School. The event engaged students from Heritage, Weaver, and Memorial middle schools in interactive activities designed to spark curiosity, strengthen critical thinking skills, and introduce potential STEM career pathways.
Ohio State Marion's Office of Youth and Community Learning and Office of Admissions led a series of engaging educational sessions that brought science and career exploration to life. Students stepped into the role of medical laboratory scientists during a diagnostic challenge led by Dr. Tiffiny Rye-McCurdy and senior biology student Arelia Salinas, using microscopes and simulated patient cases to investigate and diagnose medical conditions. Ohio State Marion admissions staff Ashley Marsh, Karlie Marlatt, and Maisie Beary led an interactive session exploring STEM majors and careers, helping students connect their interests to degree programs and future professions while creating personalized STEM career buttons. Dr. Bob Klips guided students through an ecology-focused activity that introduced biological identification techniques using local plant specimens.
According to Hilliard Schools Director of Innovation & Extended Learning, Mark Tremayne, the visit was a positive experience of Hilliard 8th graders.
“Ohio State Marion truly elevated our 8th Grade STEM Experience, said Tremayne. “Students weren’t just learning about STEM, they were actively exploring it through College MythBusters, Naming Nature, medical diagnostics with microscopes, and programming Ozobots through 4-H Extensions STEM. These hands-on experiences sparked curiosity while giving students an authentic look at both STEM pathways and the possibilities available to them beyond high school.”
We’re grateful to Ohio State Marion for investing in our students and look forward to growing this partnership,” he added.
"I thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with these students as they explored pre-med biology and learned how to visualize cells and bacteria using compound microscopes," said Director of Youth and Community Learning at Ohio State Marion. Dr. Tiffiny Rye-McCurdy. "I saw genuine interest in the eyes of so many students, and I could tell it sparked something new in them. Whether it was learning about disease, using a microscope for the first time, or hearing about Ohio State Marion summer camps, there was truly something for everyone."
Ohio State Marion Director of Enrollment Ashley Marsh said, "There’s something powerful about helping students connect what excites them today with what their future could look like. We were thrilled to partner with Hilliard students to explore careers, college majors, and the many pathways available to them. Every student should have the opportunity to see a college degree as something that is possible and within reach."
"The students were enthusiastic and attentive, able to tell apart different tree species after a short lesson on leaf arrangement and complexity. They enjoyed working together on problem-solving, and the ease with which the attending teachers joined in the lesson helped everyone to get involved," said Ohio State Marion Associate Professor of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology Emeritus, Robert Klips.
The STEM Exploration Day was designed to provide meaningful educational experiences for students while encouraging them to envision future opportunities in science, engineering, healthcare, and other high-demand fields. Through partnerships like this, Ohio State Marion continues to expand access to STEM education and help young learners discover pathways to higher education and rewarding careers.
For more information about youth STEM programming, summer camps, and academic opportunities at Ohio State Marion, visit https://osumarion.osu.edu.