The University of Maryland will open its College Park campus to upwards of 75,000 visitors on Saturday April 25th for its 11th annual Maryland Day. This year’s Maryland Day’s theme, Explore Our World, will showcase the University of Maryland’s future as envisioned in its recently completed 10 year plan and its impact in the larger world.
Maryland Day 2009 is a free event and is held rain or shine.
From 10 am to 4 pm, visitors will roam the campus taking part in activities that can be likened to a state fair.
Last year’s Maryland Day embraced 420 events and brought in 75,000 visitors.
Insider Tip: Metro Washington DC insiders know that Maryland Day provides an excellent opportunity for the whole family to find priceless resources in one location while having fun.
Find Agricultural/Environmental/Health Resources at Maryland Day 2009
The University of Maryland has moved beyond its original agriculture roots to emerge as a respected scientific research facility, and the happenings on Ag Day Alley reflect that transformation. The 65 exhibits at Ag Day Avenue for Maryland Day 2009 showcasethe University’s prominence in agricultural, environmental and health sciences. What can you do at Ag Day Avenue on Maryland Day 2009?
Learn about soil types, explore landscaping bloopers, identify tree species.
Watch bee-keeping, horse play and livestock demonstrations.
Find everything 4-H.
Investigate electricity generating microorganisms.
What in the world is a solar power algal turf scrubber? Find out at Maryland Day 2009.
Bus-pulling, bus-ketball, bus obstacle courses for the bus drivers? Oh, those Aggies…
Hands-on activities kids will enjoy: Learn the science of gummy worms; participate in a nutrition bean bag throw or jeopardy game; make your own trail mix; putt for prizes; make a grain art jar using 5 grains from around the world.
Insider Tip: Ag Day Avenue is the place to get moo-liscious ice cream made by the University of Maryland dairy.
Find Science and Tech Resouces at Maryland Day 2009
Science and Tech Way offers 83 activities for Maryland Day 2009 documenting the contributions of physical and life sciences, computer science and mathematics. Explore intelligent defense systems, tour the cosmic ray laboratory or the center for nanophysics and advanced material, venture into the world of extreme robotics or make a microbe… if you’re not already engrossed in building earth-quake proof buildings on a shake table or sampling liquid nitrogen ice cream.
Are you ready to ponder 367,000 gallons of outer space? Looking for a chance to test your lung function?
Find out what’s up with Bioinspired Intelligent Servosystems.
See how high school students envision chemistry influencing the world in the next 25 years.
Will an autonomous vehicle someday be right for you?
Improve your safety awareness by watching Fire Lab demos including a 10 foot fire-tornado and a 1:10 scale room fire.
The Bone Collector and Forensic Science exhibit shows you how forensic experts piece together remains.
Learn about the design, building and launching of spacecraft and the University of Maryland’s College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences collaboration with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
Hands-on activities kids will enjoy: The insect petting zoo invites you to touch an oversize tarantula or scorpion; celebrate geology by making a pet rock; make a microbe to bring home; create home made silly putty, slime, super soaker poly gel, and black ink; compare your baseball throw to that of Major Leaguers; dig for Chesapeake Bay shark teeth.
Find the Best of Maryland’s Arts at Maryland Day 2009
Arts Alley is the artistic entertainment showcase for Maryland Day 2009. Salsa and North African Holistic Dance, Hip Hop Demos and Workshops are among the dance offerings while jazz, Broadway and a Japanese Koto Ensemble are on the listening menu.
Living statues, a light lab, and a costume shop showcase add a visual element to the artistic presentations. The total of 50 arts presentations appeal to a wide variety of interests.
Try your hand at conducting an orchestra.
Chinese Theatre Works, the Department of Theatre’s 2008-2009 Jim Henson Artists-in-Residence, presents student works from this winter’s Shadow Puppet class.
Visit the prop and paint shop to discovery the artistry of scenery and props.
Mime Master Mark Jasper, trained by Marcel Marceau, gives a sneak peek into next year’s season at the Clarice Smith Center.
Hands-on activities kids will enjoy: Rhythmic movement games; interactive story telling from Indonesia; instrumental petting zoo; jeopardy style game testing arts knowledge; interactive experience in a news anchor’s chair.
Find Sports and Recreation Resources at Maryland Day 2009
Whether you are interested in kayaking or golf, soccer or tower climbing, you are likely to find a sport to interest you at Maryland Day 2009. Sport and Rec Row features 30 events, including participatory recreational activities, sports drills and autograph sessions.
Tour an award-winning solar decathalon LEAF-house.
Participate in a Health Freedom Walk.
Hands-on activities kids will enjoy: Crafts; carnival games; surf machine; football toss; bull’s eye game.
Find Academic and Social Resources and Have Fun at Maryland Day 2009
Terp Town Center provides a hodge podge of 114 activities. Different Departments from the University of Maryland show prospective students what the University has to offer from academics to social life.
Explore the art of breakdancing.
See Gymkana, the University’s gymnastics team, perform- and learn about its stellar summer camp, reviewed here.
Experience the capoeira demonstration.
Get your caricature drawn by art students and faculty.
Take a cardio risk assessment.
Unocover the dirt on antropological excavation.
Visit the adaptive tech lab where video relay communication, screen readers, and tactile graphics rule.
Hands-on activities kids will enjoy: Learn about the science of bubbles while blowing bubbles; fish for rubber ducks and win prizes; play the family knowledge game; test your balance; face painting.
Insider Tip: Metro Washington DC insiders know that they may walk away with programs for the fantastic summer camps run by the University of Maryland, arts opportunities and how-to information galore.
Find Biz and Society Resouces at Maryland Day 2009
Architecture, Business, Journalism and Public Affairs are the featured University of Maryland departments at Biz and Society Hill on Maryland Day 2009. You can test your stress level or your terrorism IQ. Want to see a Huey Helicopter?
Visit with live oysters and crabs, and find out what is happening in their communities.
Get puzzled with tangrams.
Tune your ears to the science of hearing.
Pick up information on ADD and ADHD.
Delve into the immigrant experience.
Choose a free tree seedling to take home and plant.
The Human Rights Info Fair at Maryland Day 2009 aims to educate visitors about current issues involving human rights.
Hands-on activities kids will enjoy: Create a paper animal; experiment with gak; get your face painted.
Logistics for Maryland Day 2009
Parking for Maryland Day 2009 is available on campus- follow signs from the Stadium entrance on Greenbelt Rd. The UM shuttle will provide on campus transportation.
Insider Tip: With the College Park Metro (green line) station less than a mile from the University of Maryland campus and free UM shuttle buses departing the east side of the metro station every 20 minutes, the Metro/Shuttle combination is the most painless means of transport. While Maryland Day 2009 advertises free on-campus parking, consider that the University of Maryland has a total of 21,000 parking spaces which are generally in high demand; on Maryland Day 2009, the University aims to exceed last year’s turnout of 75,000 visitors to complement its 36,000 students, its faculty and administration. The parking may be free, but the flyers say nothing about hassle-free or readily available…
Maryland Day 2009, brimming with resources and activities, will offer visitors a sampling of some of the most innovative and exciting University of Maryland offerings.
Sources: http://www.agnr.umd.edu/news/article.cfm?id=baf3b1060a5a5a8f00108c7d44faca55; http://www.marylandday.umd.edu/misc/survey.cfm; http://www.education.umd.edu/SUCP/Summer_Programs.html; http://www.transportation.umd.edu/parking.html.