Join us for Community Learning and Beyond - it's CoLAB Day!
On the first Saturday of every month, Orlando Science Center is excited to welcome a rotating group of community partners to our building. On November 7, 2026, one of those partners is a group of illustration students from the University of Central Florida's School of Visual Arts and Design (SVAD), who will lead a Character Design Studio! Check out the full schedule of their activities below.
Guided Open Make Session
10:00 am - 4:30 pm | Drop by Any Time!
Stop by the Founders Room, located inside Fusion: A STEAM Gallery, on Level 3 at any time between 10:00 am and 4:30 pm for a guided open make experience! Each illustration student has created a fantastic original STEAM character. Pick your favorite, and they'll teach you to draw them!
Guided Astronomy-Themed Demos
11:00 am - 3:00 pm | Every Hour on the Hour
In celebration of Astronomy Month, UCF's students have prepared larger-scale demonstrations for space-themed character creation. These will take place every hour on the hour, and each session will feature a different character! Difficulties may vary, so check out the list of sessions below with recommended age ranges and plan your day accordingly.
Galaxy
11:00 am | Created by Juliette Pantoja
Recommended for ages 8+ (Younger artists welcome with grown-up assistance)
This little fella travels the galaxy studying different life forms and figuring out how their planet's ecosystem affects their appearance. Inspired by a goat, this character will help young artists explore adaptation and how different environmental factors can affect organisms' appearance. Plus, create your own planet for Galaxy to explore!
Magical Girl Plant Astronaut
12:00 pm | Created by Maritza Louissaint
Recommended for ages 8+ (Younger artists welcome with grown-up assistance)
Sometimes, nature feels like magic, and this young adventurer is a skilled magician! Inspired by plant life, this magical young astronaut travels from planet to planet, enabling them to grow plants and eventually develop living organisms. Discover how planets produce oxygen and how that's crucial for sustaining life!
Fish Star
1:00 pm | Created by Jaime Slattery
Recommended for ages 5+ (Younger artists welcome with grown-up assistance)
Meet the fish that swims in a sea of stars! This character has both a fish form and a human form. A young star, he's playful and curious about the galaxy. Discover the wonder of constellations and learn to draw this guy's fish form with help from his designer.
Mira
2:00 pm | Created by Abe Jordanopoulos
Recommended for ages 7+ (Younger artists welcome with grown-up assistance)
Mira is a young explorer who loves seeing new things, discovering new places, and learning about the world around her. Mira was inspired by the planet Neptune, giving her the signature blue palette of the ice giant that's the farthest known planet in our solar system.
Halley the Comet
3:00 pm | Created by Olivia Marvin
Recommended for ages 8+ (Younger artists welcome with grown-up assistance)
Inspired by the 1P/Halley comet, Halley travels our solar system and always comes back every 74 to 79 years. They travel in a makeshift spaceship that only knows one route. Halley's "hair" always faces away from the Sun due to solar winds! Learn about the differences between comets and asteroids, how solar winds affect comets' tails, and more fun facts about Halley's comet!