We’re looking for eager, passionate team members who want to make a difference in their community!
Orlando Science Center’s volunteers and interns all carry out our mission to inspire science learning for life. Whether their role is to directly interact with guests or work hard behind the scenes, every team member plays an important part in contributing to our organizational success.
Adult Volunteers
Donate your time to bring the Science Center to life in a way that complements your expertise and interests.
Our monthly homeschool program exposes students in Grades K–8 to a variety of topics, offering them the opportunity to engage with their peers and encounter resources they may not have at home!
Orlando Science Center hosts themed homeschool days for Grades K–8 each month during the academic year, September through May.
Each course includes:
Standards-based Discovery Lab
Guided exhibit experiences led by an Orlando Science Center Educator
Large format educational films
Work samples for your student’s homeschool portfolio
To learn more about the homeschool program, please contact the Reservations Department at 407.514.2112 or email classes@osc.org.
Students 12 years old and under must be accompanied by an adult.
2023-2024 Homeschool Schedule
September 11, 2023 – Engineering
Grades K-2: STEM-Tastic Embark on an Engineering Design Challenge journey through fields of engineering! Solve real-world problems by creating structures with civil engineering and experience electrical engineering by designing circuits.
Grades 3-5: Trampoline Engineering Learn to think like an engineer and use your knowledge of math and science to reach a goal. Using the Engineering Design Process, you will collaborate to design and create a trampoline bed that will allow a ball to bounce at least 50 cm high!
Grades 6-8: Sink or Sail: Submarine Engineering Become a marine design engineer by experiencing the battle between gravity and buoyancy! By collecting data and calculating the opposing forces, teams create a submarine that can propel, steer, and sail through water. Can you sail to new horizons, or will you sink to the ocean floor?
October 2, 2023 – Computer Science
Grades K-2: Bee Robotics Enter the world of computer science and programming using our robot friend Blue-Bot. Follow Blue-Bot as they explore the lives of honeybees and how they communicate with each other.
Grades 3-5: VEX Robotics ROADS CLOSED! How do we navigate our way through a new route? Students will learn the basics of programming and apply their knowledge of maps and measurement while they explore alternate paths with a VEX Robot. Is your team up to this robot challenge?
Grades 6-8: Drone Zone Explore the forces of flight while working in teams to program a drone to perform a search and rescue in our drone cage. Hone your skills as a drone pilot as you take to the skies.
November 6, 2023 – Physics
Grades K-2: Little Engineers Children will learn about Engineers and the Engineering Design Process through exploring the story Anything Is Possible by Giulia Belloni and creating a solution to the storybook problem on their own in small teams.
Grades 3-5: Roller Coaster Physics Demonstrate how the forces of inertia, gravity, and friction affect motion while building a roller coaster model. Track the flow of energy as it converts from potential to kinetic along the track.
Grades 6-8: Destination STEM: Roller Coasters Investigate energy transformations and discover careers in modeling and simulation while designing a fun and safe roller coaster.
December 4, 2023 – Biology
Grades K-2: Superworm Science Dive into life science by investigating superworm behavior through a science experiment. Using the scientific method, collaborate to design and implement an experiment to determine which physical properties superworms prefer in their food.
Grades 3-5: Plant Powers Perhaps you have pondered the particular powers plants possess. Join us as we explore plant structures and investigate how plants obtain nutrients to survive.
Grades 6-8: Put a Valve in It! Get your heart pumping in this biomedical engineering lab! Learn about the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems of different species by performing dissections on an invertebrate and a vertebrate!
February 5, 2024 – Aerospace Engineering
Grades K-2: Space Explorers Are you ready to solve the problem of the future? Work with a team of fellow aerospace engineers to see if you can design and create a protype ship, capable of helping aid in the removal of pesky space junk!
Grades 3-5: Exploring Mars Are we ready to live on Mars? Is Mars ready to be our home? Combine your knowledge about space, earth science, and engineering to learn how NASA scientists study Mars and other planets. Students will learn about the characteristics of the inner and outer planets, solar energy, aerospace engineering, and astrobiology to solve this real-world puzzle.
Grades 6-8: Destination STEM: Egg Drop Scientists and engineers designed the Mars Rover to fall from the planet’s orbit safely to its surface. Can you design and build a rover package for an egg that will survive Earth's gravitational pull?
March 4, 2024 – Environmental Science
Grades K-2: Forces of Nature Our planet is constantly changing as a result of the many forces of nature. You will discover how the Sun affects these forces. Delve into a vicious volcano, explore erosion, and engineer wind-powered objects.
Grades 3-5: Hurricane Hazards: Protect this House! Florida is subject to seasonal hurricanes that threaten to upend our daily lives. Work together to engineer solutions, preventions, and/or other responses to reduce the hazards posed by these strong storms.
Grades 6-8: Environmental Survey Help conservationists reintroduce native species to their habitat by coding a robot to survey the land.
April 1, 2024 – Renewable Energy
Grades K-2: Mini Builders Can we build it? Yes, we can! Put your creativity to the test as you engineer a windmill and a sail to power a car using the renewable energy source of wind. Help create a cleaner and greener future!
Grades 3-5: Solar Fair Ride Challenge Orlando is known for its rides and sunny weather. In this challenge you can learn all about renewable energy before putting your knowledge to the test and engineering a fair ride that runs on solar power!
Grades 6-8: Wind Turbines Ever wanted to harness the power of the elements around you? In this challenge, you'll be able to explore renewable energy before becoming an environmental engineer. Your goal? Create a turbine that can transform wind into energy that can power a light bulb!
May 6, 2024 – Chemistry
Grades K-2: Curious Chemist Are you curious about chemistry? Discover a new world that's all around you as we experiment and learn all about matter and reactions!
Grades 3-5: Rockin’ Reactions Discover the rockin’ world of chemical reactions! From common baking soda to the not so common phenol red, we’ll explore the properties of various chemicals and compounds in order to see how they react with one another.
Grades 6-8: Chemistry Quest Are you intrigued by the mysteries of chemistry? Embark on a quest for answers as you design and create an experiment to identify properties of unidentified chemicals.
Hours & Pricing
The homeschool program runs from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm