Polk State Kids at College

✨ The Faces Behind the Magic ✨

Every summer, Kids at College is filled with smiling students, exciting classes, and unforgettable memories. But behind every great program is an amazing team working behind the scenes to make it all happen.

At our JD Alexander Center, we're incredibly grateful for Sasha, Kim, Loydah, Richard, Scott, and Leah. Each of them plays an important role in creating a successful experience for our students and families.

Whether it's preparing spaces, solving problems, supporting staff, keeping things running smoothly, or designing the graphics and materials that help bring our program to life, their hard work often happens behind the scenes—but its impact is felt everywhere.

We are so thankful for their dedication, creativity, and commitment to making Kids at College a place where students can learn, explore, and grow.

Please help us thank this incredible team for all they do! ❤️

💚🧪 Slime Time! 🧪💚

Things got a little gooey today at Kids at College! Our students mixed, stretched, squished, and experimented as they created their own slime creations.

While they were having fun getting their hands messy, they were also learning about chemistry and how different ingredients work together to create something entirely new. From perfect stretches to epic slime fails, there were lots of laughs and plenty of smiles along the way!

One thing is for sure—slime never goes out of style! 😄

📸🍦 More Sweet Moments from Cops with Cones! 🍦📸

We couldn't resist sharing a few photos from yesterday's visit from the Polk County Sheriff's Office's new Cops with Cones ice cream truck!

From excited students to smiling volunteers, staff, and community partners, the afternoon was filled with laughter, conversations, and plenty of ice cream. 🍨💙

We're so grateful to the Polk County Sheriff's Office and Polk Sheriff's Charities for making this special program possible and for taking the time to connect with our Kids at College families. Building positive relationships and creating memorable experiences is what summer is all about!

Thank you for helping make our day extra sweet. We hope you'll come back and visit us again soon!

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🌌✨ Exploring the Wonders of the Universe! ✨🌌

Today's explorers in Destination: Milky Way combined science and creativity as they crafted galaxy rings! Using colorful galaxy stones and wire, students created wearable reminders of the incredible galaxies that fill our universe.

Along the way, they learned about the Milky Way and the vast expanse of space beyond our planet. Through hands-on exploration, students connected art and astronomy while building curiosity about the stars, planets, and galaxies that make up our cosmic neighborhood.

The universe is full of wonder, and today's activity was a fun way to keep a little piece of that wonder close at hand! 🚀⭐

Aren't they beautiful?

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🌪️📜 Message Received! 🌊🏝️

Our STEM Island explorers put their engineering skills to the test yesterday as they designed and created their own messages in a bottle. But the challenge didn't stop there!

Students then tested their creations in simulated hurricane conditions to see if their bottles could survive rough weather and successfully deliver a message asking for help. Along the way, they explored concepts like buoyancy, weather, problem-solving, and design improvements.

Would their message make it through the storm? Our young engineers discovered that sometimes the best designs come after a little trial and error!

We also discovered that hurricane testing can be a little messy... and a few explorers ended up a bit wetter than expected. 😆💦 Sorry, parents! Thankfully, the learning (and the fun) was worth it.

STEM is all about asking questions, testing ideas, and learning from every result—and our explorers did an amazing job. 🌊⛈️💡

🌧️🎨 The Science of Rain, The Art of Discovery ☁️✨

Today in Art in Science, our young explorers discovered how rain forms through a colorful, hands-on experiment! Using fluffy shaving cream clouds and brightly colored water, students watched as their "clouds" filled with moisture and eventually released rain below.

As they experimented, students learned how real clouds collect water droplets and why rain falls when clouds become too heavy to hold any more moisture. The colorful water helped bring this weather phenomenon to life in a creative and memorable way.

From scientific observation to artistic expression, today's lesson was the perfect blend of curiosity, creativity, and discovery. Learning has never looked so colorful! 🌈🔬

It also turns out that creating rain clouds can be a little messy! By the end of the lesson, plenty of blue-stained hands showed just how much fun our scientists were having. After all, some of the best learning happens when you're willing to get your hands dirty—or in this case, blue! 💙☁️🌧️

🔍 Fossil hunters at work!

Yesterday, our Career Explorers explored the fascinating career of a geologist. Students excavated fossils, examined evidence from the past, and learned how geologists use rocks and fossils to piece together Earth's history. Every discovery sparked curiosity and showed how science can help us understand the world around us.

What ancient treasures would you hope to uncover? 🦴🌎

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