All-day Saturday workshops are offered an average of once every 3 weeks during the academic year. The workshops run from 9 am until about 3 pm, with a lunch break from about 11:30 until 12:15.

About two-thirds of these Saturday with SEM workshops are reserved for Grades 7-12 students, with the other third reserved for teachers. Each workshop will have 6-10 students.

Participants learn how an SEM is used for investigations in biology, medicine, chemistry and materials science, and also gain hands-on experience operating the instrument. Students will learn the basic principles behind the SEM, how to prepare samples by critical point drying (if applicable), and how to sputter coat a sample with gold. With guidance, each student will obtain digital images of their sample and, if appropriate, a plot of the chemical elements making up the sample's surface. All students will leave with a certificate of participation, photomicrographs of the samples they analyzed, and digital copies of the images on a CD. Some images may be placed on the web site of UCA’s SEM facility. Workshops are taught by a UCA science faculty member and an assistant.

Student participants are encouraged to bring a sample that they would like to view with the SEM. However, participants should realize that sample preparation and the SEM imaging process can damage or destroy a sample. Alternatively, student participants can assist us by preparing and imaging samples submitted by K-12 teachers as part of our Open Sample Submissions program.

Teachers interested in sponsoring a group of students, or interested in attending one of the teacher-only Saturday With SEM workshops, should Email us regarding available dates and any other details or questions. Once a commitment is made for a particular date, the sponsoring teachers will be mailed a packet containing information sheets and release forms for parents. These documents are also available for downloading from the Maps, Flyers, and Forms page.