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Sample Course Schedule:

Monday: Environmental "crime" scenes (Environmental monitoring and remediation)

• Morning: Get to know each other and the plan for the week with introduction & Icebreaker activities. Learn about environmental contamination and how Earth Scientists monitor, protect and clean up the environment.
• Afternoon: Meet with a professional environmental consultant and learn about what they do. Complete a group exercising sampling a contaminated watershed.

Tuesday: Following the flow (Water resources management) 

• Morning: Learn about the water cycle & groundwater, including how where we get out water resources. Go outside and conduct water quality sampling in OSU's famous Mirror Lake.
• Afternoon: Talk with a professional hydrogeologist to find out about careers in water. Go back to Mirror Lake and use the monitoring well to measure groundwater flow.

Wednesday: Mining the future (Critical mineral resources)

• Morning: Learn about how we use minerals in modern life in everything from our cell phones to our toothpaste. Learn how to identify minerals you may find outside and in your kitchen.
• Afternoon: Meet with a mining geologist and then visit the Orton Geological Museum.

Thursday: Predicting and preventing catastrophe (climate change and natural hazard risk assessment and mitigation)

• Morning: Learn about how our dynamic Earth impacts people; from earthquakes and volcanoes to abrupt changes in climate, and how Earth Scientists understand and help mitigate those impacts.
• Afternoon: Meet with a professional climate scientist or emergency manager and then learn how to use GIS to map hazards.

Friday: Engineering the energy revolution (energy transition) 

• Morning: Find out about different energy systems, how they are developing, and what Earth Scientists are doing to both power the future and protect the planet. Meet with a professional from the energy industry.
• Afternoon: Wrap up the week with group presentations, synthesis & career action planning and a closing celebration

Note that this is a sample course schedule. The actual schedule may vary due to weather, availability of speakers and facilities and other considerations.

Application and deadline

If a participant requires an accommodation such as interpretation to participate in this program, please contact the program at ExploreASC@osu.edu or 614-247-1618. Requests should be made as soon as possible. Requests made two weeks before the first day of a course will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the university will make every effort to meet requests made after this date. We invite you to sign up for updates to receive information about our programs and be alerted when the when future application windows open.

Tips for submitting an application

• When you click on the Register Here button, you will be taken to the application system.
• If this is the first time you are applying to our program, you will need to register to create a free account. This option is available on the bottom left of the log in box.
• Once registered, you can login and submit your application.
• Please note that applications should be completed by a parent/legal guardian.
• You will receive an email confirming that your application has been submitted.
• You can submit multiple applications from the same account. After submitting the first application, click on the home icon in the upper right corner.
• All applications you have submitted will be visible from the home screen. To submit an additional application, click the carrot next to Options on the upper right corner of application text box. Select Apply Again from the dropdown menu. 

Costs and aid

The program fee for the Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration 2026 program is $550 per one-week course, which includes all course materials and activities, lunch, and snacks.

• Sibling discount: A 10% discount on the program fee will be applied to the registration of the second + child from the same household.
• Limited need-based financial assistance may be available in the form of partial support. Financial assistance can be requested on the program application.

Payment deadlines

Applicants have one week to accept their offer of admission to the program and pay the program fee. All payments must be made through the applicant portal. Once an offer is accepted and payment made, the parent or legal guardian must submit emergency contact and medical information, as well as signed Policy Acknowledgement and Consent forms no later than May 15, 2026.

Refund Policy

The Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration Program recognizes that sometimes plans change. Participants may request a refund of the program fee by emailing ExploreASC@osu.edu according to the following schedule:

• On or before May 1, 2026: 100% of program fee paid
• May 2 – May 15, 2026: 50% of program fee paid

• On or after May 16, 2026: No refund of program fee paid

   

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Program Details

Daily schedule

While plans for each course may differ slightly, the daily schedule follows this general model:

• Drop off 8:15 - 8:45 a.m.
• Morning session 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.
• Travel to lunch 11:30 - 11:45 a.m.
• Lunch at Traditions 11:45 - 12:45 p.m.
• Travel time 12:30 - 12:45 p.m.
• On campus activity 12:45 – 1:45 p.m.
• Afternoon session 2:00-3:45 p.m.
• Travel to pick-up location 3:45 - 4 p.m.
• Pick up 4:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Participants will always be escorted between pick-up/drop-off, their assigned classroom, the dining hall, and the on-campus activity by program staff. Additional information about the program will be emailed to participants and families, as needed, closer to the start of the program.

Lunch

Lunch will be provided daily at the Traditions at Scott dining hall and will be supervised by program staff. Traditions provides a wide variety of food options that meet the most common dietary needs and restrictions, including halal, gluten-free and vegetarian. However, kosher dining is not supported during summer term.

Pick-up and Drop-off Locations

The pick-up and drop-off location for students is the corner of Annie and John Glenn Avenue and Millikin Road, outside of the PAES building (see maps below). Please drop your child off from the eastbound lane of Annie and John Glenn Avenue. The drop-off/pick-up location will be marked with a sign and program staff will be present to check your child in and out of the program.

If you are using a navigation system for directions, enter the following address: 305 Annie and John Glenn Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, 43210.

Please do not park in the drop-off/pick-up lane. If you need to park, or your child is driving themselves to and from the program, the closest surface lot parking is at the Ohio Stadium. The closest garage parking is Tuttle Garage. You can learn more about parking at Ohio State, including hourly rates, on the CampusParc website.

The image above shows the ideal route to the drop off and pick up location. The image below shows the drop off and pick up lane from the street view.

For those riding COTA, the closest bus stop to the drop-off/pick-up location is N. High Street & E. 15th Avenue. See the COTA website for more information.

First Day Orientation

The first day of the program will kick-off with a brief orientation session. At 8:45 a.m. program staff will walk the students to the orientation location. At the orientation, students will receive a program t-shirt and lanyard, the program staff will be introduced, and the daily schedule will be reviewed. After orientation, students will be escorted to their classrooms and the morning session will begin.  

What to Bring

What to Wear

Participants should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for the classroom, as well as for a range of temperatures. For most courses, participants will spend most of the day inside air-conditioned classrooms. However, we will be walking between the drop-off/pick-up location, classrooms, campus locations and the dining hall. Dressing in layers and wearing comfortable walking shoes is recommended. Any course specific requirements are listed in the course description.

Friday What to Wear

Each Friday on the last day of classes, we will take pictures of each class cohort. We encourage participants to wear their Arts & Sciences Summer Exploration t-shirt on Friday for this event!

Daily Packing List

• Cell phone and charger (optional)
• Personal academic supplies, such as pens/pencils, notebook, and backpack. Any special academic materials needed for courses beyond this basic list will be provided by the program.
• Snacks and water: Participants should bring a refillable water bottle every day. While the program will provide an afternoon snack, participants are allowed to bring their own snacks. However, we request that, for the safety of participants with nut allergies, no snacks containing nuts be brought to the program.
• Personal medications in their original labeled containers (if taken during the day)
• Sunscreen and umbrella or rain jacket (optional)

Required Forms

Shortly after an applicant accepts their offer of admission, the parent or legal guardian will receive an email from DocuSign with links to program policy and consent forms. These forms must be reviewed and signed by May 1, 2026.

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