Since 2001, Grandparents University (GPU) has connected Badgers of all ages. The program hosts children ages seven to 14 and their grandparents on campus for a fun and hands-on learning experience at UW–Madison. Students and their grandparents select majors and learn from UW experts, explore the UW campus on field trips, live like students in the dorms, and even enjoy a special graduation celebration.
GPU brings families together through curiosity, and the program inspires the next generation of Badgers to dream big. From investigating and restoring habitats at the UW Arboretum to creating gooey experiments in the School of Pharmacy, here are five ways families had a blast at Grandparents University.
1. Outdoor Adventures
In Restoration Ecology, students explored and helped restore the UW Arboretum. The ecologists in training learned about the importance of habitat restoration, spotted native plants and insects, and helped remove invasive species from the land.
2. Buggin’ Out
Students learned about the creepy and crawly critters who call the UW campus home in the entomology major. They played bug bingo, collected insects, and created personalized bug boxes.
3. Do you see what I see?
At the historic Washburn Observatory, GPU-goers checked out the UW’s iconic telescope dome to learn about astronomy and the stellar research that UW scientists do on campus.
4. Calling Doctor Bucky
In the pharmacy major, students put on their lab coats and learned about medicine making. The future pharmacists created sweet, edible mixtures using Jell-O and Smarties, and the class ran experiments to see what it takes to save lives with medication.
5. This Rocks!
GPU students travelled back in time on a field trip to the UW Geology Museum. They explored reconstructed dinosaurs, glow-in-the-dark wonders, and shiny and shimmery formations all while learning about Wisconsin’s geological history.
