STEM Professional Development Training: Microplastics
2026-01-26 16:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Boulder City Library, 701 Adams Boulevard, Boulder City, NV, 89005, United States
Have you ever heard of milk plastics? Or wanted to learn what happens when a plastic cup sinks to the bottom of a lake? Join us for the Microplastics professional development training where we will explore these topics and more! In this training, you will gain expertise in identifying, analyzing, and addressing the pervasive issue of microplastic pollution. Equip yourself with hands-on activities and resources to empower students with the knowledge and skills to make a positive impact on our planet’s health! Although this training will cover middle school NGSS lessons, all interested formal and informal educators are welcome to attend! Educators who attend the session will be eligible for up to 3 Continuing Education hours. Click here to register: https://forms.gle/PE1wGhePajn2cR769

Nevada Robotics IDEALS: Wooster High School Drone Competition
2026-01-31 08:00 - 18:30 | Earl Wooster High School, 1331 E. Plumb Lane, Reno, NV, 89502, United States
Wooster High School Drone Competition
It’s time to fly!
Nevada Robotics at DRI, along with our partners at WCSD JROTC, are hosting indoor educational drone competitions for students in grades 4-12 in Reno, Sparks, and Elko. These events inspire the next generation of pilots and scientists.
You are invited!
Wooster High School Drone Competition
8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Hug High School
1331 E. Plumb Lane, Reno, NV
To learn more about Nevada Robotics Drone Program, visit us at www.nevadarobotics.org.
Questions or want to volunteer?
Contact AJ Long
Nevada Robotics Director
aj.long@www-dev.dri.edu
www.nevadarobotics.org

DRI at NWRA 2026
2026-02-02 - 2026-02-05 | Tuscany Suites & Casino, 255 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV, 89169, United States
DRI at the NWRA 2026 Conference
DRI researchers will be attending and presenting at the Nevada Water Resources Association (NWRA) 2026 Conference, sharing insights on groundwater, water management, and emerging challenges.
DRI sessions include:
• Erik Henzl — Data Centers and Water 2: Data in the Desert
• John Volk — Integrated Groundwater Approaches: Tools for Capture, Recharge, and Interbasin Flow
• Beverly Parker & Alexandra Lutz — Water Resources Management & Planning
🔎 Visit DRI at our booth in the exhibit hall to connect with our team and learn more about our research.
👉 Learn more and view the full conference schedule at www.nvwra.org

Nevada Robotics IDEALS: Boys and Girls Club Staff Drone Workshop
2026-02-03 10:00 - 12:30 | Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, 2680 E. 9th Street, Reno, Nevada, 89512, United States
Nevada Robotics is providing hands-on educational drone training for the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows education staff.
Training will include practice flying and coding educational drones, as well as how to prepare for competitions.
IDEALS Workshop: Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 3
2680 E. 9th Street, Reno, NV
Questions?
Contact AJ Long
Nevada Robotics Director
aj.long@www-dev.dri.edu
www.nevadarobotics.org

STEM Professional Development Training: 3D Printers
2026-02-07 08:00 - 12:00 | DRI, Reno Campus, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV, 89512, United States
Unlock innovative teaching methods with DRI’s STEM Education Program’s FREE educator professional development training on 3D printers! In the training, educators will gain hands-on experience designing 3D objects in Tinkercad, operating Prusa Mini printers, and resources to transform the classroom into a hub of creativity and exploration! This training is open to K-12th grade Educators.
Educators who attend the session will be eligible for up to 4 Continuing Education hours as well as the ability to check out Prusa 3D printers from DRI’s STEM Co-Lab Lending Library.
Click here to register: https://forms.gle/2Mtky4h4ZnMCkLnn7

Nevada Robotics IDEALS: Damonte Ranch High School Drone Competition
2026-02-07 08:00 - 18:30 | Damonte Ranch High School, 10500 Rio Wrangler Pkwy, Reno, NV, 89521, United States
Damonte Ranch High School Drone Competition
It’s time to fly!
Nevada Robotics at DRI, along with our partners at WCSD JROTC, are hosting indoor educational drone competitions for students in grades 4-12 in Reno, Sparks, and Elko. These events inspire the next generation of pilots and scientists.
You are invited!
Damonte Ranch High School Drone Competition
8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 7, 2026
Damonte Ranch High School
10500 Rio Wrangler Pkwy, Reno, NV
To learn more about Nevada Robotics Drone Program, visit us at www.nevadarobotics.org.
Questions or want to volunteer?
Contact AJ Long
Nevada Robotics Director
aj.long@www-dev.dri.edu
www.nevadarobotics.org

The Weight of Water: Stories of Water’s Weight on Land and Heart
2026-02-18 18:30 - 20:00 | DRI, Las Vegas Campus, 755 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV, 89119, United States
Join us for an evening that explores how water shapes our lives—physically, historically, and emotionally. Through science, story, and reflection, this program invites you to consider the many forms water takes in our world: the floods that transform our cities, the policies that define its use, and the deeply human moments where its presence—or absence—carries the weight of memory, loss, and renewal.
Come discover how water moves through landscapes and lives, revealing the connections between environment, community, and the stories we carry.
$15 – General Admission
$10 – Discounted Tickets for Students and Educators
Arrive early and take time to explore the Atomic Museum. Curiosity Lab attendees receive free access to the exhibits from 5:00–6:30 p.m.
Purchase Tickets!
Storytellers:
Dr. Guo Yu holds the position of Assistant Research Professor at DRI and is also a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Nevada. Dr. Yu has a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and over 10 years combined academic and industrial experience in the fields of hydrology, hydrometeorology, and climate change impact studies. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, some of which have been highlighted by the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as well as the Fifth National Climate Assessment.

Now a freelance writer and editor, Scott Dickensheets has worked all over the Las Vegas media scene: most recently as a daily newsletterist for City Cast Las Vegas, and before that as features editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, deputy editor of Desert Companion magazine, editor in chief of the local alt-weeklies CityLife and the Las Vegas Weekly, and as an editor and columnist at the Las Vegas Sun. He also edited, co-edited, or contributed to eight volumes of the Las Vegas Writes book series; helped edit Nevada: 150 Years in the Silver State, the official book of the Nevada sesquicentennial; co-edited the poetry anthology and workbook Sagebrush to Sandstone: A Humanities Guide to Outdoor Nevada; and is a long-serving member of the Las Vegas Book Festival’s programming committee.

Geoff Schumacher is the vice president of exhibits and programs at The Mob Museum. He is the author of Sun, Sin & Suburbia: A History of Modern Las Vegas and Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue. He was a producer and writer for the documentary This Building of Ours: The Story of a Las Vegas Landmark. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno, and his master’s degree in American history from Arizona State University. During his 25-year journalism career, he worked at the Las Vegas Sun, Las Vegas CityLife, Las Vegas Mercury, Las Vegas Review-Journal and Ames (Iowa) Tribune. He has been interviewed as a subject matter expert by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, CNN, PBS, Paramount Plus, History Channel and Travel Channel.

Thank you to our community partners Nevada Humanities and Atomic Museum

STEM Professional Development Training: 3D Printers
2026-02-21 08:00 - 12:00 | DRI, Las Vegas Campus, 755 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV, 89119, United States
Unlock innovative teaching methods with DRI’s STEM Education Program’s FREE educator professional development training on 3D printers! In the training, educators will gain hands-on experience designing 3D objects in Tinkercad, operating Prusa MK3S+ printers, and resources to transform the classroom into a hub of creativity and exploration! This training is open to K-12th grade Educators. Educators who attend the session will be eligible for up to 4 Continuing Education hours as well as the ability to check out Prusa 3D printers from DRI’s STEM Co-Lab Lending Library. Click here to register: https://forms.gle/tGGDXrN4b6gatdjK6

Nevada Robotics IDEALS: Elko Drone Competition
2026-02-21 08:30 - 15:00 | Great Basin College Fitness Center, 1500 College Parkway, Elko, NV, 89801, United States
Nevada Robotics is bringing educational drone competitions to Northeastern Nevada. Educators, sign your teams up to be a part of the first-ever REC Aerial Drone Competition in Northeastern Nevada. This inaugural event is on Saturday, February 21 at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada.
Competition Details
Doors Open at 8:30 a.m.
Inspection/Registration at 8:45 a.m.
Piloting Missions Begin at 9:00 a.m.
Flight Team Meeting at 9:15 a.m.
Teamwork/Autonomous at 9:30 a.m.
Lunch at noon
Matches/Judging Resume from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Alliance Sectional at 1:45 p.m.
Finals and Awards at 2:00 p.m.
Event Ends at 3:00 p.m.
Location
Great Basin College Fitness Center
1500 College Parkway
Elko, NV 89801
To register a team for this competition, visit the REC Foundation Aerial Drone events site at recfevents.org.
Not ready to compete?
Volunteer instead!
Email nevadarobotics@www-dev.dri.edu

STEM Professional Development Training: Introduction to Hydroponics
2026-03-07 08:00 - 11:00 | DRI, Las Vegas Campus, 755 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV, 89119, United States
Learn how to operate and integrate hydroponic systems into your classroom in DRI’s STEM Education Program FREE educator professional development training! In the training, educators will gain hands-on experience germinating seeds, transplanting seedlings, mixing nutrient solution, programming lights, assembling and operating hydroponic systems, and integrating hydroponics into the classroom. This training is open to K-12th grade educators. Educators who attend the session will be eligible for up to 3 Continuing Education hours as well as the ability to check out hydroponic systems from DRI’s STEM Co-Lab Lending Library. Click here to register: https://forms.gle/qVLm9kYm1MHoqd9s6

The Future in Rearview: Stories from the Edge of Then and Now
2026-03-18 18:30 - 20:00 | DRI, Reno Campus, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV, 89512, United States
Join us for an evening that looks to the past to better understand the future. Through science, history, and creative reflection, this program explores how moments that shaped a community—whether dramatic, devastating, or quietly transformational—continue to echo forward in time.
From modeling future floods using lessons from 1997 to stories that revisit turning points in personal or collective memory, we’ll examine how the past offers clues, caution, and insight for the world we’re building next.
Come explore what it means to view tomorrow through the rearview mirror, and how the stories we carry can illuminate the path ahead.
Refreshments & cocktails from 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery will be provided
$15 – General Admission
$10 – Discounted Tickets for Students and Educators
Purchase Tickets!
Storytellers:
Dr. Guo Yu holds the position of Assistant Research Professor at DRI and is also a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Nevada. Dr. Yu has a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and over 10 years combined academic and industrial experience in the fields of hydrology, hydrometeorology, and climate change impact studies. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, some of which have been highlighted by the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as well as the Fifth National Climate Assessment.

Thank you to our community partners Nevada Humanities & Atomic Museum
and our beverage sponsor 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery.

STEM Professional Development Training: AI in Education
2026-04-11 08:00 - 11:00 | DRI, Las Vegas Campus, 755 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV, 89119, United States
Discover the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in education with our three-hour professional development session tailored for educators. Gain foundational insights into AI and explore innovative tools to personalize learning and streamline tasks. Through interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities, learn how AI can enhance your teaching strategies and boost student outcomes. We’ll also tackle ethical considerations like data privacy and equity, ensuring responsible AI adoption. Engage in collaborative discussions to share strategies with fellow educators. By session’s end, you’ll be equipped to create a strategic plan for integrating AI, empowering you to transform your classroom into a more engaging and effective learning environment. Embrace the future of education with AI.
Educators who attend the session will be eligible for up to 3 Continuing Education hours. Click here to register: https://forms.gle/TbPj2mhc1omF6zbV8

STEM Professional Development Training: Nature Journaling
2026-04-11 09:00 - 11:00 | DRI, Reno Campus, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV, 89512, United States
Are you interested in learning how to use nature journaling as a tool for STEM education? Not only can nature journaling help people hone their powers of observation, the practice also improves language, critical thinking, STEM, and artistic skills. Nature journaling has also been shown to increase nature connectivity and awareness of one’s local environment. Come to this training and learn the basics of teaching nature journaling through hands-on activities and guided prompts. At the end, you’ll receive a nature journaling resource packet as well as a few art materials to get you started.
This training is open to both classroom and informal educators. Attendees will be eligible for up to 2 Continuing Education hours.
Click here to register: https://forms.gle/ogMUJYH14jnFX8gF7

Mapping the Invisible: Stories of Hidden Forces That Shape our World
2026-04-15 18:30 - 20:00 | DRI, Las Vegas Campus, 755 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV, 89119, United States
Join us for an evening that reveals the powerful forces we rarely see but live with every day. Through science, data, creativity, and human insight, this program explores the hidden patterns, risks, and influences that shape our lives—from dangers that lie beneath the surface to the subtle currents that guide our decisions, behaviors, and relationships.
We’ll look at efforts to detect threats earlier and more accurately, as well as stories that illuminate the psychological, social, and artistic forces that influence how we understand the world around us.
Come discover how mapping the invisible—whether through research, reflection, or imagination—can deepen awareness, expand possibility, and help us navigate the unseen with greater clarity and care.
Refreshments & cocktails from 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery will be provided.
Arrive early and take time to explore the Atomic Museum. Curiosity Lab attendees receive free access to the exhibits from 5:00–6:30 p.m.
$15 – General Admission
$10 – Discounted Tickets for Students and Educators
Purchase Tickets!
Thank you to our community partners Nevada Humanities & Atomic Museum
and our beverage sponsor 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery.

What Lies Beneath: Stories of Obscured Truths and Quiet Dangers
2026-05-20 18:30 - 20:00 | DRI, Reno Campus, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV, 89512, United States
Join us for an evening that uncovers the dangers, truths, and meanings that often remain just out of sight. Through science, art, history, and personal reflection, this program invites you to look beneath the surface—at the hidden risks, overlooked details, and subtle forces that shape how we move through the world.
You’ll hear about efforts to detect threats earlier and more precisely, alongside stories that explore how a simple shift in perspective can alter our understanding of safety, meaning, and connection. Whether buried in the ground, embedded in memory, or woven into the fabric of daily life, the unseen has a profound impact on what we believe and how we act.
Come discover how looking closer—and looking differently—can transform what we think we know about the world and our place within it.
Refreshments & cocktails from 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery will be provided.
$15 – General Admission
$10 – Discounted Tickets for Students and Educators
Purchase Tickets!
Thank you to our community partners Nevada Humanities & Atomic Museum
and our beverage sponsor 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery.

STEM Education Program's Truckee River Watershed: Water Quality and Groundwater Training
2026-05-27 17:00 - 18:30 | Virtual
In partnership with the Truckee Meadows Water Authority, the Desert Research Institute STEM Education Program has created four virtual lessons! These virtual resources are flexible to allow for either self-directed student learning and exploration (flipped classroom) or teacher-directed instruction. This professional development training will lead educators through the online resources and allow educators to discuss how these resources could best be implemented in their classrooms.
Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Time: 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Location: Virtual
This training is open to K-12 formal and informal educators. Educators who attend the session will be eligible for up to 1.5 Continuing Education hours.
Click here to register: https://forms.gle/ZiM6cVC4J8qg9AMSA

From Curiosity to Creation – Artown Reno: Listen, Learn, Create
2026-07-15 17:30 - 20:00 | DRI, Reno Campus, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV, 89512, United States
Join us for DRI’s third Artown event: From Curiosity to Creation: Listen, Learn, Create, an immersive, hands-on event where curiosity becomes your compass. Explore with DRI researchers who are your guides for discovery—experiment with scientific tools, dive into STEM and N Robotics activities, and let those moments of wonder spark your own artwork. Through art materials and playful tinkering, you’ll transform what you learn into creations uniquely your own. Come ready to explore, make, and imagine alongside a community of fellow curiosity-seekers.
Refreshments & cocktails from 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery will be provided.
$15 – General Admission
$10 – Discounted Tickets for Students and Educators
Purchase Tickets!
Thank you to our community partners Nevada Humanities & Atomic Museum
and our beverage sponsor 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery.

From Curiosity to Creation – Las Vegas: Listen, Learn, Create
2026-09-16 17:30 - 20:00 | DRI, Las Vegas Campus, 755 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV, 89119, United States
Join us for From Curiosity to Creation: Listen, Learn, Create, an immersive, hands-on event where curiosity becomes your compass. Explore with DRI researchers who are your guides for discovery—experiment with scientific tools, dive into STEM and Nevada Robotics activities, and let those moments of wonder spark your own artwork. Through art materials and playful tinkering, you’ll transform what you learn into creations uniquely your own. Come ready to explore, make, and imagine alongside a community of fellow curiosity-seekers.
Refreshments & cocktails from 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery will be provided.
Arrive early and take time to explore the Atomic Museum. Curiosity Lab attendees receive free access to the exhibits from 5:00–6:30 p.m.
$15 – General Admission
$10 – Discounted Tickets for Students and Educators
Purchase Tickets!
Thank you to our community partners Nevada Humanities & Atomic Museum
and our beverage sponsor 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery.

Reading the Burn: Stories of Distance, Discovery, and Aftermath
2026-10-14 18:30 - 20:00 | DRI, Reno Campus, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV, 89512, United States
Join us for an evening that examines what destruction leaves behind—both visible and hidden, offering new insights into how landscapes transform long after the flames are gone. Complementing this scientific perspective, storytellers from the arts and humanities will share reflections on loss, renewal, and the unexpected forms of resilience that emerge from destruction. Together, these voices invite you to look more closely at the marks left by fire—and the stories they ignite.
Refreshments & cocktails from 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery will be provided.
$15 – General Admission
$10 – Discounted Tickets for Students and Educators
Purchase Tickets!
Thank you to our community partners Nevada Humanities & Atomic Museum
and our beverage sponsor 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery.

Vanishing Point: Stories of Depths, Disappearance, and Ghosts Beneath the Surface
2026-10-28 18:30 - 20:00 | DRI, Las Vegas Campus, 755 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV, 89119, United States
Join us for an evening steeped in mystery and shadow as we explore the stories that linger where certainty fades. This event invites you into the realm of unsolved puzzles, elusive evidence, and the echoes of lives that slipped beneath the surface.
Woven alongside this scientific investigation, storytellers will share tales of forgotten histories, spectral memories, and the thin veil between what we know and what we can only imagine. Held near Halloween, Vanishing Point invites you to sit with the uncanny—where disappearances raise questions, remnants whisper back, and the past flickers like a ghost just out of view.
Refreshments & cocktails from 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery will be provided.
Arrive early and take time to explore the Atomic Museum. Curiosity Lab attendees receive free access to the exhibits from 5:00–6:30 p.m.
$15 – General Admission
$10 – Discounted Tickets for Students and Educators
Purchase Tickets!
Thank you to our community partners Nevada Humanities & Atomic Museum
and our beverage sponsor 10 Torr Distillery and Brewery.
