Resources for educators

Field Trips

Learning beyond the classroom. Bring your students to SURF where they can experience STEM principles in action.

We offer a variety of tours, presentations, and hands-on activities for students. Let our knowledgeable team of educators work with you to design a fun and educational experience.

Please keep in mind that opportunities to visit SURF are limited.

  • Fall on-site visits in September and October.
  • Spring on-site visits in April and May.

Complete the request form or contact us at the email below to discuss details.

 

Virtual Options

Thanks to 360° video technology, and our Communications Department, we can take ANY classroom on a virtual tour of the Sanford Underground Research Facility!

  • Davis Campus 4850' (Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School)
  • Hoistroom Tour  (Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School)
  • Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour (Middle School, High School)

Many of the activities below can also take place virtually.

If you have questions, or would like to discuss field trip options, send us an email  and one of our team members will be in touch.

More Information

Contact
E and O Team
Education and Outreach team
Contact by email

Available field trips:

Early Elementary

An Introduction to Sanford Underground Research Facility

Take a peek into the daily operations of an underground research facility. How do scientists, researchers, and staff in other roles get underground? What do they wear? and What exactly do they do?
Middle School, High School

Cavern Excavation Challenge

Discover the geotechnical challenges associated with underground excavation as you, and a partner, attempt to excavate mock rock and create a cavern specifically designed to house a model detector.
Middle School, High School

Exploring the Universe Through Light

The detection of light is a very powerful tool for exploring the universe, but what happens if something does not interact with light? Learn how scientists are attempting to study dark matter.
Upper Elementary

From Au to Xe (Gold to Xenon): The Homestake Story

Explore the unfolding of significant events that paved the way for the Sanford Underground Research Facility, and discover how the transition from mining to research continues to shape the future.
Upper Elementary, Middle School

Geology of the Open Cut

Like pages in a book, the rock layers in the Open Cut tell a story about the geologic history and dynamic processes that shaped the Northern Black Hills and paved the way for underground science.
Upper Elementary

Hoist Engineering Challenge

The challenge…work with a team and use your engineering skills to design, test, and build a system that is capable of lifting a load (weight) up a pvc tube (shaft) using only the materials provided.
Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School

Hoistroom Tour

Grab your hardhats and safety glasses! This walking tour will introduce your students to the heart of the system that makes it possible to transport people, and equipment, nearly one mile underground.
Middle School, High School

Needle in a Haystack

Do you have what it takes to detect an ultra-rare event in the race to unlock the mysteries of neutrinos? Find out with this engineering design challenge based on the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR experiment.
Middle School, High School

Radiation – It’s Everywhere!

Working as scientists and engineers, students will use what they learn about a materials ability to shield against ionizing radiation to design a safeguard for a model of the LZ dark matter detector.
Upper Elementary

Seismic Signatures

Listen to seismic resonances, explore the properties of mechanical waves, and use real records from SURF tiltmeters to analyze data from an earthquake that occurred on the other side of the world.
High School

Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour

Learn more about how this unique facility operates, including: the active role of microorganisms, strategic energy and chemical use, and the role of computer automated monitoring and control systems.