UM 2026 Volunteer with Science Rendezvous

If you are interested in volunteering for 2026, please fill out the following form. Science Rendezvous 2026 takes place at UM Fort Gary Campus on Saturday, May 9. Discover Days 2026, an invite-only version of Science Rendezvous, intended for schools only, happens April 29 and 30. We encourage you to also choose to volunteer for Discover Days when you are filling out the Science Rendezvous volunteer application.

Who can volunteer?

Science Rendezvous volunteering is open to all current UM students (regardless of faculty or program), ICM, alumni, as well as UM faculty and staff. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate volunteers from high school, the general public (unless they are with an invited organization) or other post-secondary institutions.

How to prepare

A lot happens on Science Rendezvous and Discover Days and the months leading up to them. Each volunteer role has a different goal, a unique set of tasks and trains you on various skills. We strongly recommend that you view the following handbook to learn more about volunteering with Science Rendezvous and take a peek at last year's photos.

This content is available in alternate format upon request to sciencerendezvous@umanitoba.ca.

Volunteer handbook (Web version)

Why you should apply early

Students seeking longer-term roles such as executive committee members, activity and booth captains, or show teams, are encouraged to apply early, as these roles are assigned first. If you indicate you would like to be considered for the event organizing team, a follow-up questionnaire will be sent to you in the near future.

How does volunteering with Science Rendezvous look like?

Host a booth or activity

What is the difference between a booth and an activity?

Activities are 30-minute workshops on Discover Days only. We usually have between 15 and 20 different activities. Past examples include Science of Sound, Math Mania, and Discover DNA.

Booths are part of both Discover Days and the public Science Rendezvous day. They are hands-on and give attendees a quicker look into one scientific concept. Past examples include the oobleck run, giant Plinko, and binary magic.

A look back at 2025

The 2025 theme was Wonder! Families fueled their curiosity and looked through our telescopes to view the sun. They learned more about polar bears at the “Polar Bears on Thin Ice” booth, challenged themselves to code and move a pre-built robot arm, used small solar panels to light up little lights and sound buzzers, and so much more!

  • A light brown stone on white sand.

    Sensory-friendly Quiet Space

    We have set aside a room where anyone needing a few minutes of quiet is welcome to sit and relax until they are ready to explore some more!

  • An owl looking at the camera during the prairie wildlife show.

    Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Show

    Hear about wildlife rehabilitation taking place right here in Manitoba from the Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.

  • A professor doing a chemistry experiment during science rendezvous.

    Chemistry Show

    Young and old will be captivated by the educational experiments safely performed by our chemists in residence.

  • Students presenting at the physics show.

    Physics Show

    Explore physics from a safe distance! Beds of nails, falling objects, liquid nitrogen and Tesla coils! You’ll never know what might appear next!

  • Kids using plastic spoons to catch and release a variety of aquatic invertebrates.

    Critter Dipping

    Use plastic spoons to catch and release various critters from Oak Hammock Marsh.

  • Wide shot of the planetarium show.

    Planetarium Show

    Sit back and relax as you are led on a sky tour of some of the most popular constellations and sights in the sky.

  • A person looking at the rocks in Cretaceous Menagerie.

    Cretaceous Menagerie

    Join us for a calm space to look at jaw-dropping rocks and fossils!

  • A kid having fun at the oobleck run and smiling at everyone.

    Oobleck Run

    Run fast over our popular oobleck (cornstarch and water) pool and don’t stop, or you will sink (up to your ankles)!

2025 Participating Faculties

2025 Community organizations

Contact us