Grandparents University®

Immerse yourself in the world of AI. Learn its key concepts and gain firsthand experience with cutting-edge AI applications for image recognition, chatbots, machine learning, and more. Exercise your creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills, as we’ll build a small AI program. 

Activity Level: Low

Learn about the legacy of renowned author Beatrix Potter. She shaped children’s literature and also worked as a landscape and natural history artist, diarist, farmer, and conservationist. We will explore the history behind The Tale of Peter Rabbit and examine its role in popular culture and children’s literature. We also will show you several rare copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit from the University of Iowa Special Collections and Archives and the instructor’s personal collection. These versions include a 1901 privately printed copy as well as modern-day books and merchandise that have accompanied recent films based on the story.

Activity Level: Low

Urban and regional planning affects us all. Find out how it impacts your daily life, and what it can accomplish to improve your life. Learn about the field of urban and regional planning, build your own community, and reflect on how the community you built compares to your current community.

Activity Level: Low

Comics have existed for decades, and they're only growing in popularity. Discover how comics have developed over the years and why they're so useful for learning and fun to read! You’ll also create your own comic and share it with the group.

Activity Level: Low

Gain an insider’s view on how digital forensics assists in criminal investigations and how you can stay safe online, avoid scams, and recognize legitimate web addresses. You’ll also follow clues in a digital treasure hunt to determine whether a crime has been committed. 

Activity Level: Low

Explore what causes earthquakes and the impact they have on buildings. Design and build an earthquake-resistant structure, and learn how to improve your design by using the engineering cycle.

Activity Level: Moderate

Learn the art and science of bird banding at the Macbride Nature Recreation Area. We’ll teach you about the equipment and data collection methods related to this unique activity. We will then attempt to capture, record, band, and release local songbirds.

Activity Level: Moderate

Meet the raptors indigenous to the state of Iowa, including hawks, falcons, eagles, vultures, and owls. Our raptor ambassadors will provide up-close experiences with birds on their glove inside the Raptor Center at Macbride Nature Recreation Area.

Activity Level: Moderate

Put on your surgical gear and join our rally race to earn points for your team! During this hands-on learning experience, you will don personal protective equipment and enter our operating room in teams to perform simulated surgical procedures. Teams will earn points for how quickly they can successfully complete the medical procedure, and the team with the most points wins. 

Activity Level: Moderate

Simulated patients play a pivotal role in the education of medical students. Participate in two experiential learning opportunities, interviewing a simulated patient and learning physical exam skills from one of our physical exam teaching associates (PETAs).

Activity Level: Moderate

Get a behind-the-scenes look at a few special places inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena and meet a surprise guest or two! We’ll walk and stand for periods of time; parts of Carver-Hawkeye Arena are not air-conditioned and can be hot during the summer.

Activity Level: High

See a few exclusive spaces at the iconic Kinnick Stadium! We’ll walk and stand for periods of time; parts of Kinnick Stadium are not air-conditioned and can be hot during the summer.

Activity Level: High

Explore this unique space where University of Iowa faculty, staff, and students come together for sports, research, and discovery! Take a guided sensory tour of the prairie, hunt for hidden treasures, zoom in on wildlife using magnifying glasses and microscopes, and learn about the fascinating research taking place at the prairie. Wrap up the fun by capturing your favorite moments and observations in a nature journal. This hands-on experience is packed with exploration, discovery, and a deeper connection to the wonders of the natural world!

Activity Level: High

Urban and regional planning affects us all. Find out how it impacts your daily life, and what it can accomplish to improve your life. Learn about the field of urban and regional planning, build your own community, and reflect on how the community you built compares to your current community.

Activity Level: Low

Comics have existed for decades, and they're only growing in popularity. Discover how comics have developed over the years and why they're so useful for learning and fun to read! You’ll also create your own comic and share it with the group.

Activity Level: Low

Take an unforgettable journey through the infinite possibilities of virtual reality (VR) using a Meta Quest headset. In this immersive experience, you'll travel to breathtaking destinations like the International Space Station and engage in interactive activities such as a VR art studio. Our expert guides will ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for all.

Activity Level: Moderate

Sing popular songs from the 1970s as well as a few hits from today's most prominent performing artists. You’ll also learn songs to sing with your partner and make a recording.

Activity Level: Low

“I’ve spent my whole life trying to put it into words,” Taylor Swift sings in her Grammy Award winning album, 1989. Explore just how Swift has “put it into words” through an examination of poetic techniques and common motifs in the singer-songwriter’s catalogue. We’ll also analyze and experience Swift fandom through embodied practices such as the creation of friendship bracelets.

Activity Level: Low

Dive into how technology affects us from childhood to adulthood and beyond. Explore how tech shapes our learning, work, health, and daily lives at every stage. You'll participate in an app activity to discover the perks and challenges of tech in our lives, and you'll learn how to use technology to make life better for people of all ages.

Activity Level: Low

Try your hand at creating simple woven structures using strips of paper. Learn basic weaving techniques through an interactive demo on a table-top loom and by viewing and discussing woven works at the UI Stanley Museum of Art’s galleries.

Activity Level: Moderate

Learn the art and science of bird banding at the Macbride Nature Recreation Area. We’ll teach you about the equipment and data collection methods related to this unique activity. We will then attempt to capture, record, band, and release local songbirds.

Activity Level: Moderate

Meet the raptors indigenous to the state of Iowa, including hawks, falcons, eagles, vultures, and owls. Our raptor ambassadors will provide up-close experiences with birds on their glove inside the Raptor Center at Macbride Nature Recreation Area.

Put on your surgical gear and join our rally race to earn points for your team! During this hands-on learning experience, you will don personal protective equipment and enter our operating room in teams to perform simulated surgical procedures. Teams will earn points for how quickly they can successfully complete the medical procedure, and the team with the most points wins. 

Simulated patients play a pivotal role in the education of medical students. Participate in two experiential learning opportunities, interviewing a simulated patient and learning physical exam skills from one of our physical exam teaching associates (PETAs).

Get a behind-the-scenes look at a few special places inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena and meet a surprise guest or two! We’ll walk and stand for periods of time; parts of Carver-Hawkeye Arena are not air-conditioned and can be hot during the summer.

See a few exclusive spaces at the iconic Kinnick Stadium! We’ll walk and stand for periods of time; parts of Kinnick Stadium are not air-conditioned and can be hot during the summer.

After exploring Ashton Prairie Living Lab, we’ll head back to main campus where you’ll visit a variety of stations filled with hands-on activities that bring prairie topics to life. Make your own nature-inspired creation or further your learning through interactive games.

Cooking and sharing meals are important human experiences and wonderful opportunities to create fond memories. You’ll get to do just that in this hands-on experience. Try your hand at various recipes and learn about the importance of food and being present at meals. 

Activity Level: Moderate

Discover how to think like an engineer to understand the causes of flooding and the ways we can reduce its impact. Iowa Flood Center staff will lead hands-on learning activities, including an engineering challenge and watershed model demonstration that shows how land use changes impact flood risk.

Activity Level: Moderate

Strengthen the connection with your grandchild by creating a memoir zine—a personal, handmade publication that combines memories, stories, and art. You will collaborate on the creation of a zine that represents your shared history, wisdom, and experiences. This hands-on experience will feature storytelling, writing, art, and design, with a focus on fun memory-sharing, and creativity.

Activity Level: Low

Learn about essential elements in music, including timbre, texture, tempo, and tonality. We’ll listen to and discuss several musical examples and the similarities and differences in each of these aspects. You’ll also create your own new piece of music using software from Chrome Music lab and incredibox.com. If time allows, you’ll share your project with the class.

Activity Level: Low

Touch farm animals and discover how they contribute to agriculture as you gain an intergenerational perspective on farming. You’ll also learn about the different types of machinery and which seasons they’re used in on a farm.  

Activity Level: Moderate

Learn the ins and outs of interviewing, its ethics, and options for recording and transcribing before you design and conduct a brief, intergenerational oral history. You’ll also learn how to write good oral history interview questions and options for next steps (sharing with family, national and local archives, publishing, research for historical context). 

Activity Level: Low

Design and build a boat that can carry as much weight as possible before overturning or capsizing. Learn what boat stability means, how engineers build boats and ships that carry heavy loads, and what characteristics are shared by boats that are stable. Your boat will be tested in a tank of water, with weight added until it eventually capsizes. Next, you’ll have a redesign period where you’ll attempt to improve on your previous design.

Activity Level: Moderate

Create a brief radio segment that will air on KRUI 89.7 FM. Experience professional radio production and leave with a recording of your radio segment. You’ll subsequently hear your creation on live radio or you can stream it if you live outside of broadcast range. 

Activity Level: Moderate

There are more than 8,000 trees on the University of Iowa campus. But do you know if that tree in front of Macbride Hall is an oak, a walnut, or none of the above? Part of the appreciation of trees is the ability to identify what’s in front of you. Learn how your brain helps you recognize trees (and other objects). We’ll practice using a dichotomous key for tree identification before heading out across campus to identify different trees and learn about important ones on campus.

Activity Level: High