We are looking forward to welcoming you to the North Alabama GEMS event taking place on February 8, 2024, at the Cook Museum of Natural Science! 

To the left, you will find the Expo Agenda.  

ARRIVAL: 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

• Sponsors ONLY report to the registration table located at the Front Entrance.  Once the sponsor has signed in, teams may enter to set up project displays.

PROJECT SHOWCASE: 9:30 - 10:15 AM

• Guests are invited to attend the Project Showcase.  All other scheduled activities are for selected GEMS Teams ONLY.

DISMISSAL: 2:10 - 2:20 PM

• Sponsors are responsible for releasing the students to a designated parent or guardian.  We expect ALL team members to participate in the scheduled activities until the end.  No early departures, PLEASE! 

Check the FAQs page for more information

This event is based on an application process.  Only teams receiving a notice of acceptance are eligible to attend. 

Sponsors are responsible for travel arrangements and monitoring students following the school/district's field trip policies and guidelines.

Jessie Zanetti has had a longstanding passion for all STEM fields since she was in elementary school. When she was eight years old, she first decided to become a physicist and work with NASA - and that's exactly what she did! 

Jessie attended Clemson University, where she studied Physics with an emphasis in Astronomy. It was there that she got her first taste of scientific research, getting involved in topics such as planetary science and atmospheric physics. After graduation, she went on to receive her Masters in Space Science from UAH, where she was particularly focused on the solar sciences. From there, she became an educator at Cook Museum of Natural Science for some time before she made the switch to her current position: Ground Systems Control, supporting the ISS at Marshall Space Flight Center.

GEMS applicants have the opportunity to submit a video to describe their project and how it will be presented. Check out their videos to see the exciting projects that will be spotlighted during the project showcase!