*All students and accompanying adults must register in advance in order to attend madiSTEM. The information below describes the registration process for large groups (7-20 students).

The madiSTEM conference will be holding a separate registration process for large groups of students from a single organization. We hope that holding space for larger groups helps underserved populations and supports families that do not have the resources to enroll and provide their own transportation. The large group application process is available to groups of 7-20 students in grades 6-8 that operate as a part of a Virginia public school or official, recognized community agency. Please contact us at madistem@jmu.edu if you are unsure whether your group qualifies for this application process. There will be a limit of ONE group application per organization.

Registration for Students in Grades 6-8 (Large Groups): Four Required Steps

Step 1: Submit a large group application. (January 23rd - February 4th)

Large group applications must be submitted using the online application form linked at the bottom of this section. The deadline for submission of applications for large groups is Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 9:00 pm. Individual student names do not need to be submitted at this time but will be required within approximately one week of receiving an acceptance notification from madistem@jmu.edu.

Submitting an application through the large group application process does NOT guarantee acceptance for your group in the conference.  Groups that are accepted will have to complete additional steps to finish their conference registrations and secure their spots.  Groups that are not accepted as large groups may enter their students using the standard pre-registration form as individuals or multiple smaller groups of 2-6 students if desired.  The person who submits the large group application will serve as the contact person for the entire group regarding acceptance decisions and instructions. This person will be responsible for making sure that all group members complete all remaining registration steps if the group is accepted.

We hope to be able to accept all groups who fill out the application. However, we want to make sure that the majority of our spots are open to individuals and small groups. If we are not able to accept all groups, we will evaluate all large group applications using a selection process developed by the madiSTEM co-directors. Selection criteria include: 1) lack of year-round access to available resources to involve students in STEM; 2) distance from JMU or another university that impedes a group’s availability for attending programs for enrichment in STEM; 3) commitment to provide transportation to/from the event. This information will be requested in the application form.

Acceptance notifications will be sent via email to the contact person for the group by February 10, 2025. Groups that are accepted will need to confirm their attendance and submit individual student names and additional student information by 9 pm on February 17, 2025.

 
Link to Large Group Application form
 

Step 2: Confirm your group's attendance and submit information about the students in your group. (February 10th - February 17th)

Accepted large groups will be emailed instructions to confirm their attendance and submit the following information for each student in their group: First name, last name, school name, home or school zip code, student's grade, and whether the student has attended madiSTEM before. This information will have to be submitted for all students in the group at the same time. Information about how to submit this will be sent in the acceptance email. Failure to complete this step by 9 pm on February 17 will forfeit your group's acceptance to madiSTEM.

Step 3: Finish each student's online registration by submitting the Online Registration Form by the deadline in the instruction email sent to the group leader. (Starts February 24th)

Group leaders of accepted groups that have confirmed their group's attendance by the listed deadline will be emailed instructions for having each member of their group complete the online registration form for madiSTEM.  This step is required to secure each student's spot.  Failure to complete the online registration form by the deadline listed in the emailed instructions will forfeit a student's spot at madiSTEM, and this spot will be offered to a student on the waiting list. Completing the online registration form is an individual process for each student. The form will ask for additional contact information, lunch preferences, t-shirt sizes, and the student’s top 4 workshop tracks. It is very important that each student makes their workshop selections individually based on their interests. The specific workshops fill on a first-come, first-served basis, so it’s possible that some of the choices will be not be available when a student completes their registration.  Please have backup choices planned and try to complete each student's registration as soon as possible for the widest selection of workshop choices.

The online registration process will also include completion of student release forms, which must be completed by a parent/guardian. This part of the registration must be completed in order to finish the registration process. (Note that in previous years, forms were allowed to be turned in on the day of the conference, but now these must be completed during the online registration process.)

During registration period, reminder emails will be sent to group leaders with names of students who have not yet completed their registration.

2025 madiSTEM Registration Timeline (Large Groups)

Registration for Adults Accompanying a Student to madiSTEM

Parents, teachers, or group leaders may attend madiSTEM with a registered student. Adults attending the conference have the option of either staying with one specific student all day or participating in the adult workshops. Other parents/teachers who do not want to stay with one student throughout the day or attend the adult workshops are strongly encouraged to explore alternate locations at JMU or in Harrisonburg instead of staying in the building. Adults unfamiliar with the area can stop by the info desk on the day of the conference if suggestions for places to go are needed.

Any adults who plan to stay at madiSTEM with their student(s) need to register for the conference after their student has finished both phases of online registration (not during the pre-registration phase). The emailed instructions for accepted students will include information for how to register as an adult accompanying accepted students, including information about completing adult release forms.

How to Cancel Your Registration or Pre-registration If You Can No Longer Attend

If you discover after registering/pre-registering that you can no longer attend madiSTEM, it is extremely important that you cancel your registration/pre-registration by emailing madistem@jmu.edu as soon as possible. No-shows waste our limited financial resources and take spaces in workshops that could be filled with other interested participants.  By canceling your registration if you cannot attend, you help us to accommodate more students and keep madiSTEM free for all participants.