8,000 Teens Turn Roller Coasters Into Science Labs

What happens when you combine roller coasters, accelerometers, and thousands of curious teens? You get 38 years of pure STEM magic at Utah State University's Physics Day.

On May 15, Lagoon amusement park in Northern Utah welcomed 8,000 teenagers from across the Intermountain West for a day where thrills met science. Students built their own accelerometers to measure G-forces on the Wicked vertical launch roller coaster, designed futuristic amusement park rides, and competed in egg drop challenges.

The event drew students from throughout the region, including scholars from Stillwater Academy in South Jordan who proudly showed off their homemade measuring devices. Teams competed in the annual Physics Bowl for serious prizes, with Green Canyon High School's winning team each receiving $4,000 scholarships to Utah State.

But the real story isn't just the students learning physics. It's the more than 100 volunteers who showed up to make it happen.

"It takes a lot of dedicated people to pull off an event like this," says J.R. Dennison, a physics professor and longtime coordinator who helped found the event. These volunteers set up activities, judged competitions, coordinated prizes, and handled countless other tasks to keep 8,000 teens engaged and learning.

Many volunteers return year after year, driven by personal connections to the event. Caleb Black first attended Physics Day as a middle schooler from Murray, Utah, and the experience helped him choose to study physics at Utah State. Now a graduate student at the University of Utah, he came back to volunteer alongside his brother Micah.

"I remember how much fun I had and how the experience influenced my decision to attend Utah State," Black says. "I love returning to be involved with outreach at Physics Day, because I learn so much from the questions students ask me."

USU undergraduate Gabriel Decker volunteered for his second year, helping students measure G-forces on roller coasters. "Helping students learn about physics also helps me think about concepts from different perspectives and improves my communication skills," he says.

Reed Fuller spent his day helping teens check in for competitions and set up their amusement park ride designs. "They put a lot of thought and effort into their projects, and it's interesting to hear their insights," Fuller says. He also used the opportunity to talk with students about continuing their education at Utah State.

The Ripple Effect

This event creates waves far beyond one day at an amusement park. Volunteers like Black return because they remember being inspired as students themselves, creating a beautiful cycle of mentorship. The students asking questions push current physics majors to think differently about familiar concepts, making everyone sharper scientists.

Utah State partnered with Idaho National Laboratory to host the event, with support from numerous sponsors who donated science-themed prizes. The University's admissions office awarded $18,000 in scholarships to competition winners, investing directly in future scientists.

When volunteers show up year after year for an all-day event requiring setup, coordination, and endless patience with excited teenagers, they're not just helping run activities. They're showing 8,000 young people that science is worth celebrating, that learning can be thrilling, and that someone believes in their potential enough to spend a Saturday making physics come alive.

Thirty-eight years strong and still going, this event proves that when you combine dedicated volunteers, curious students, and a few roller coasters, you create something that transforms lives one G-force measurement at a time.