CSU Spur virtual programs aim to connect Colorado students to the CSU Spur campus in Denver! No matter where you are in the state, CSU Spur brings the excitement of food, water, and animal and human health directly to your classroom. Our dynamic virtual programs, livestreams, and pre-recorded sessions allow students to engage with scientists, researchers, veterinary experts, and faculty without ever leaving their seats.
CSU Spur virtual programs are free and accessible to all education groups. Detailed instructions for booking and connecting to virtual programs are below.
Reach out to [email protected] with questions.
IN PERSON PROGRAMMING
If you’re interested in bringing a school or group to the CSU Spur campus or utilizing the virtual reality classroom on-site, visit the school programs page.
Virtual programs
Bring Spur’s on-site experiences into your classroom with virtual programs! A CSU Spur educator will connect with your classroom on a pre-confirmed day to run the program. Virtual programs run approximately 40 minutes in length.
- Request a virtual program at the links below.
- A confirmation email will be sent to the email included on the form with program-specific materials and Zoom information. Your program is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation email.
Water is all around us, from when we wake up to when we go to sleep! In the virtual Water Foodprint program, students will examine their own water use and build “meals” while considering and analyzing their environmental impact.
Explore the soil around you! In Soil Scavenger Hunt, students will collect and analyze soil samples in their area and draw conclusions about the environment. Students will use scientific tools such as a soil triangle and dichotomous key to analyze the texture and composition of different soil samples, as well as analyze the soil use of the areas around them.
Livestreams
Livestream programming utilizes Zoom. To access, you will be sent a Zoom meeting invite upon registering for the program.
Register for a livestream using the links below.
Experience LIVE surgery with Humane Colorado! Tune in for a look at soft tissue and dental surgeries, broadcast directly from the Humane Colorado surgery suite at CSU Spur. This livestream will include views of soft tissue surgery, dental procedures, and our cat enrichment room! Don’t miss your chance to witness veterinary procedures up close. An activity guide will be provided to help students learn more about veterinary careers.
Register for veterinary surgery livestreams.
Disclaimer: Humane Colorado at CSU Spur operates as an urgent care center. Because of this, specific surgeries are not guaranteed for each broadcast. This video showcases soft tissue surgery; it will contain blood.
Behind-the-scenes (pre-recorded)
Spur’s behind-the-scenes series contains pre-recorded programming designed for classroom use. These videos are free to access and viewable on all devices, and are intended to be facilitated by a classroom teacher, making it easy to guide students through content and discussion. Participants will receive a video link and a student activity to be completed at your school!
Register for a behind-the-scenes pre-recorded program using the links below.
In this 30-minute video, follow a female dog’s journey from check-in to heading home happy, healthy, and healing. Watch our skilled team at Humane Colorado perform a full spay procedure while sharing their personal stories and career paths in veterinary care. It’s an up-close, educational look at the work that helps keep our pets safe and our communities healthier.
Register for CSU Spur behind-the-scenes.
Disclaimer: This video showcases surgery through Humane Colorado and will contain blood.
Interested in more virtual programming?
Check out these CSU Spur and partner programs!
KAREN SCHLATTER
Director, Colorado Water Center
Karen Schlatter was appointed director of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University in 2025, after joining the Center as associate director in 2023. Schlatter brings academic, nonprofit, and public sector experience in managing complex water challenges with a deep commitment to building partnerships and the ability to engage in conversations across Colorado’s water community. She joined CSU from the University of Florida Water Institute where her work included facilitating multi-stakeholder/academic teams to achieve shared goals around water management through collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Prior to her role at UF, she served as associate director of the Colorado River Delta Program at the Sonoran Institute, where she focused on building cross-sector and international partnerships to support large-scale ecological restoration, effective binational water management, and community engagement in the Colorado River Delta region. Schlatter earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from McGill University and a Master of Science in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She served as an agricultural extension volunteer in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.
TOM VILSACK
Chief Executive Officer, World Food Prize Foundation
Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, will become the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack will focus on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.
In 1998, he became the first Democrat to be elected as the Governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. During his two terms as Governor, he created an $800 million, 10-year economic development incentive program—the Iowa Values Fund. His administration worked with schools, medical providers, businesses, faith-based organizations and other entities to expand healthcare coverage to more than 90,000 previously uninsured children.
He became the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025, respectively. Only five people in U.S. history have served in the Cabinet longer, and during his tenures, the United States Department of Agriculture set records for U.S. agricultural exports and provided food assistance to millions of Americans. He helped expand food and nutrition access through summer feeding programs for children and additional support for fruit and vegetable purchases through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. As Secretary, he worked to develop new and superior markets for small and mid-sized farms, allowing those operations to remain viable and in turn, strengthening and growing rural communities.
Governor Vilsack has long been connected to the World Food Prize Foundation, having served on both the Council of Advisors and the Board of Directors. His insights and acumen were vital in shaping our mission and initiatives. His leadership and experience will be instrumental in expanding the Foundation’s international reach and continuing the mission of elevating innovations and inspiring action to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability of food for all.
It’s our anniversary!
It’s our anniversary! CSU Spur has been fully open to the public, sharing hands-on, family-friendly activities around food, water, and health for two years. Join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, for 2nd Saturday activities, including desserts, a mariachi performance, face painters, horses on treadmills, veterinarians in surgery, scientists in labs, and more. The celebration is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and CSU Spur will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; no registration required, all public activities are free.
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is presented by Canvas Credit Union.
We’ll see you Saturday!
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (May 9), and this month, the theme is Spur in Bloom. Join us for flower-themed arts and crafts, horse demonstrations, interactive activities focused on topics like sustainability and gardening, the return of the Market at the Center, and more!