Spots Still Available for 2016 Summer Gateway Academies in the AV!

Spots are still open for **free** week-long Summer Gateway Academies at Lancaster High School 11-15 July 2016 and Knight High/Knight Prep 25-29 July 2016.  These day-camp events will provide 6th-8th graders exposure to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities in hands-on formats.

To register your student (first-come, first-served), visit Summer Gateway Academy 2016 Registration.  For more information, contact Duane Robertson regarding the Lancaster camp at 661.726.7649 or drobertson@avhsd.org, or James Stockdale regarding the Knight camp at 661.533.9000 or jstockdale@avhsd.org .

Journey to Mars Workshop for Teachers at the AERO Institute 4/6/16

Final days to register:

Are you ready to go on a Journey to Mars? Join NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center Office of Education for an educator professional development workshop on Being Mobile on Mars. Through hands-on experiments and physical demonstrations, educators will learn how to design and construct a rover for Mars using the Beginning Engineering Science & Technology (BEST) curriculum and the Engineering Design Process. Engage in hands-on, standards-aligned mathematics, science and engineering activities as you construct a rover, predict its performance and its chance of mission success, and test drive the rover. Learn about real world connections with NASA research and our Journey to Mars.

 Target Audience: K-12 Formal and Informal Educators

 When: Wednesday, April 6, 2016, 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Location: NASA Armstrong Educator Resource Center at the AERO Institute, 38256 N. Sierra Hwy., Palmdale, CA 93550

Register Online: http://goo.gl/forms/SIlPY87fPi

 Questions? Call Sondra Geddes 661-276-2359 or email at sondra.l.geddes@nasa.gov

 There is no charge for the workshop. Free NASA educational materials will be provided. Seats are limited, and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. All participants must be 18 years old or older.

Happy Pi Day!

3.14159265

STEM Conference for Girls 5/14/16 - Back by Popular Demand!

Due to the outstanding response to the March event, the Antelope Valley Union High School District and Antelope Valley College will co-sponsor a second session of the STEM Conference for Girls on Saturday, 14 May 2016, from 9:00am-3:00pm, at the Lancaster University Center (Division St. and Avenue I).  The FREE event is open to 100 young ladies in grades 6-12, who will participate in hands-on workshops, and hear from industry and young professionals.  Pre-registration is required; a box lunch is provided.  There is also a strand available for a limited number of parents. 

To register and get further information, visit:  STEM Conference for Girls 2016 .

Happy Engineering Week!

Wishing everyone a Happy Engineering Week!  Lots of activities are available online for those interested; here are just a few:

• Change the Equation:  Change the Equation E-Week
• Lockheed Martin and Girls, Inc. Girl Day Twitter Chat on 25 February at 2pm Pacific - follow at #GirlDayChat
• DiscoverE DiscoverE Engineering Week

Thank an engineer today!

Free Teacher Energy Workshop Offered 3/3/16 in Victorville

Join MEEC for a FREE workshop about energy!  Share in the fun of learning about the basics of energy production while touring the High Desert Power Project as part of "Energy - Watts Up!"

Did you know that energy exists in several forms such as heat, kinetic or mechanical energy, light, potential energy, electrical, and other forms? Participants of this workshop will learn first-hand from a High Desert Power Project Engineer how the different states of energy are converted into the power that we use in our everyday lives.

Each educator will receive  Project Learning Tree’s “Energy & Society” Program kit  (a $45 value) designed to help students develop critical thinking skills to make decisions about their personal energy use.  In addition to hands-on activities, the kit integrates music and dance to enhance the study of energy and correlates with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

WHEN:  Thursday, March 3,  2016

RSVP by February 25, 2016

TIME:  4:00PM-6:00PM

(registration begins at 3:45PM)

WHERE: High Desert Power Project

19000 Perimeter Rd, Victorville (located at the Southern Calif. Logistics Airport)

Space for this workshop is limited to the first 20 teachers who sign up so reserve your spot today!   To register: Contact Samantha Murray, MEEC Program Specialist at: (760) 245-1661 x 6717 or email at: smurray@mdaqmd.ca.gov

Key Issues Training for Teachers in June or July 2016; Scholarship Applications due by 3/30/16

The Mojave Environmental Education Consortium is proud to announce an exciting opportunity for Grade K-12 teachers to earn a full scholarship to attend The Key Issues Institute, a one-of-a-kind professional development workshop in Keystone, Colorado which integrates STEM, environmental education and experiential techniques this summer!

This once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunity is made possible by the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District, Boeing, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics-Palmdale, the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts and MEEC.  In 2016, three Antelope Valley teachers and two teachers from the San Bernardino County High Desert or Riverside County’s Blythe region will be chosen to partake in the Keystone Science School’s interdisciplinary five-day STEM workshop, which equips educators with the skills and confidence to explore local and global environmental issues with their students. Best of all, Key Issues is aligned to national education standards, including Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards!

Using Colorado’s spectacular ecosystems as its setting, Key Issues combines classroom time with outdoor exploration of the natural environment.  Lessons include lab testing, outdoor water testing and indoor lecture periods. In addition to enjoying professional networking opportunities with teachers from across the country, each participant receives a customized Lab-Aids kit to take back to his/her classroom.  Airfare, training, lodging and meals are included as part of the scholarship recipient’s award and participants may select to attend one of two sessions held between June 21 and July 24, 2016.

You are invited to apply for one of the five Key Issues scholarships available this year to local K-12 teachers.  You can apply by clicking on the following link:   https://form.jotform.com/52775101586963

The deadline for submitting application packages is Wednesday, March 30, 2016.  When completing your application package, please select “MEEC-Mojave Ed. Consortium” as your Sponsor, in order to be considered for one of MEEC’s five scholarships.  Only electronic applications will be accepted-no hard copies please.

For more information please visit MEEC's website www.meeconline.com or contact MEEC Executive Board Chair Violette Roberts at (760) 245-1661, ext. 6104, or via e-mail at vroberts@mdaqmd.ca.gov.

- See more at: http://meeconline.com/scholarships/2016-key-issues-institute-teacher-scholarships/#sthash.oDoK6BM4.dpuf

Range and Natural Resources Camp in June 2016; Scholarships Available

The 32nd Annual Range and Natural Resources Camp will be taking place June 19-24, 2016 at the beautiful Elkus Youth Ranch in Half Moon Bay, California. The camp offers students between the ages of 15-18 the opportunity to work with peers from throughout the state and is designed to offer an appreciation of the extent, importance and value of California’s rangelands and natural resources. Range Camp fosters an appreciation for several fields of applied science and management through interaction with university faculty and experienced professionals in classroom and field activities.

Students will address the importance of such topics as plant identification, livestock production, wildlife management, forestry, fire ecology, geology, soils, water resources, rangeland ecosystems, technologies used in natural resource science and management.

At the end of the week, students will be evaluated on their understanding of the materials, with the top two scoring campers being awarded an all-expense-paid trip to represent California and the Pacific Islands at The Society for Range Management’s High School Youth Forum (HSYF) held in conjunction with its national science meeting in St. George, Utah, from January 29-February 2, 2016. The third highest scoring camper will be invited to attend as well, but will need to find other means of paying for the trip. (Delegates must still be in high school through Feb 2017.)

MEEC is offering four student scholarships that will be awarded to attend Range Camp this summer. Scholarships include tuition ($450) and roundtrip airfare up to $350 per person. To apply, students must be enrolled in a school located within the MEEC boundaries of San Bernardino County’s High Desert Region, the Antelope Valley or Riverside County’s Blythe Region and be age 15-18 by the start date of camp. The deadline for application submission to MEEC is April 21, 2016 at 5:00 PM.

APPLICATION, PHOTO RELEASE AND COMMITMENT FORM MUST BE SUBMITTED TO MEEC IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP.  ANY APPLICATIONS DIRECTLY SUBMITTED TO RANGE CAMP CANNOT BE GUARANTEED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP.

 Please mail application to:  MEEC, 14306 Park Ave, Victorville, CA 92392.  Applications may also be faxed to 760-241-6271

For more information please contact MEEC Program Specialist Samantha Murray at (760) 245-1661 ext. 6717 or via email at smurray@mdaqmd.ca.gov.

- See more at: http://meeconline.com/scholarships/2016-student-range-camp-scholarships-now-available/#sthash.LBmJPeNL.dpuf

Solar Oven Challenge Registration Now Open Until 4/30/16

MEEC is pleased to announce the 4th Annual “Solar Cook-Off Challenge!” which will be held on 14 May 2016.

This event provides students in grades 4-12 the perfect opportunity to utilize their STEM and critical thinking skills working as a team to design, build, and create a solar cooker and winning recipe.

This year, through an ongoing partnership with San Bernardino County First District Supervisor, MEEC will be hosting the event at the Victor Valley Museum located in Apple Valley. With this new prominent public location, MEEC is anticipating an increased number of registered teams and a large number of the general public on hand to enjoy the event and learn more about solar and solar cooking. A large shade tent, tables, and chairs will be provided for the teams. Lunch, snacks and event T-Shirts will also be provided for all participants in the event. Family and friends are welcome to attend the event but will not be allowed in the competition areas or eligible for meals. There are many fast food and restaurants in the immediate area that they are welcome to visit. MEEC also encourages visitors to tour the newly remodeled Victor Valley Museum. Students and advisors will be admitted for free. 

At the Solar Oven challenge, teams will demonstrate the performance of their solar cookers by creating an original dish(es) of food for the challenge. Three awards will be given in each age division for the BEST OVEN DESIGN and TOP RECIPES. Grade Divisions are: 4-6; 7-9; and 10-12.

Awards are:

Construction: 1st: $250 2nd: $150; 3rd: $75

Recipe: 1st: $200 2nd: $100; 3rd: $50

A total of $2,475 in Prizes will be awarded!!!! We are looking forward to a huge event this year!

This is one sizzling hot event that you don’t want your students to miss out on!  Applications are available for download at: http://meeconline.com/solar-oven-cook-off/.  The deadline to register is 30 April 2016.

For more information on this event, please contact event coordinator Christie Robinson at (760) 245-1661 ext. 6101 or email at christier@mdaqmd.ca.gov 

"Beyond Reasonable" Drought Workshop for Teachers 3/8/16

 Liberty Utilities is proud to present “Beyond Reasonable Drought” a FREE K-12 Teacher Workshop focusing on the California drought and water conservation!!!!!
 
What do you think when you hear the word “drought?”  Do you think “dry,” “hot,” “dusty,”    “cracked earth,” or even “no water”?  If so, you’re on the right track!

When a place is in a drought, it is arid and often dusty; cracks may appear in the soil, and rivers, lakes, streams, and other sources of water can go dry. A drought means that a region has less precipitation (rain or snow) than normal over a few months, years or even longer.

What causes a drought? How does it really affect us? How can we prepare for drought? These are all important questions that will be answered during this two hour workshop which will explore ways to teach students about California’s drought and help you incorporate hands-on water conservation activities into your classroom lessons.

Learn how to construct an edible aquifer and conduct simple water audits in addition to receiving standards-based materials ALL FOR FREE!!

WHEN: Tuesday, March 8, 2016

TIME: 4:30-6:30 PM

Registration begins at 4:15 PM

WHERE: Mojave Desert AQMD Offices

14306 Park Ave, Victorville, CA 92392

RSVP by March 1, 2016

Seating in limited to 25 teachers, so early registration is recommended. 

To register, contact MEEC Program Specialist Samantha Murray at smurray@mdaqmd.ca.gov or 760-245-1661 ext. 6717

 - See more at: http://meeconline.com/teacher%20workshop/beyond-reasonable-drought-k-12-teacher-workshop/#sthash.zX2IAjHh.dpuf