Knight High School Students to Participate in UAV Outback Challenge

Six students from Palmdale's Knight High School Digital Design & Engineering Academy have been selected to participate in the UAV Outback Challenge in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia in late September of 2014.  The students, 3 male and 3 female, will comprise two teams of students whose unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will be required to search a zone of at least 2 nautical miles x 2 nautical miles around an aerodrome without flying outside the area's borders.  Using GPS technology, they are to locate "Outback Joe," a mannequin, and report its location to judges.  If the location is accurate within certain specifications, the UAV is then tasked to drop a "rescue packet" to Joe and recover at the aerodrome.  UAV Outback Challenge - Search and Rescue .

KHS Students with Quadcopter

KHS Student Practices Flying Quadcopter

The students and chaperones are seeking donations to help offset the expenses of their trip to Australia (approximately $2,500 US per person).  If you would like to donate, please contact James Stockdale at Knight High School, jstockdale@avhsd.org .
 

Mars Day Activities Slated for 7/19/14 at Columbia Space Center in Downey

The Mars Society Los Angeles is hosting a "Mars Day 2014" commemoration at the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey on Saturday, 19 July 2014, from 10:30am to 4:30pm PDT.  There will be fun activities for all ages to commemorate the landing of the Viking 1 spacecraft on Mars in July 1976.  They include (subject to change): Choose a Landing Site; Design a Rover; Mars Colony; Mission to the Red Planet; Rover Challenge; Voyage to Mars (ages 12+ pre-registration required); and a keynote address by Dr. John Callas, Mars Rover program.  There is a fee of $5 to enter the Space Center (located at 12400 Columbia Way, Downey), but no additional charge to participate in activities.  For additional information and registration links, visit Mars Society LA - Mars Day 2014 .

AVC Offers Fast Track Developmental Math Advancement Sessions in July and August

Antelope Valley College will be offering two sessions of "Fast Track Developmental Math Advancement"  on Mondays through Thursdays from 28 July through 14 August 2014; the first session will be from 8:00am to noon, and the second from 1:00-5:00pm PDT in ME-100 at the Lancaster campus.  Students will to participate in the computer-based learning curriculum, complete in three weeks rather than a semester (or continue into fall, if needed), avoid having to crash full  sections of MATH 065, 070, or 102, and have access to tutors and other support personnel.  For more information and to access the link to register, visit Fast Track Developmental Math Advancement Sessions - Hot News, or contact Prof. Tooraj Gordi at tgordi@avc.edu. 

AV Tech Trek Camper Welcome Home Gathering

The AV Chapter of  the AAUW will welcome home local middle school young ladies who participated in the summer Tech Trek camp program at California universities.  On 23 August 2014, from 9:30-11:00am, at the Palmdale School District boardroom, each of the STEM campers will make a brief presentation about their experience, and the $1,000 AAUW high school scholarship winner will make a presentation to the group.  The event is open to the public.  For further information, contact Connie Harney at connie.harney@verizon.net .  For more information about AV AAUW and Tech Trek, visit Antelope Valley AAUW .  

Nominations for the 2015 year will be due in December.