MEEC Solar Oven Cook-Off Challenge Registration Deadline 4/30/15

MEEC is hosting the third annual Solar Oven Cook-Off Challenge for High Desert students in grades 4-12.  The competition will be held on Saturday, 16 May 2015, from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley.  The deadline to register for this yummy event is 5:00pm on 30 April 2015.  Teams of 2-5 students work together to design and build solar cookers, and demonstrate their performance by creating an original dish of food to be judged.  Three awards are given in each age division (grades 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12) for construction and for the recipe. 

Team registration forms, rules and guidelines are available at MEEC.  For further information, contact Christie Robinson at christier@mdaqmd.ca.gov or call 760.245.1661 x 6101.

MEEC and Lockheed to Host Environmental Education Curriculum Workshop in Palmdale 4/28/15

FREE teacher workshop introducing the California “Education and the Environment Initiative” Curriculum developed by CalRecycle’s Office of Education & the Environment. This professional development workshop will provide participants with an overview of this dynamic standards-based curriculum designed to increase academic learning and benefit students and the community.

 

Attendees of this workshop will receive hands-on training in the EEI Curriculum designed to prepare educators to:

· Cultivate students' understanding of their relationship with the environment.

· Prepare students to be critical thinkers and 21st century problem solvers.

· Teach science standards to mastery and support California Common Core Standards and Next Generation Science Standards for grades K-12 

In addition, all attendees will qualify to receive a FREE EEI Curriculum unit of their choice for   their classroom.

When: April 28, 2015 

Where:  Logix Credit Union– Conference Room A&B, 1011 Lockheed Way, Palmdale, CA 93599.

Time: 4:00—6:00PM

Workshop will include a special multimedia presentation highlighting the many accomplishments of Lockheed Martin throughout the years!  Workshop Registration begins at 3:45 

 RSVP by April 20, 2015!

To register for this workshop , please contact:  Samantha Murray, MEEC Program Specialist at  (760) 245-1661 x 6717 or email: smurray@mdaqmd.ca.gov

"Winging It" NASA Is With You When You Fly Workshop Set for 4/8/15

Did you know that NASA is with you when you fly? Join NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center Office of Education for an educator professional development workshop on Axes and Control Surfaces. Through hands-on experiments and physical demonstrations, educators will learn about motions and forces, transfer of energy, and the abilities of technological design. Engage in hands-on, standards aligned mathematics, science and engineering activities with the basic concepts of flight, including the three axes of flight and the control surfaces that guide the aircraft. Learn real world connections with NASA research and the airplanes that are flying today. Hear from a subject matter expert about cutting-edge research happening right now at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center through the X-56A Multi-Utility Technology Testbed.

 

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.

WHEN:  Wednesday, April 8, 2015, 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm PT
Target Audience: K-12 Formal and Informal Educators
Location: NASA Armstrong Educator Resource Center at the AERO Institute, 38256 Sierra Hwy., Palmdale, CA 93550
Register Online: aeroi.org/ercRegister/index.html
Questions? Call Sondra Geddes at 661-276-2359 or email at sondra.l.geddes@nasa.gov

 

 

"Waiting for a Rainy Day" Essay Contest Deadline 4/3/15

In honor of Earth Day, The Boeing Company’s  “Waiting for a Rainy Day” essay contest deadline has been extended to April 3, 2015. With California experiencing one of the most severe droughts on record, this is an excellent way for your students to dive into an investigation on the status and current events related to the drought.   With Earth Day just around the corner, it’s a good time to think about one of California’s most priceless resources and the vital role it plays in our lives. 

 In 500 words or less, can you describe at least three environmental impacts from the California drought?  If you can, you might win a $50, $25 or $15 gift card! This competition is open to students in grades K-12, with  FIVE Prize categories:

Kindergarten: Can you draw a picture with 2-3 sentences about the concept?
Elementary School (grades 1-2) Middle School (grades 6-8)
Elementary School (grades 3-5) High School (grades 9-12)

First, second, and third place winners will be awarded in each category. All awards are gift cards.
First place winners will receive $50, second place $25, and third place will receive $15. Kindergarten winners will receive a $10 award for all places.

CONTEST CRITERIA
Essays should be no more than 500 words in length. Each essay must contain the author’s name, grade, school and contact phone number to be considered.
Deadline for submission is March 26, 2015 at 5:00 PM.
Winners will be notified by phone and invited to attend an Award Ceremony presentation
on April 21, 2015 at the Antelope Valley AQMD at 43301 Division Street, Suite 206, Lancaster, CA 93535.
Submissions may be mailed or delivered to:  MEEC, 14306 Park Ave,  Victorville, CA 92392
You may also fax your submissions to (760) 241-6271 or email to smurray@mdaqmd.ca.gov
All submissions become the property of MEEC and The Boeing Company.   For further information, please call Samantha Murray, at: (760) 245-1661 ext. 6717.

 Help  celebrate  Earth  Day  2015  and  submit  your  entries  TODAY!!!  For more information, visit MEEC's website at: MEEC Boeing Essay Contest "Waiting for a Rainy Day" .

MEEC Student of the Year Nominations Due By 4/3/15

In 2015, MEEC is proud to sponsor its tenth MEEC “Student of the Year” Awards. Each Student of the Year recipient will receive $60 in cash, as well as a $60 Staples gift card. The awards banquet will be held on May 14, 2015 at 6 PM at Spring Valley Lake Country Club in Victorville.

 

MEEC is soliciting one Student of the Year nomination from each Antelope Valley/Mojave Desert school site in its service area. The nomination can come from either a principal or teacher. When selecting the student nominee, the nominator must take into consideration the work that the student has done in leadership toward environmental issues and stewardship. The following stipulations will serve as a guide for assisting in the nomination process:

 

• The student will be nominated by a teacher or principal from his/her school.
• The student nominee must have spent a minimum of 12 hours in conservation and environmental education activities.
• The student has educated peer students, school employees or community in environmental issues or conservation.
• The student must have above average academic standing (>2.0 GPA for secondary, and the equivalent for primary grades).
•  The student must display leadership qualities, possess good character and a good reputation among peers, and not be a disciplinary problem.

Download and complete the nomination form from MEEC Student of the Year, and mail your submission to MEEC, 14306 Park Ave., Victorville, CA 92392. Forms may also be faxed to (760) 241-6271 or emailed to smurray@mdaqmd.ca.gov. Deadline for entries is 5:00 PM April 3, 2015.

SOAR Students to Visit White House 3/23/15

Two students from SOAR High School's Lemelson-MIT competition InvenTeam will participate in the Fifth White House Science Fair on Monday, 23 March 2015.  The students helped create a miniature breathalyzer bracelet.  For more information on the team and the bracelet, visit SOAR InvenTeam .


The White House Science Fair will be streamed live through links at White House Science Fair.

Local coverage of the event from the AV Times can be found here:  SOAR Students at White House - AV Times .

NASA Is With You When You Fly - Teacher Workshop 3/11/15

Did you know that NASA is with you when you fly? Join NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center Office of Education for an educator professional development workshop on Bernoulli’s Principle and how it relates to flight. In this inquiry-based workshop, teachers will learn about energy transfer as well as motions and forces as they engage in hands-on, standards-aligned mathematics, science and engineering activities, each of which will demonstrate the Bernoulli Principle. We will explore Bernoulli’s Principle and how it relates to flight and make real world connections with NASA research and the airplanes that are flying today. Hear from a subject matter expert about cutting-edge research happening right now at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center through the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) Project.

When:  Wednesday, March 11, 2015, 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm PST

Target Audience: K-12 Formal and Informal Educators

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

Register Online:  http://aeroi.org/ercRegister/index.html

Questions? Call Sondra Geddes at 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.

Southern Kern Pi Day 5k Run Scheduled for 3/14/15

Everyone is invited to go out and get "a good stretch of the legs" in the Rosamond HS St. Paddy's Pi Day 5K Fun Run.  The event will raise funds for cross-country and JROTC programs at the school.  For more info and to register, visit:  SKUSD Pi Day 5K Run  or contact Caleb Schroeder at tcaleb.schroed@gmail.com.