MEEC Accepting Applications for Teacher and Student of the Year by 4/11/14

MEEC is pleased to announce its 9th annual search for nominations for “Teacher of the Year” and “Students of the Year”.

Teacher of the Year: Three winners will be selected to receive this prestigious honor; one first place winner, who will receive $500 in cash and a plaque, and two MEEC “Teachers of Excellence” recipients, who will each receive $300 in cash and plaques. This year’s awards banquet will be held on May 8, 2014 at 6 PM at the beautiful Spring Valley Lake Country Club in Victorville, California. To this end, MEEC is soliciting your nomination of the educator from your school that you feel would be most worthy of this prestigious recognition. MEEC is looking for an educator who makes continuous and enduring contributions to environmental education, demonstrates capacity for creating and implementing successful environmental activities, shows creative approaches, promotes individual and societal environmental responsibility, and encourages youth to make informed decisions about environmental issues. Please take the time to formulate a brief letter describing your nominee and his/her contributions to environmental education. Please mail your submission to MEEC, 14306 Park Ave, Victorville, CA 92392. Letters may also be faxed to (760) 241-6271 or emailed to smurray@mdaqmd.ca.gov. Deadline for entries is April 14, 2014.

Student of the Year: Each Student of the Year recipient will receive $60.00 in cash, as well as a $60.00 Staples gift card. The awards banquet will be held on May 8, 2014 at 6 PM at Spring Valley Lake Country Club in Victorville. To this end, MEEC is soliciting one Student of the Year nomination from each school site. 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 you in the nomination process:
1. The student will be nominated by a teacher or principal from his/her school.
2. The student nominee must have spent a minimum of 12 hours in conservation and environmental education activities.
3. The student has educated peer students, school employees or community in environmental issues or conservation.
4. The student must have above average academic standing (>2.0 GPA for secondary, and the equivalent for primary grades).
5. The student must display leadership qualities, possess good character and a good reputation among peers, and not be a disciplinary problem.

Please take the time to complete the nomination form found at MEEC Student of the Year Nomination Form, 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 April 14, 2014.

Earthwatch Institute Ignite Student Science Award Applications Due by 12/9/13

Students in 10th or 11th grade in Los Angeles County are eligible to apply for one of 24 Ignite Science Awards.  Funded by the Durfee Foundation, successful applicants can participate in an all-expenses paid Earthwatch expedition.  In addition to the application, two teacher nomination letters are required.  Applications are due by no later than 9 December 2013.  For further information, visit Earthwatch Student Fellowships .

California Scientists and Technologists Honored by White House

Among other honorees, the White House announced that six scientists and technologists from California have received either the National Medal of Science or the National Medal of  Technology and Innovation.  The National Medal of Science, created in 1959 and administered by the National Science Foundation, "recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science and engineering."  The National Medal of Technology and Innovation, created in 1980 and administered by the Department of Commerce's Patent and Trademark Office, "recognizes those who have made lasting contributions to America’s competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen the Nation’s technological workforce."  

The California recipients hail from Stanford (2), USC, UC Santa Cruz, Cal Tech, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.  For more information and to see a complete list of honorees, visit  White House Science, Technology, and Innovation Awards. 

President's Environmental Youth Award Applications Due 12/31/12

The annual President's Environmental Youth Award regional awards applications are due by no later than 31 December 2012.  Projects, completed by students at the K-12 level, are considered for awards based upon criteria such as the extent of the student's initiative in beginning the project, environmental need/appropriateness, positive environmental impact, and sound approach.  Proposals must be submitted, not exceeding 300 words.  For more information on eligibility requirements and the application process, visit http://www.epa.gov/peya/#PIAEEreqs=0 .

SMART Competition Registration Open Until 1/18/13

The SMART Competition for high school student teams is open for registration now through 18 January 2013.  The competition involves the intelligent re-design of an existing school gym using efficient localized energy management principles using mentors.  Five deliverable components are required as part of the multi-disciplinary project judging, including:  1) a scale model;   2) a computer-generated animation of a fly-around; 3) a written Design, Innovation and Impact Report; 4) a team presentation; and 5)  a written proposal to education officials.  There is a $100 cost for teams to register for the competition (scholarships may be available).  Regional and national awards are provided to winners.  For more details and to register a team, visit the SMART Competition site  at http://www.smartcompetition.org/registration?tab=teams.

Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award Nominations Due 1/14/13

NASA, along with the Astronauts Memorial Foundation and the Space Foundation, are accepting nominations of K-12 teachers and district-level personnel for the Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award.  "The Award recognizes outstanding contributions made by technology personnel or classroom teachers to technology education. The Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award rewards excellence in the development and delivery of technology programs. Programs which focus on aerospace and/or aeronautics will be given priority to other programs. Applicants must demonstrate how their programs ultimately benefit the students in a school or district."  The award, including a $1,000 grant, plaque, and travel to the conference, will be conferred at a ceremony in April 2013 in Colorado Springs, CO.  Nominations (by school principals or district leaders) for the award are due by no later than 14 January 2013.  For more information, please visit http://www.amfcse.org/alan_shepard_award/default.html .

Two California Teachers Among Presidential Honorees

Teachers Dean Baird from Sacramento and Kentaro Iwasaki from San Francisco are among 97 teachers recently honored with the prestigious 2011 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.  The awardees were invited to participate in week-long activities in Washington, DC, including a visit to the White House with the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden, meetings with Education Secretary Arne Duncan and NSF Deputy Director Cora Marrett.  In addition to the trip and a presidential certificate, the recipients are given a $10,000 NSF grant.  Nominations are reviewed by at state and national levels by outstanding scientists, mathematicians, and educators; awardees rotate annually among primary and secondary educators.  http://nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=124712&org=NSF&from=news

Annual MEEC Awards Fete Students and Teachers

The annual Mojave Environmental Education Consortium Awards Banquet was held on 10 May 2012 at the Spring Valley Lake Country Club in Victorville.  Among those honored were: Teacher of the Year, Yvonne Campos of SOAR High School in Lancaster; recipients of the Key Issues Institute teacher scholarships; Students of the Year,  Anton DuBoise, Paracelete High School, Lancaster, Tyler Harl, Palmdale High School, Palmdale, Jennifer Rubio, Amargosa Creek Middle School, Lancaster, Tyas Shorter, Littlerock High School, Littlerock, James Staten, George Magnet School, Adelanto, and Regan Szydloski, Excelsior Charter School, Victorville; and winners of the MEEC Environmental Science/Engineering Scholarships,  Jacob Madsen, Granite Hills High School, Apple Valley, Francisco Magana, Pete Knight High School, Palmdale, Alex Mejia, Apple Valley High School, Apple Valley, Abraham Vara, Pete Knight High School, Palmdale, and Paige Vogenthailer, Paraclete High School, Lancaster.  Students from Palmdale High School's FAST Academy also presented their "Little Green Planet" video game concept which will compete at the SkillsUSA Nationals in Kansas City.  Congratulations to all those honored.

For a peek at Yvonne's biography, visit http://www.meeconline.com/yvonne-campos/ .

SoCal Youth Places in Intel Science Talent Search

According to a report from Voice of America, Jack Li from El Segundo placed in the recent Intel Science Talent Search awarded in Washington, DC; Li developed an encapsulated enzyme delivery system for phenylketonuria with the assistance of mentors from UCLA.  A drug company has expressed interest in moving towards a commercial application of the system.

Nithin Tumma from Ft. Gratiot, Michigan won the annual competition with research on targeted, less debilitating breast cancer treatments.  He garnered a $100,000 prize after defending his entry to a panel of judges.  Another finalist, Marian Bechtel from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, engineered a seismo-acoustic detection system for buried landmines.  The finalists were also honored with a special visit to the White House and meeting with the President.  http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Science-Competition-Honors-Young-Innovators-142920515.html

"GOOD IS" Great American Teach-Off Award Nominating Deadline 2/20/12

If you know a wonderful, innovative teacher of grades 7 through 12, nominations are open through 20 February 2012 at "GOOD IS."  The University of Phoenix and GOOD are partnering to accept maximum 200-word nominating essays regarding great teachers; finalists, who will be announced on 5 March, will be asked to do video interviews, and on-line voting will take place to determine the winner, who will receive a $10,000 classroom grant.  To get more information, view rules, and to nominate a worthy candidate, visit http://www.good.is/great-american-teach-off/about. 

White House Science Fair Honors Student Achievement

According to the Voice of America, President Obama hosted the second annual White House Science Fair on Tuesday, 7 February 2012.  Akin to inviting Super Bowl champions to the "People's House," the President wanted to honor top teen winners in science fairs, such as Joe Hudy, a fourteen year-old business owner who has a compressed-air marshmallow cannon, and Jessica D'Esposito and her classmates who designed a lightweight disaster shelter.  In addition to requesting additional funding for preparing STEM educators (see earlier post), the President also used the science fair as a platform to explain the need for 1 million additional STEM graduates over the next 10 years.   http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Obama-Promotes-Investment-in-Math-Science-Education-138867404.html. 

MEEC Teacher of the Year, Student of the Year, and Environmental/Engineering Scholarship Application Period Closes 4/6 and 4/20/12

The Mojave Environmental Education Consortium (MEEC) is once again offering recognition (including cash and/or gift cards and plaques) for outstanding High Desert (Victorville and Palmdale/Lancaster areas) teachers and students, as well as five $1,000 scholarships for high school seniors declaring college majors in environmental science or engineering fields of study.  One Teacher of the Year, two Teachers of Excellence, and up to ten Students of the Year will be awarded.

Applications are due to Christie Robinson at MEEC by no later than 6 April 2012 (deadline extended for Teacher of the Year and Student of the Year to 20 April 2012!).  For more information on eligibility requirements and to download the application forms, please visit:

http://www.meeconline.com/20102011-teacher-of-the-year-nominations-now-being-accepted/
http://www.meeconline.com/20102011-student-of-the-year-nominations-now-being-accepted/ or
http://www.meeconline.com/20102011-hs-environmental-science-scholarship-announcement/

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring Conferred

Nine individuals and eight organizations received the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring on 12 December 2011.  Among those receiving the award were two California programs:  The Stanford Medical Youth Science Program, Stanford University, Calif., represented by Marilyn Winkleby; and University of California San Francisco Science & Health Education Partnership High School Intern Program, Calif., represented by Rebecca Smith.  Nominated by students, colleagues, or administrators, the award recipients are honored at the White House and receive a  $25,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to further their efforts.  http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/50066/

ACTE Convention in St. Louis A Hit!

The 2011 national convention for the Association of Career and Technical Education in St. Louis from 17-19 November was a great success.  Featuring keynotes by Sir Ken Robinson, Ray McNulty of the International Center for Leadership in Education, Brenda Dann-Messier of the US Dept. of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education, and Eric Chester, literally hundreds of sessions were offered on a variety of subjects and strands, including STEM, Common Core State Standards and the upcoming Common Career Technical Core, Green Technology, Career Academies, Agriculture, Business/Marketing, Administration/Leadership, Certifications, Student Organizations, and many, many more.  Materials from the sessions are in the process of being posted at http://www.acteonline.org/conventionsessions11.aspx and a Schooltube video channel is also available at http://www.schooltube.com/channel/dgoble/.  I've brought back many great ideas to pass along to colleagues, however, it has also reinforced my belief that the AV is already doing outstanding things for our students that need to be replicated.

Michelle Webb accepts 2011 Business Advocate of the Year  Award for Northrop from Mark Pelesh of the CTE Foundation

Our own Michelle Webb, Corporate Responsibility and Business Conduct Officer for Northrop Grumman's Palmdale facility, accepted the 2011 Business Advocate of the Year Award from CTE Foundation Board Chair Mark Pelesh of Corinthian Colleges on behalf of Northrop Grumman. Here's a picture of Michelle on-stage during the award presentation.

Prior to the ACTE Convention, LEGO Education and National Instruments sponsored a STEM Summit at the America's Center in St. Louis.  Delays at the airport (but nothing compared to Michelle's!!) meant that I was only able to attend one afternoon breakout session on incorporating 21st Century Skills into the classroom; a common theme is the use of technology to inspire and engage students to become creative, collaborative critical thinkers and problem solvers which will make them college and career ready.

Vernier/NSTA Technology Award Applications Due 11/30/11

The Vernier/National Science Teacher Association Technology Awards will provide seven (7) K-college science teachers $3,000 for the innovative use of data-collection technology using a graphing calculator, computer, or other handheld device in the science classroom.  The award consists of $1,000 cash, $1,000 in Vernier products, and $1,000 towards expenses to attend the NSTA annual convention.  Applications are due by 30 November 2011, and can be found with further details at http://www.vernier.com/grants/nsta/

"Angela Award" Applications Due by 11/30 for Elementary Science Students

The "Angela Award" from the National Science Teacher Association is given to a full-time American or Canadian female student in grades 5 through 8 who has a strong connection/involvement in science, with sustained accomplishment.  The award includes a $1,000 savings bond.  Nomination and application materials are due by 30 November.  For more details, see http://www.nsta.org/pdfs/awards/Angela.pdf .  Other awards are also available.  http://www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx?lid=tnavhp#angela

ExxonMobil and Hispanic Heritage Foundation Offer Opportunities for Hispanic STEM Students

ExxonMobil is partnering with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to offer the LOFT Fellowship program for certain Hispanic students enrolled in a four-year college or university in specified engineering majors.  The Latinos On Fast Track program provides a scholarship, mentoring, and job interview possibilities.

Additionally, the 2011 Hispanic Heritage Awards for high school juniors who "demonstrate leadership in the classroom and community in an effort to encourage their peers to use education as a vehicle for success.. . Award categories include, but are not limited to: Business, Community Service, Education, Engineering and Mathematics, Healthcare and Science."  Applications are due by 1 June 2011.

For complete eligibility details and applications for these opportunities, visit ttp://www.hispanicheritage.org/loft_int.php?sec=200

California Robotics Teams Win in St. Louis

 A number of teams from California won awards at the annual FIRST world championships held in St. Louis over the weekend (28-30 April 2011).  In the FRC bracket, a team from San Jose (Team 254, The Cheesy Poofs) joined with one from Atascadero (Team 973, Greybots) to win the overall championship alliance with a team from Schaumburg, Illinois (Team 111, WildStang). A number of other California teams were Division Finalists or Division Winners. 

Santiago Garza from Team 2543 (TitanBot) in Chula Vista and Christina Wettersten from Team 1868 (Space Cookies) out of Moffett Field were members of the Dean's List.  Team 687 (The Nerd Herd) from Carson won the Entrepreneurship Award; Team 1671 (Buchanan Bird Brains) from Clovis won the Excellence in Design Award (Animation), while The Cheesy Poofs from San Jose won the Industrial Design Award, and Team 1538 (The Holy Cows) from San Diego won the Quality Award. 

In the FIRST Tech Challenge, Team 4278 (de.evolution) from San Diego and Team 3053 (Doves of Justice) from Atherton were members of the championship alliance with Team 4102 (CHS Robotics) from South Orange, NJ.  Team 1421 (PHI - Power through Higher Innovation) from Lancaster won the Connect Award.

For more details on the competition, see http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/content.aspx?id=19701

Congratulations to all of the teams for their hard work and dedication!

Boy Scouts Add Robotics Merit Badge

Furthering the Boy Scouts of America's STEM initiative, next week a new robotics merit badge will be unveiled.  "We view STEM as an essential survival skill in the 21st century.  We're just trying to keep relevant with what kids need to learn," says BSA's Matt Myers in an NPR posting.  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=135228346 .  In order to earn the badge, scouts will have to design and build a robot, while learning about sensors, programming, and movement.  The badge will depict the NASA Mars rover;100 patches will be flown on the upcoming Endeavour space shuttle flight and be distributed through a contest.

UC Davis to Host C-STEM Day on 4/30/11

The Modesto Bee reports that UC Davis will host a symposium on teaching STEM to kindergarten through 12th graders on 30 April 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Bainer and Kemper Halls.  Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.  Teachers in K-12, parents, and students are invited to attend the sessions, which will focus on computing, science, technology, engineering and math education.  There will be a UC Davis Secondary Programming Competition, a symposium on computing in the 21st century, awards (nominations due by 4/15/11), demonstrations, and lab tours.  For more information, visit http://cstem.ucdavis.edu/ , and to register on-line, go to http://cstem.ucdavis.edu/CSTEMDay/symposium/ .