Summer Robotics Workshop Update - Few Seats Remain

The free Summer Robotics Workshop to be held at Joe Walker Middle School in Quartz Hill only has a couple of seats left available.  The workshop, sponsored by Eagle Robotics, Robolopes, Team Phi, GarageBots, NASA, and the AERO Institute, is open for students aged 9-13 years, and will be held 25-30 June 2012, from 8:00am to 4:00pm.  The featured robotics game will be STEM Wars.  For information or to register, e-mail roboticsworkshops@gmail.com.

Palmdale Super Science Saturday

Students enjoy "noodle" rocket launching at Super Science Saturday in Palmdale.

On 14 April 2012, hundreds of middle school students from the Palmdale area attended the second annual  Super Science Saturday to be held at Los Amigos School.  They enjoyed hands-on events such as straw bridge-building, egg drop, rocket building, robotics, and soft projectile launching, as well as visiting interactive displays provided by Lockheed, NASA, Edwards Air Force Base, and AVUHSD academies, among others.

HHS Law & Government Academy demonstrates
fingerprinting techniques with SSS students.

KHS Digital Design & Engineering Academy shows connections between arts and STEM at Palmdale SSS.

Lancaster School District 2012 Summer of Innovation Day Camp Applications Due 6/11/12

Students in 6th through 8th grades in the Lancaster School District are invited to apply to participate in summer STEM day camps sponsored by NASA.  The activities will be held from 13-17 August 2012 at Amargosa Creek and Piute Middle Schools from 8:00am to 2:00pm.  Applications are due by 11 June 2012.  For more information, please contact your child's school office or the district's Special Programs office at 661.948.4661 x 241.

SMaRT Education Group in SB and Riverside Counties Promotes Robotics

Liberty Naud, an Army veteran, mom, FIRST Lego League Director, FIRST Robotics mentor, Neighborhood Watch captain, and STEM advocate, founded SMaRT (Science Math and Robotic Technology) Education in the Coachella Valley and extending to other areas of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.  The non-profit group is dedicated to bringing hands-on technology to youngsters in the desert communities.  She was inspired by the reaction of kids who were empowered and filled with awe at their accomplishments in programming robots.  A wide variety of careers become available to students who learn the STEM skills:  "My favorite is the inventor/innovator/entrepreneur career route. For those not college-bound, welding is an excellent example of a very lucrative skill set learned on the robotics team. Then there are college engineering pathways like aerospace, mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering to name a few. Kids can be programmers, software, gaming, graphic arts/CAD (computer-aided design) designer, etc. There are business, marketing and accounting jobs for those team members who embraced running their robotics team like a small tech company. With more than $15 million in FIRST Robotics scholarship opportunities the career possibilities are endless!"

Naud invited everyone to attend the upcoming Long Beach regional FIRST Robotics competition beginning 15 March and continuing this weekend as a means to gain the same inspiration.  http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120312/OPINION01/203120331/Motivating-children-learn-through-robotics?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFrontpage%7Cp

Camp CHLA Applications Available 1/30/12

The new Camp CHLA (Children's Hospital of Los Angeles) applications for high school students to spend five days job shadowing nursing and health professionals will be available beginning 30 January 2012, and are due for the August session by no later than 9 March 2012.  To obtain further details and to download the application materials, visit:  http://www.chla.org/site/c.ipINKTOAJsG/b.5049537/k.1180/Camp_CHLA__Observe_Nursing__Healthcare_Professions__Student_Healthcare_Opportunities.htm

Mission 2 Announced for Student Spaceflight Experiment Program to ISS

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education has announced competition for Mission 2 to the International Space Station for the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program.  Designed to be a community-based process, SSEP allows students to participate in local competitions and then to submit their micro-gravity experiment proposals for consideration to fly aboard the International Space Station.  The Mission 2 competition will run from March to September 2012, with the winning experiments flying aboard Soyuz 32 to the ISS in September.  For more details, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/2011/11/announcing-communities-participating-in-ssep-mission-1-to-iss-and-new-flight-opportunity-mission-2-to-iss/.  The twelve Mission 1 teams participating include San Marino and West Hills, California, with winners scheduled to fly on Soyuz 30 in early 2012.

Engineering Exploration Class Offered at Lancaster University Center 1/30 to 5/14/12

Cal State Long Beach/Antelope Valley Engineering Program is offering the Engineering Exploration class for high school juniors and seniors at the Lancaster University Center beginning 30 January 2012 from 4:00 to 7:00pm.  Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA, have completed Algebra 2 or higher, be enrolled in college prep English, be on-track to complete minimum UC a-g requirements, and have the recommendation signature of either a counselor or Project Lead the Way instructor.  For more information regarding fees, schedule, requirements, and to register, visit http://www.ccpe.csulb.edu/continuinged/course_listing/programdescription.aspx?Course_ID=25868&Course_Version=1 .

National Governors Association Releases STEM Agenda

In December 2011, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices released "Building A Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education Agenda:  An Update of State Actions."  The report, written by John Thomasian of Black Point Policy Solutions with the assistance of education staff, reviews the goals of increasing the numbers of students and professionals in STEM fields and increasing STEM proficiency for all students, as well as methods to implement a supporting agenda.  Among the action items are to adopt rigorous math and science standards and improved assessments, recruit and retain more qualified teachers, provide more rigorous preparation for post-secondary STEM education, enhancing the use of informal STEM education, and to set goals for post-secondary institutions to meet STEM job needs.  To view/download the report, visit http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/1112STEMGUIDE.PDF;jsessionid=CC905C5294F348DC62BD60C135BC12F2

STEM Projects Receive i3 Grant Awards

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/i3-projects-receive-18-million-matching-funds-private-sector  and the US Department of Education announced the newest round of recipients of the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant on 20 December 2011.  Among the twenty-three highest-ranked applications, five (22%) addressed Absolute Priority 2: STEM Education, receiving $48 million in grant funding (33% of the total awarded).   http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/12/20/investing-innovation-creates-stem-awards

In the STEM category, award recipients were:  Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, for a technology-facilitated scale-up of a proven model of math instruction in high schools; National Math and Science Initiative for a partnership to increase student achievement and college readiness in STEM education in Dallas, TX; New York City Board of Education for "Innovate NYC"; New York Hall of Science for "SciGames," a techology-enhanced bridge between formal and informal education; and Baltimore City Public Schools for a middle school summer STEM learning program. 

Within California, Fresno County Office of Education received an award to enhance an expository reading and writing course for college readiness, while Aspire Public Schools in Oakland received a grant on transforming teacher talent for effective teaching in low-income schools, Oakland Unified School District received an award for "Oakland Accelerates," and Del Norte Unified School District in Crescent City received an award for "REACT" (Responding Effectively to Assessments with Curriculum and Teaching).

Rubric for STEM Education Effectiveness

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, in connection with the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University, the Golden LEAF Foundation and others, have collaborated to create a rubric to determine the effectiveness of STEM education components in schools.  The rubric and components, including integrated project-based learning,  connection with in and out-of-school programs, use of integrated technology, community involvement, and post-secondary connections, among others, can be downloaded at https://www.ncstem.org/stem-strategy/attributes-rubric.html .

Super Science Saturday at Joe Walker MS on 12/10/11

The next Super Science Saturday for the Antelope Valley's Westside and Lancaster School Districts will be held on Saturday, 10 December 2011, from 8:00am to noon at Joe Walker Middle School in Quartz Hill.  Exhibitors will be present and activities will take place, including straw bridge-building, egg drop, rocketry, robotics, green-eco, crimebusters, and more.  Student pre-registration will take place through the schools; contact your child's teacher in those districts for further information.

YELC Application Deadline 11/30/11

The Antelope Valley region Youth Environmental Leadership Conference (YELC), hosted by the Mojave Environmental Education Consortium (MEEC), for AV student teams in grades 3 through 12, will be held on Saturday, 21 January 2012 at Mariposa Elementary in Lancaster (Victor Valley region event on 4 February 2012), from 9:00am to 3:00pm.  The keynote presenter will be Joel Greene, host of the national television program, "Curiosity Quest."  Applications and additional information about the event are available at http://www.meeconline.com/students/yelc/.  Applications are due to Cindi Wray by no later than 30 November 2011.

Tech Trek Nominations Due 12/2/11

Science and math teachers of 7th grade young women in Antelope Valley public schools have the opportunity to nominate them to attend Tech Trek camps during the summer of 2012.  At camp, the girls attend STEM classes, go on field trips, meet professional female role models, and more, all on a college campus.  The American Association of University Women's AV Chapter selects students from nominees based upon the nomination, an application essay, and an interview.  Each school may nominate up to three students.  Nominations are due by 2 December 2011 to avtechtrek@gmail.com.  For more information, contact AV Tech Trek Coordinator Connie Harney at the above e-mail or at 661-943-4231 or 661-400-1787.

Commerce Dept. Research Report Addresses Gender Gap in STEM Careers

The US Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration has released a report which, despite a narrower comparable wage gap in STEM fields, females continue to lag behind in filling positions.  They represent 40% of workers in science fields, but only 14% in engineering.  Gender stereotyping, lack of female role models, and lack of flexibility in staffing are cited as some of the reasons for the continuing gender gap.  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/08/women-in-science-and-tech-are-well-paid-but-gender-gap-persists-report-says.html  To view the full report, visit http://www.esa.doc.gov/sites/default/files/reports/documents/womeninstemagaptoinnovation8311.pdf

Contra Costa Office of Ed Holds Engineering, Construction and Manufacturing Camp

Approximately 60 high school students attended a recent summer day camp focusing on providing information regarding jobs and hands-on skills related to construction, engineering, and manufacturing.  The free camp had students participating in a “nail-off” competition, building sheds and bird houses.  They also visited Lawrence Livermore Lab, SunPower in Milpitas, the USS-POSCO Manufacturing & Engineering Plant in Pittsburg and a carpenters' apprenticeship training center in Dublin.  The camp was sponsored by the state, the County Education Office, Chevron, the Contra Costa Economic Partnership and Diablo Valley College, among others, and taught by local K-12 and community college instructors and community members; students received one unit of college credit for attending.  http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18343385?nclick_check=1

Lancaster Summer Gateway Academy A Success

Bottle Rocket Launching on Final Day of Lancaster SGA

Twenty-three middle school students from around the Antelope Valley (and even one from Arizona!) took part in the second annual Summer Gateway Academy held at Lancaster High School 20-24 June 2011.  Students learned about CAD drawing, rocketry, aviation/aerospace, robotics, and computer graphics during their week-long experience, taught by Kevin Spoelstra and Duane Robertson, and assisted by student members of Eagle Robotics and Eagle Graphix.  During one session, the students were also visited by an outreach team, including a U-2 pilot, from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Palmdale, one of the financial contributors to the academy.  Some of the students will be participating in pre-engineering courses in the Lancaster School District and AV Union High School District beginning in the fall semester.

Parents Use Internet Resources to Pique Youngsters' Interest in STEM

Parents are increasingly turning to Internet resources to teach their children about scientific method and STEM subjects.  By using sites such as Google and YouTube when teachable moments arise, even in children not old enough to read, parents can explain information and concepts in a way that their children can understand.  A wide variety of resources are available, only a smattering of which are listed in this article from the North Carolina News Observer's Science and Technology column.   http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/06/06/1250727/parents-find-fun-online-for-kids.html

Antelope Valley Summer of Innovation Proposals Due by 4/15/11

Local Antelope Valley proposals for up to $5,000 funding from NASA's Summer of Innovation are due by no later than Friday, 15 April 2011.  At a minimum, programs must include at least 20 hours of NASA STEM content delivered to at least 50 under-represented 4th through 9th graders during a summer program, plus at least 20 hours of NASA STEM content delivered to the students during the school year.  Teachers will receive professional development, and NASA resources will be provided.  For more information, contact Sara Cutts at the AERO Institute at sara.cutts@nasa.gov or by phone at (661)276-3992.

4/29/11 update:  Rough Order of Magnitude forms outlining STEM activities and costs are due to Sara Cutts by no later than 18 May 2011.

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.

Carnegie-Mellon Summer Academy for Mathematics and Science Applications Due 4/1/11

The Carnegie-Mellon Summer Academy for Mathematics and Science is a residential program for students entering their junior or senior years in high school and are considering careers in engineering, science, or other math-based disciplines.  The experience will run from 25 June through 5 August 2011, with different tracks for each grade level.  Tuition, university housing, and dining expenses are provided, however, students/parents must provide their own transportation, books, supplies, recreation, and incidental expenses.  Applications and supporting documentation are due by 1 April 2011.  For more details, visit http://www.cmu.edu/enrollment/summerprogramsfordiversity/sams.html