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 

Hacienda Elementary School Wins 2015 Mojave Intermediate Space Challenge

Congratulations to Cal City's Hacienda Elementary School students who placed first overall in the 2015 Intermediate Space Challenge at the Mojave Air and Spaceport on 15 May 2015.


View video of the day at 2015 Mojave Intermediate Space Challenge .

Northrop Grumman Fab School Lab Contest Open 5/4/15

Northrop Grumman Foundation is launching an online contest to encourage STEM innovation through updated labs in middle schools.  The "Fab School Labs" competition is open from 4 May through 28 August 2015, and will offer 5 grants of up to $100,000 to update science, technology, or engineering spaces.  Teachers in eligible public middle or charter schools (grades 5-8) may apply with a video and essay, one per contestant per school site.  Communities will vote for 25 selected finalists to determine grant winners.  For more information on eligibility, rules, etc., visit Northrop Fab School Labs Rules .

MEEC "Slow Your Flow of H20" Video Contest Submissions Due by 5/5/15

With the Governor's new announced water restrictions due to California's drought, this contest is particularly timely.

The Mojave Water Agency invites you to take part in the “Slow Your Flow of H2O” water conservation video contest!  Students in grades 3-12 can create a 30-second to one minute video demonstrating the unique ways they are taking their water conservation techniques to the next level in and around their homes.   

When it comes to conserving water, even the smallest adjustments can have a big impact.  Taking shorter showers and watering your lawn less often are effective ways to reduce our water footprint, but what else can you do to conserve water? 

There are THREE Prize categories:  Grades 3-5; Grades 6-8; 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 $150, second place $75, and third place will receive $50.

 

CONTEST CRITERIA

• Create an innovative 30-second to one minute video promoting water conservation.
• Videos may be submitted as a DVD/CD, SchoolTube/YouTube/PowToon link,  or Media File.
• Your video will be judged on uniqueness, creativity and the best portrayal of how you conserve water indoors or outdoors.   Additional Judging Criteria: Does your video encourage others to conserve water? Is it entertaining? Does is demonstrate how you are conserving water?  Providing a “title” for your video is optional.
• Video links  and Media Files may be emailed to  smurray@mdaqmd.ca.gov
• DVD/CD entries may be mailed or hand delivered to: MEEC, 14306 Park Ave, Victorville, CA 92392
• Individual entries only.  Each entry must contain the student’s name, grade, school and contact phone number to be considered.
• Deadline for submission is May 5, 2015 at 5:00 PM.
• Winners will be notified by phone and invited to attend the Red Carpet Award Ceremony presentation on May 21, 2015 at The Mojave Water Agency.

For further information, please call Samantha Murray, at: (760) 245-1661 ext. 6717 or visit Meec/MWA Slow Your Flow of H20 Video Contest
All submissions become the property of MEEC and The Mojave Water Agency

"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.

STEM Mania in Sports Virtual PD Offered by NASA Beginning 2/23/15

Kick off your classroom activities with NASA STEM Mania and discover the sports in NASA with a free virtual educator professional development.  Sessions take place every Monday through Thursday from 1-2pm Pacific time.  Pre-game sessions begin at 12:30pm Pacific time. 

K-5th grade topics include: Rainout or Game On - Clouds and Weather; Robo-Arm and Weightlifting; Space, Satellites and Sports; and STEM is Newton's Laws at Play.  Sixth through 12th grade topics include: Energizing the Arena; Hydration Station; It's All in Your Head; and Robotics as a Competitive Sport.

Earn a certificate for completing 5 educator PD sessions.

For more information contact kelly.a.hartford@nasa.gov and/or Lester Morales - lester.morales@nasa.gov or visit:  NASA STEM Mania Information

To register fill out the form at:  NASA STEM Mania Registration
 

Cubes in Space Competition Seeks Middle and High School Experiments; Register by 1/12/15

"Cubes in Space," a collaboration among NASA's Science Mission Directorate, the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, and idoodlelearning.com, is providing students around the world aged 11-14 years old to design, prepare and compete at no cost to have their experiments launched into space via a Terrier-Orion sounding rocket launched from Wallop Island, Virginia next June.  Registration for the sponsored teams is now open, with a deadline to register by 12 January 2015; materials regarding the competition are available for download.

A second opportunity is available for US students aged 11-18 years old to have their experiment launched from a high-altitude balloon at the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico in September 2015.

For further information and to register, visit Cubes in Space Competition .
(If you attended the STEMPosium and heard Christy Papadopolous from XCOR, this should inspire you to have your experiments "leave this rock"!)

Google RISE Award Applications Due 9/30/14

Programs with a focus in computer science are invited to submit proposals before 30th September 2014 for the Google RISE Awards. With grants ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 and an invitation to attend the RISE Global Summit, selected programs will be able to use the funding to expand their impact on student populations by widening access to and interest in computer science education. Programs aiming to improve education for girls, underrepresented students, and low-income students under age 18 (not already enrolled in university) are also eligible to apply. Award winners are expected to demonstrate growth, report back to Google on achievements, and share resources with neighboring communities. 

For more information, and to apply, visit Google RISE Awards Applications .

Conrad "Spirit of Innovation" Challenge Open for Registration Until 11/3/14

The 2015 Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge is open through 3 November 2014 for registration of student teams from kindergarten through university levels.  With a basic registration cost of $95, teams may choose one of four categories to compete in:  Aerospace & Aviation; Energy & Environment; Cyber Technology & Security; or Health & Nutrition.  There is an optional category (for an additional registration fee) of Giant Leap to Mars.  Once registered, students research problems facing that sector and begin to develop innovative solutions.  An on-line "Investor Pitch" round is conducted on-line, with written and video submissions due by 4 November 2014; winners will go on to the on-line semi-final "Draft Development Plan" round, with a business proposal, technical plan, and graphic representation due by 16 January 2015.  Teams judged to have the top Development Plan will be selected to go on to the Innovation Summit, where they will make in-person presentations, be honored as Pete Conrad Scholars, and compete for $500,000 in sponsored awards.  Final submissions are due in March of 2015, and the Summit will be held in April.

For further details and to register, visit the competition website at Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge .

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 .
 

Local SkillsUSA Winners at National Competition

Congratulations to students from Palmdale High School's Falcon Academy of Sustainable Technologies which had three awards at the recent national SkillsUSA competition held in Kansas City:

• Team 1H, comprised of Oscar Guzman, Ricardo Guzman, and Blanca Zepeda, received the bronze medal for the Career Pathways - Industrial and Engineering Technology competition;
• Team C, comprised of Ny Gyra Lawson, Austin Nowlen, and Anurag Rai, received the silver medal for the Innovative Application and Video Game competition;
• Christopher McDonald received the bronze medal for the Sustainability Solutions competition.

Approximately 20 students from AVUHSD schools competed in the national event this year.

White House Science Fair 5/27 to Celebrate Women and Girls in STEM

The annual White House Science Fair, slated for 27 May 2014, will showcase the efforts of girls and women excelling in the STEM fields "and inspiring the next generation with their work."  For updates and to watch live, visit White House Science Fair .

Clean Air Month Poster Contest Entries Due 5/16/14

The MDAQMD is sponsoring a Clean Air Month poster design contest answering the question "how can you protect your health by preventing bad air days?"  Prizes, including up to $100 and a bike, are available in different age categories: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.  The original posters must be on 8.5 x 11" horizontal, white paper, using colored pencils, pens, markers, or crayons only, drawn free-hand, provide entrant's contact information, and will be judged based on creativity, originality, and adherence to the theme.

For more information, visit Clean Air Poster Contest 2014. 

Congressional "App Challenge" Deadline for Submissions is 4/30/14

Congressman Bob Goodlatte and Congress Member Anna Eshoo are co-chairs of the 2014 Congressional App Challenge, which is modeled after the Congressional Art Challenge.  Designed to promote interest in STEM and coding, the competition allows high school students in districts where the member of Congress has opted in to submit an app that they create by no later than 30 April 2014.  For further information and to register for the competition, visit 2014 Congressional App Challenge .

Dow "STEMtheGAP" Teacher Challenge Entries Due by 5/16/14

Dow is offering grants of $1,000 to winners of the "STEMtheGAP" Teacher Challenge.  Teachers are asked to submit up to 300 word answers each to two questions:

1. What is the biggest gap in STEM education that you face as a teacher?
2. If you could change one thing about STEM education, what would that be?  How would you apply it in your classroom?

Application entries are due on-line to Dow by no later than 16 May 2014.  Teacher answers will be reviewed by a panel of scientists and educators from The Center for Science Teaching and Learning in New York.  For further information and to enter, visit Dow "STEMtheGAP" Teacher Challenge .

2014 Cassini Scientist for A Day Essay Contest Submissions Due by 4/17/14

Teachers of students in grades 5-12 are invited to submit student essays of not longer than 500 words to NASA's 2014 "Cassini Scientist for A Day" competition.  In commemoration of the Cassini spacecraft's 10-year anniversary, NASA is seeking essays on one of three topics:  1) Saturn's F ring; 2) Saturn's moon, Titan; or 3) the north polar region of Saturn, answering the questions: why should Cassini take this photo; and what questions will be answered through the photo.

For information on submission rules, eligibility, and prizes (including a possible visit with  Cassini scientists), visit 2014 Cassini Scientist for A Day Essay Contest

Boeing Essay Contest Entries Due By 4/10/14

"Oceans: Preserving the Earth's Liquid World" is the theme of this year's Boeing spring essay contest, sponsored by MEEC.  Students in grades K-12 may enter the contest, with kindergarten students able to offer a drawing plus 2-3 sentences about the theme, and other essays not to exceed 250 words in length about the subject.  Winners in each age category (K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) will receive gift cards.  "EACH ESSAY MUST CONTAIN THE
AUTHOR’S GRADE, SCHOOL AND HOME PHONE NUMBER TO BE CONSIDERED.  Submissions may be mailed, delivered or faxed by 10 April 2014 to:MEEC, 14306 Park Ave, Victorville, CA 92392 or (760) 241-6271.  All submissions become the property of MEEC and Boeing. 
"Winners will be notified by phone and invited to attend the Award Ceremony presentation
on April 23, 2014 at the Antelope Valley AQMD located at 43301 Division St, Suite 206, Lancaster.  For further information, please call Samantha Murray, at: (760) 245-1661 ext. 6717."

Google Science Fair Submissions Due By 5/12/14 - FAQ Hangouts 4/4, 4/7, 4/11

Calling all Google science aficianados:  Google is once again hosting its annual Science Fair for students ages 13-18 from around the world.  Students register for free at GoogleScienceFair.com, then carry out an experiment or test a subject of their interest, and submit their project by 12 May 2014; 90 regional finalists will be chosen and their work reviewed by judges, with that field narrowed to 15 finalists who will go to the Google HQ in Mountain View, CA to compete for a range of prizes.  There will be Google Hangouts in early April, as well as website resources for competitors.  For further information on critical dates, to register, and view resources, go to Google Science Fair Competition Overview .

MEEC Solar Cook-Off Competition Registration Due By 5/1/14

The second annual MEEC solar oven cook-off competition is back and hotter than ever!  Teams of students in grades 4-12 are invited to register by 1 May 2014 to compete on 14 June 2014 at the Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley.  Students will design, build, and create/fix original recipes involving their solar cookers.  Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three in each age division (4th-6th, 7th-9th, 10th-12th) for construction (Best Oven Design) and recipe (Top Solar Chef).  For more information and to register, visit MEEC Solar Oven Cook-Off .