AV Summer Gateway Academy Registration Available Until 5/23/14



The AVUHSD will offer two sessions of the PLTW (c) Summer Gateway Academy in 2014.  Designed to introduce incoming 7th and 8th graders to STEM principles related to engineering and robotics, the free week-long camp sessions will take place 23-27 June 2014 at SOAR Prep Academy in Quartz Hill, and 21-25 July 2014 at Knight High School in Palmdale.  Each session will accept approximately 35 students on a first-come, first-served basis; students must have their own daily transportation and lunch.  For further information and to apply, please visit the red tab at Summer Gateway Academy - Middle School Registration 2014.  Registration will be open until 23 May 2014 or until filled (classes may waitlist).

Project Lead the Way Conference Early Bird Registration Open Until 12/13/13

The third annual Project Lead the Way statewide conference will be held on 20-21 February 2014 at the Sacramento Sheraton Grand Hotel.  Early bird registration is available for $150 until Friday, 13 December 2013 (increase to $175 on 14 December).  The fee includes snack and cocktail reception Thursday, and breakfast and lunch Friday along with the conference sessions.  Hotel rooms are available for $150 per night at the Sheraton, after registering for the conference.  For further information and to register, visit PLTW Statewide Conference Registration .

MSET Hosts Tour of Local STEM School Programs for Community

On Wednesday, 30 October 2013, the Antelope Valley Math Science Engineering and Technology (MSET) Consortium, along with the Antelope Valley Board of Trade, Antelope Valley Union High School District, and Antelope Valley College, sponsored a tour of Palmdale STEM school programs for local community partners.  The tour visited Antelope Valley College's Palmdale Center, The Palmdale Aerospace Academy, Palmdale High School's FAST and Health Careers Academies, and Knight High School's Digital Design & Engineering Academy.  Approximately 35 government officials, business and industry, and education community members attended the event, which included presentations and a working lunch. The response from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with a call for future tours to be made available regularly to other local school programs.

California Senator Steve Knight joins community members

 touring The Palmdale Aerospace Academy

Students of the FAST Academy at Palmdale HS work on simple machines in their PLTW lab

Health Careers  Academy students at Palmdale HS learn about measuring injectible medications

Knight HS Digital Design & Engineering Academy Coordinator James Stockdale explains the MakerSpace to tour participants

Antelope Valley Hosts STEMPosium 10/1/13

Antelope Valley College (AVC), Cerro Coso College, Cal State Long Beach, Antelope Valley Union High School District (AVUHSD), the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance (GAVEA), and the AV Board of Trade sponsored the 2^nd Annual Greater Antelope Valley STEMposium on Tuesday, 1 October 2013.  State and local dignitaries welcomed nearly 200 regional business and community members and educators in attendance at the event, which was held at The Hellenic Center in Lancaster.  

The STEMposium participants heard an engaging keynote address by LTG Ellen M. Pawlikowski (USAF), Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center at the LA Air Force Base, on STEM as an American competitive advantage, as well as from Dr. Elaine Shen of Beacon Economics on STEM Workforce trends.  Other presentations included Dr. Tom O’Neil of AVC on connections between CTE and STEM, a STEM Academy Showcase by Betsy McKinstry and academy coordinators and students from the AVUHSD, as well as panel discussions by area education, industry, and young STEM professionals.  Display tables were staffed by Joe Walker Middle School robotics, Palmdale HS Health Careers Academy, PHS Falcon Academy of Sustainable Technologies, AV High School’s Green Enterprise Academy, and Knight HS Digital Design & Engineering Academy.

The 2^nd Annual Greater AV STEMposium was partially funded by a US Dept. Of Education HSI STEM grant. Christos Valiotis: Project Director-661-722-6300 x6024

AV Summer Gateway Academies Engage Middle School Students in STEM

Two Project Lead the Way Summer Gateway Academy sessions were sponsored by the AVUHSD for middle school students during June and July 2013.  Over thirty students took part in events such as rocket-building and launching, creating solar cell phone covers, learning how to use design software, and programming Boe-bots to go through a maze, among others.  The session held at Lancaster High School was also visited by Lockheed Martin's school outreach team.

Eagle Robotics team member assists students to learn design software at
Lancaster HS Summer Gateway Academy

Middle school students launch solar balloon

Students at KHS Summer Gateway Academy create solar cell phone covers/chargers

 

Deadline to Apply for AVUHSD Summer Gateway Academies

The deadline for incoming 7th and 8th graders to apply for one of the AVUHSD Summer Gateway Academy sessions at Lancaster High (17-21 June) or Knight High (29 July - 2 August) is fast approaching!  This free one-week day camp will highlight engineering, robotics, rocketry, clean tech, or other STEM projects for students.  Visit http://www.avrop.avhsd.org/Summer now to complete the on-line registration form (left/red column).  Contact instructors Bob Fenbers (Lancaster session - rfenbers@avhsd.org ) or Bill Lewis (Knight session - blewis@avhsd.org ) for further information or with questions.

PLTW CEO Inspires Antelope Valley Crowd

Invited by Bobbie Mitchell, Algebra teacher at the school, Dr. Vince Bertram, President and CEO of Project Lead the Way (c) , spoke at Amargosa Creek Middle School in Lancaster on Tuesday, 16 April, regarding not only his own personal background as a student, teacher, and administrator, but also about the 21st Century skills, opportunities, and experiences that are crucial for our students.  Some highlights of his talk included stories about faculty and staff who made a difference in his young life, providing both material goods and emotional support when they were needed, and about Bertram's son being willing to make sacrifices in his own life when his dad took over PLTW and about the decision to become a teacher, both in order to make a significant difference in the lives of others.  As part of the prelude to the speech, local STEM advocates and business partners, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, AFRL, Edwards Air Force Base, NDEP, and others, were introduced to the crowd of parents, students, and school staff.  The event received front section coverage in today's Antelope Valley Press, courtesy of Julie Drake.

Bobbie Mitchell introduces An Evening of Inspiration

Dr. Vince Bertram addresses Antelope Valley audience

Save the Date for AVUHSD Summer Pre-Engineering Internships Class

AVUHSD will once again offer a Summer Pre-Engineering Internships class for high school students between their 11th and 12th grade years, and who have taken at least one Project Lead the Way (c) pre-engineering, or specific CAD or STEM class.  The class will be held 10 June through 5 July 2013 at the AERO Institute in Palmdale, and will feature unpaid internships, as well as field trip/s, guest speaker/s, and classroom projects.  Watch here for further information on the application procedures and/or check with your pre-engineering teachers after spring break.

Update:  the online application is now available in the blue column on the right of the page at High School Summer Pre-Engineering Internship Application.

Save the Dates for 2013 Summer Gateway Academy Sessions

The dates have been set for AVUHSD  Summer Gateway Academies.  The first week will be offered at Lancaster High School from 17-21 June 2013, with the second at Knight High School from update: 29 July-2 August (a third week may be held at AV High School).  The deadline for applications to be received will be 23 May 2013.    The camps are designed to spur interest in STEM fields in 6th and 7th grade youngsters, with hands-on activities and guest speakers.  To complete the on-line registration, visit:  http://www.avrop.avhsd.org/Summer.

Grants to Foster STEM Learning

The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future has received a $95,000 grant from the Boeing Corporation to implement its "STEM Learning Studios" initiative in targeted Maryland school districts.  The STEM Learning Studios partner local scientists and engineers with inter-disciplinary teams of teachers on a campus who work together on a year-long investigative project involving a real-world problem with an aim to reach a solution.  A summit was held on 15 November with Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and education officials to engage more industry representatives in the initiative.  http://nctaf.org/featured-home/nctaf-receives-grant-from-boeing-to-implement-innovative-stem-teaching-initiative/

The US Department of Education recently announced the finalists in the 2012 Investing in Innovation (I3) grant competition.  Included among the top contenders are two STEM initiatives, both involving Project Lead the Way.  One is proposed by LEED Sacramento, and the other by Clark County Schools.  http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/2012/applications.html  The final awards are expected to be announced by 31 December 2012.

California and Kentucky Communities Models for STEM Education

Vince Bertram, in the US News "STEM Education" blog, cites industry and education partnerships in California and Kentucky as models of the way that STEM education can be operated, resulting in success for students.  Chevron's California Partnership, Project Lead the Way, and Linking Education and Economic Development "are working together to address the STEM jobs gap in California."  Likewise, "Toyota, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, the University of Kentucky, the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, and PLTW present another example of a scalable solution addressing the STEM education and workforce needs of Kentucky."  http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/stem-education/2012/08/15/industry-educators-build-in-roads-to-stem-success

Chevron Engineering Design Challenge

New video has been posted about the Chevron Engineering Design Challenge which took place at Bakersfield High School in March 2012; the event is part of Chevron's California Partnership with Project Lead the Way.  Chevron Engineering Design Challenge - Bakersfield

Teachers Participate in San Diego Project Lead the Way Training

KPBS education reporter Kyla Calvert filed a story about approximately 20 high school teachers from states ranging from Alaska to Florida attending the Project Lead the Way (c) Summer Training Institute at San Diego State University in late July.  Among them were teachers from Quartz Hill and Palmdale High Schools locally, who will go back to their classrooms and facilitate the Introduction to Engineering Design courses.  Professor Bruce Westermo of SDSU cited the need for California to grow the STEM students and workforce, which PLTW is suited to do through project-based learning.  http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/jul/23/summer-training-prepares-teachers-inspire-future-e/

AVUHSD To Host Two 2012 Summer Gateway Academy Sessions

The Antelope Valley Union High School District will host SME/PLTW (c) Summer Gateway Academy sessions for middle schoolers for the fourth consecutive year.  One week-long day camp focusing on pre-engineering and robotics will be held from 18-22 June 2012 at Lancaster High School from 7:30am to 1:00pm, and a second with pre-engineering and "green" projects will be held from 9-13 July 2012 at Knight High School in Palmdale.  There is no cost to attend, however, students must have their own transportation to and from the site and provide their own lunch.

Completed, signed application forms are due by 23 May 2012.  To download the application materials, please visit http://www.avrop.avhsd.org/ at the "Events" tab or call Rosalinda Garcia at 661.575.1035.

Sierra Sands USD Engineering Facility Completed

Sierra Sands Unified School District recently dedicated a new CTE/pre-engineering facility at Burroughs High School.  After five years of planning and construction, the building is being used for its Project Lead the Way classes.  Over 130 students are currently enrolled in the pathway in Ridgecrest.  Board members, students, teachers, and administrators are quoted as being thrilled not only with the new facility, but also the STEM education program itself.  http://www.ridgecrestca.com/news/x826299598/BHS-dedicates-CTE-building

See a related story on how the facility is expected to benefit middle schools and Cerro Coso Community College, as well.  http://www.ridgecrestca.com/news/x760624699/New-facility-will-enhance-middle-schools-college

Middle Schoolers Enjoy Summer Gateway Academy at KHS



Retired AFFTC Engineer Helps Students Assemble Solar Cars



Students Experiment with Solar Cars

 Thirty-two enthusiastic, local Antelope Valley middle school students participated in the third annual Summer Gateway Academy at Knight High School 11-15 July.  Among the activities they completed included bottle rockets, "Eggstronauts," robotics, bridge-building, and solar cars.  Volunteers from Lockheed Martin and NASA made presentations and assisted students with projects.  Instructor Bill Lewis hosted an open house with astronomy and rocket launching on Thursday evening, and there was a "culmination" ceremony on Friday afternoon, both of which were attended by parents. 

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.