Lancaster MPAF STEAM Scholarship Essays Due 10/1/15

The Lancaster Museum and Public Art Foundation is accepting essay submissions for a new STEAM scholarship.  Open to high school juniors and seniors throughout the Antelope Valley, the 500-650 word essays will address the topic: "How art and technology will impact the future of the Antelope Valley."  Submissions, due by October 1, 2015,  will be judged on their demonstration of skills in writing, critical thinking and creativity.  The winner will receive a $500 scholarship and a tour of ABC 7 television studio.  The student and his/her family will be honored at the October 17, 2o15 MOAH gala.

For further information, visit:  www.lmpaf.org

State of STEM and ARTS 5/21/14

The LA Regional STEM Hub will host "The State of STEM + Arts" at the Los Angeles Times Building on 21 May 2014.  Registration begins at 7:30am, and the event runs from 8:30 to 11:40am.  The convening will focus on multi-industry collaborations to advance STEM and arts education for workforce development.  For more information and to register, go to State of STEM + Arts .

On a related note, Vital Link of Orange County will be hosting the 2014 STEM and the Arts Career Showcase at the OC Fair and Event Center on 11-13 April 2014.  For more information, see OC STEM and the Arts Career Showcase .

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

 

Claremont Graduate University Publishes Inaugural Digital "STEAM Journal"

Claremont Graduate University has published its inaugural on-line "The STEAM Journal" dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.  To access it, read and download papers under Digital Commons rights, visit Claremont Graduate University "The STEAM Journal" Inaugural Issue .

Experts Believe Arts Should Be Added to STEM

As recently reported in Education Week, a number of experts opine that instruction in the arts not only engages and motivates students, but also sparks creativity and innovation; as a result, they believe that the "A" for art should be added into the STEM acronym to make STEAM.  The National Science Foundation and Department of Education have offered grants and conferences related to an art-science-design curriculum framework similar to that seen at a number of universities in recent years, marrying fine arts/design or business with engineering coursework.  Rhode Island Congressman James Langevin recently introduced a House resolution to highlight the relationship between the arts and STEM.  The article notes that the idea is not new, as pointed up by a 2008 study showing Nobel Laureates' proclivity for involvement in the arts.  http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/12/01/13steam_ep.h31.html?qs=STEAM (registration required to read the full article)  Numerous examples of the intersection of art and science in school programs are given in the article.

In the Antelope Valley Union High School District, the marriage of art and STEM is shown through the existence of such programs as the Digital Design & Engineering Academy at Knight High School and the FAST (Falcon Academy of Sustainable Technologies) Academy at Palmdale High School, and multimedia programs at many school sites; the AVUHSD is also a participant in the AV Chambers' ArtSTEM Fair held twice per year at the Van Dam Pavilion at the AV Fairgrounds (next event scheduled for Sunday, 6 May).