NASCAR Fuels STEM Skills

Approximately 600 Inland Empire middle school students attended an event at the NASCAR Auto Club Speedway event in Fontana on Friday, 26 March.  The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Alliance for Excellence, and other sponsors hosted activities where students used math to solve problems related to auto racing, including calculations of speed and distance.  Several exercises had students determine tire and car performance based upon surface conditions and gradient.  Professor David Brown from the automotive technology program at Citrus College in Glendora explained the types of math and science concepts necessary for auto technicians to perform successfully in modern shops.  http://www.pe.com/local-news/topics/topics-education-headlines/20120323-education-students-apply-math-science-to-racing.ece

Lucia Mar District Will Require Graduates to Choose Career Pathway

The Lucia Mar Unified School District (in the Santa Maria, CA area) will require graduates of Arroyo Grande and Nipomo high schools to take a freshman level career class and choose one of four career pathways in order to graduate beginning in 2016.  The four pathways will include:  college/university focus for those students planning on attending a four-year university out of high school; a college/career focus for those planning on attending a community college or taking ROP courses; a specialized program focus for those attending the local New Tech High School or pre-engineering IDEA Academy; or an individual program focus for those who choose a program focus and later change it.  While there is some remaining debate and discussion over the new programs (modeled after Santa Rosa), ROP Superintendent Jim Souza explains that the school board will consider pathways and curricular changes, as well as related changes at the middle school level over the next several months.  http://santamariatimes.com/news/local/education/district-to-require-career-pathways/article_3d58286e-73eb-11e1-8390-0019bb2963f4.html

TI Foundation Provides Grant to Create "STEM District"

The TI (Texas Instruments) Foundation and Educate Texas have provided up to $4.8 million in grant funding to the Lancaster Independent School District in North Texas to scale-up their STEM education efforts district-wide.  The goal is to provide comprehensive STEM education throughout all of the schools, which could then be replicated in other districts state-wide.  The efforts will focus on "Awareness at the elementary level, Exposure and Engagement at the middle school level and will lead to Experience and Articulation at the high school level."  It will also provide professional development for teachers, as well as for the design and implementation of high-quality, rigorous curricula using innovative strategies, partnering with higher education, resulting in choices for students and workforce development for local employers.  http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/texas-instruments-foundation-educate-texas-and-lancaster-isd-partner-to-create-a-stem-district-143649966.html

TweetUp on Women in STEM on 3/22/12

Join the US Department of Energy (@ENERGY) on Thursday, 22 March 2012, beginning at 11:30am PDT, for a TweetUp on the role of women in STEM.  Use the hashtag "#STEM" to ask experts how to advance the education and empowerment of women in STEM careers.  Among the panelists are Assistant Secretary Patricia Hoffman, Technology Transfer Coordinator Dr. Katrina Edmonds, and Congresswoman Eddie B. Johnson.  Questions may be submitted before or during the event to @Energy or via e-mail to diversity@hq.doe.gov .

For more information on the Twitter session, visit http://energy.gov/articles/got-questions-about-women-science-tech-engineering-or-math-stem-tweet-us

Local Robotics Awards

Congratulations to Lancaster High School Eagle Robotics Team 399 for earning the Quality Award by Motorola and the Website Award at the Utah Regional FIRST Robotics Competition held 15-17 March in Salt Lake City.  Team 399 also finished first in the standings with a record of 10-1-0.  http://www2.usfirst.org/2012comp/Events/UT/rankings.html

Eagle Robotics also won the Quality Award by Motorola at the San Diego Regional FIRST Competition 2-4 March, as well as being Regional Finalist #2 (5-4-0); Antelope Valley High's Robolopes Team 2339 were the Regional Finalist #3 at the San Diego Regional competition (4-6-0).  http://www2.usfirst.org/2012comp/events/SDC/rankings.html

The Cyberpenguins of Tehachapi High School will be competing at upcoming regionals.

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

Members Sought for Math Curriculum Framework and and Evaluation Criteria Committee

The California Department of Education is recruiting members for the Mathematics Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee to assist in revising the math framework to incorporate the Common Core State Standards for grades K-12.  Nine to twenty members will be appointed, seeking balanced representation in regions, math content, and grade-level experience.  Committee meetings will be scheduled between September of 2012 and June of 2013.

Applications are due by no later than 18 April 2012.  For more information, visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/cf/.

NASA Student Flight Mission Challenge NOI Letters Due by 4/16/12

NASA DFRC and JPL are providing an opportunity to educators of grades 7-9 to submit a proposal for student teams regarding improved earthquake monitoring through airborne science research platforms.  "Through this challenge, students will have the opportunity to investigate, evaluate, design and present a solution to a real-world problem that will expand our understanding of earthquakes at the global level. Students will form small mission teams to create multimedia presentations that suggest a site for a new earthquake science investigation."  Proposals will be reviewed by NASA teams, and winners will be invited to participate in the AREES 2012 Summer Academy.

Notice of Intent letters are due by 16 April 2012 and student team proposals are due by no later than 21 May 2012.

For more information, visit http://aeroi.org/node/58.

Lunar and Meteorite Disk Certification Workshop 3/28/12

NASA ERC is offering a free workshop for accredited teachers of grades K-12 on Lunar and Meteorite Disk Certification on 28 March 2012 from 4:30 to 6:30pm at The AERO Institute in Palmdale.  The session will cover subjects such as Earth in space and time, Earth structures, and Earth system patterns.

Spaces are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.  For more information and to register, visit http://www.aeroi.org/ or contact Cheryl Craft at cheryl.a.craft@nasa.gov .

Bohn-Meyer Math Science Odyssey/Science Olympiad for Antelope Valley Beta Test - Respond by 3/30/12

NASA's Antelope Valley Education Team is proposing a beta test of Science Olympiad for Antelope Valley middle schools, with a ten-event competition to be held on Saturday, 12 May 2012, at Antelope Valley College.  A coach's orientation/training meeting is tentatively scheduled for 9 April 2012, either at AVC or the AERO Institute.  A minimum of twelve teams must commit to participate in order to hold the event.

For further information regarding registration and funding, please contact Russ Billings at russell.l.billings@nasa.gov .  Responses to participate must be received by no later than 4:00pm on 30 March 2012.