Monthly Archives: May 2011

NNHS Greengineers Ribbon-Cutting & Showcase

Events

On May 17, the ever-innovative NNHS Greengineers held a ribbon-cutting celebration of recent grants from Earth Day Network and UPS. Superintendent Fleishman and officials from EDN, UPS, and Green Decade saw student presentations of ongoing work in production of biodiesel fuel, making fused plastic fabric products made from recycled plastic shopping bags, and growing algae for eventual fuel production.

Earth Day Network and
UPS cut the Ribbon
Growing Algae
Removing Impurities from Biodiesel
Tote Bags and Wallets from Recycled Shopping Bags
  
Supt. Fleishman, Skylar Fox, and teachers Matt Anderson and Steve Chinosi

Workshop: Higher Ed’s Partnering with PreK-16 STEM Education, June 7 in Sturbridge

Events

On June 7 in Sturbridge, the Mass. Academy of Sciences and the Dept. of Higher Education will host a workshop for higher education STEM researchers and educators to explore how best to contribute to the ongoing transformation of STEM education in the Commonwealth. Inspired by the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council’s plan, A Foundation for the Future, this workshop aims to explore how to create processes and partnerships to increase recruitment, retention and graduation rates of undergraduates majoring in STEM. To view the agenda (PDF) or register you will need the code STEMHE2011.

Symposium: Advancing Girls in STEM, June 21

Events

On June 21 at Wellesley College, the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools will host a symposium, Advancing Girls in STEM, for K-12 educators. The agenda includes keynotes by Ioannis Miaoulis (President and Director of the Boston Museum of Science and creator of the National Center for Technological Literacy) and Dr. Ellen Ferraro (Director, Systems Architecture, Design and Integration Directorate, Raytheon and one of the Mass High Tech “Women to Watch”), as well as panel discussions on engaging and retainer girls’ interest in STEM.

NewtonSTEM Informal Gathering at Apgujung, May 12

Events

Would you like to see who else is involved in NewtonSTEM — or explore with others what NewtonSTEM can do to support STEM in Newton?  Come to NewtonSTEM’s first informal gathering — Thursday, May 12 at 7:30PM at Apgujung (1114 Beacon Street, just west of Walnut; www.apgujungrestaurant.com).  We’ll be in the bar area to your left as you enter.  Bring your ideas, questions, enthusiasm for STEM — and money for any drinks or food you order.  To help the restaurant plan ahead, please RSVP here so we can have an approximate count.  Thanks.

Scientific American: ‘Bring Science Home’ in May

Resources

Scientific American has created Bring Science Home, a month-long series of activities for kids 6-12 years old to see how science is fascinating and part of everyday life.   A new activity will be posted every day in May.  Each can be done at home in just a few minutes using common household items and is easy to clean up.  The activities were developed in collaboration with members of the National Science Teachers Association.

MA STEM Operations Board: “@Scale” Endorsement of STEM Projects — Application Deadline May 17

Great ideas, Resources

The Governor’s STEM Advisory Council’s Operations Board announced today the @Scale Initiative to endorse current STEM projects that:

  1. Address specific performance gaps in the goals of the Massachusetts Statewide STEM Plan (PDF) and
  2. Have the potential to scale up for statewide implementation.

Projects that receive @Scale Endorsements will be listed on the STEM Pipeline website so that potential funding partners may seek more detailed information and solicit proposals from project leaders for specific scale-up initiatives. Project leaders will then directly engage funding and implementation partners to establish coalitions for implementation. Continue reading MA STEM Operations Board: “@Scale” Endorsement of STEM Projects — Application Deadline May 17 →

NNHS Greengineers Win Grants from Earth Day Network, UPS

Accomplishments, Events

The Newton North HS Greengineers — the NNHS STEM think-tank spanning Chemistry, Engineering, Physics, Economics, Finance, Design, and Industrial Safety — has won a grant from Earth Day Network and UPS to purchase new biodiesel engineering and chemical equipment for its research on problems and issues that affect local and global communities. A ribbon-cutting celebration will be held at 1:30PM on May 17 at NNHS with Mayor Setti Warren, Superintendent Fleishman, Principal Jen Price, and officials from Earth Day Network and UPS.

You can also see the Greengineers at EarthFest on Boston Common on Saturday, May 21 with their partner, Whole Foods Markets.  The students will present their Greengineering research and all their projects at tables and booths throughout the day.

Newton’s Rosenstein Wins Prestigious ‘Inspire’ Award in FIRST World Championships

Accomplishments

Newton’s Sam Rosenstein is a student at Gann Academy and a member of the school’s FIRST team, Robots and Brain Bots Inc. (R.A.B.B.I.), which competed among 127 other teams from 29 countries in the 2011 FIRST Championship in St. Louis April 28-30. The R.A.B.B.I.s won the FIRST Tech Challenge Inspire Award and will receive an invitation to the White House! Formed just this year, the R.A.B.B.I.s also won the Inspire award at the New York State FIRST Tech Challenge — the second competition they entered.

The Inspire Award is the “most prestigious FIRST Tech Challenge award, given to the team that truly embodies the ‘challenge’ of the FTC program. The winning team is judged as having best represented a role model FTC Team and is a top contender for all other judging categories and a strong competitor on the field.” Congratulations to Sam and his R.A.B.B.I. teammates!