Category Archives: Opportunities

Olin College of Engineering: Summer Engineering Camps

Posted on June 16, 2013 by newtonstem in Opportunities

The Olin College of Engineering in Needham is holding two engineering camps at MIT this summer for grades 2-6 to raise money for a development work trip to Uganda.  One is from July 29 to August 2, and the other is from August 12 to 16.  In these camps, kids will learn about engineering of energy systems, building a sustainable city with solar panels, wind turbines, Legos, and more.  Interested parents should contact Dr. Abigail Mechtenberg at engineeringofenergy@gmail.com. The cost of each camp is $750 per student, but there are several scholarships available if a family is unable to pay the full fee. The majority of the program fee serves to support Olin students’ development work in Uganda.

Register Now for MIT Summer HSSP & and School-Year Delve Programs

Posted on June 16, 2013 by newtonstem in Opportunities

MIT offers its Summer HSSP on Sundays from July 7 through August 18 on the MIT campus.  It offers students entering 7th grade through first year of college an in-depth look at a variety of both academic and nonacademic subjects (see catalog).  Cost is $40, with generous financial aid available.  Registration is now open, on a first-come first-served basis, until July 1.

On Sundays during the school year, MIT’s Delve program offers academically motivated students in grades 9-12 a chance to learn exciting academic topics such as Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, Psychology, and Statistics.  The program prepares students to take an AP exam.  Classes are four hours on Sunday mornings and early afternoons.  Registration is open on a rolling basis until courses are filled.  Cost is $250 (plus book deposit and AP exam fee) with generous financial aid available.  For more information, email delve@mit.edu.

NNHS Science Team Seeks Donations & Sponsors for National Meets

Posted on June 16, 2013 by newtonstem in Accomplishments, Opportunities

The Newton North HS Science Team has had a stellar year of competitions and has qualified for two national competitions: one in Florida at the end of June and one in Bozeman, Montana, in August.  The team is now preparing to compete and seeking to raise approximately $10,000 to offset the expenses for these trips.  Newton community members can help in two ways.

  1. Donations can be sent to the NNHS Science Team c/o Amy Winston,
    Department Head for Science, NNHS, 457 Walnut Street, Newton, MA 02460.
    (Checks can be made out to the “City of Newton” with “NNHS Science Team” in the memo line.)
  2. Corporate sponsors are being recruited and will be acknowledged on the team’s banners and t-shirts for these competitions as well as through local media after the competitions.  Companies and organizations interested in being sponsors should contact Ms. Winston at amy_winston@newton.k12.ma.us.

The NNHS Envirothon team finished first in a statewide competition last month, coming in first place in all ecostations (Soils, Wildlife, Water, and Forestry) and second place in its Current Issue presentation on the condition of Newton’s ailing urban forest and street trees.  In all, the NNHS Science Team participated in seven competitions this year and placed in the top ten in each.

MassBay Summer Programs for Middle and High School Students

Posted on May 16, 2013 by newtonstem in Opportunities

MassBay Community College in Wellesley Hills will offer these 10-day summer STEM programs:

High School:  Summer Bridge Program on state-of-the-art engineering, robotics and digital media techniques, for college credit.  $100 for two weeks.  Contact Prof. Susanne Steiger Escobar at ssteigerescobar@massbay.edu.

Middle School (entering Grades 7/8):  Future Cities Program in which students participate in class projects that will strengthen Math, Biology, Physics and Chemistry concepts while having fun.  $300 for two weeks.  Contact Kristen Sutherland at ksutherland@massbay.edu or 781-239 2702.

MIT BLOSSOMS Initiative Seeks Teachers to Make STEM Videos

Posted on May 16, 2013 by newtonstem in Opportunities

MIT’s BLOSSOMS program offers a free online repository of interactive video lessons for high school STEM classes, based on new teaching and learning styles promoted by the National Research Council’s A Framework for K-12 Science Education.  Massachusetts science teachers are invited to learn about these pedagogical methods and help create new lessons in a two-day workshop at MIT in July.  Interested teachers should attend one of the informational workshops, of which the closest to Newton is May 28 in Cambridge.  To sign up or get more information, email Elizabeth Murray at emurray@mit.edu.

WPI “TouchTomorrow” Festival of Science, Tech, Robotics: June 8

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Agi Sardi in Opportunities

In celebration of its second year hosting a NASA Centennial Challenge, WPI is once again transforming its campus into a family-friendly festival of science and technology. Come to TouchTomorrow 2013 on Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for an out-of-this world experience filled with interactive exhibits, learning, games, and fun.  The event is free and open to the public.  NASA will bring a wide-variety of very cool displays and WPI will host hands on activities and lab tours.  In addition, local programs like FIRST and the Museum of Science will have demonstrations and displays.
http://wp.wpi.edu/touchtomorrow/about-the-festival

And two days earlier — June 6 from 4PM to 6PM — , the WPI STEM Education Center will host an event for PK-12 teachers, administrators, informal educators, and home school parents to:

  • Engage in a hands-on STEM session led by an Aerospace Education Specialist from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; activities will be matched by grade band (K-5; 6-12)
  • Learn about the Sample Return Robot Centennial Challenge
  • Meet some of the robotics teams that took part in the challenge and learn about the different robot designs.

The event is free and open to all educators but requires registration at www.wpi.edu/academics/stem/touchtomorrow-invite.html.  For information contact Mia Dubosarsky at mdubosarsky@wpi.edu.

National Astronomy Day at the Clay Center, May 18

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Agi Sardi in Events, Opportunities

Clay Center Observatory, in collaboration with the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston (ATMoB), will host a free public event for National Astronomy day, Saturday, May 18, 4PM-10PM outdoors and 5PM-8PM indoors. The event will include day and night telescope viewing, planetarium and laser light shows, kite flying, Re/Max balloon rides, rocket launches, robots demonstrations, talks by Galileo himself, hands-on educational activities for all ages, and children’s door prizes. Register for chances to win telescopes, meteorites, and more. Free Astronomy souvenir for first 300 children. Food Stand open 4:30-7:30PM. On the campus of Dexter & Southfield Schools, 20 Newton Street, in Brookline.

4:00 – Outdoor events begin with rockets, kites, solar telescopes
5:00 – Indoor events run from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm – science exhibitors
7:00 – Indoor Kite Flying in the Hockey Rink 7-9 pm – kites that need no wind!
8:00 – Sunset, night telescopes for viewing the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter

Tuesday Evening Public Telescope Viewings – now through May

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Agi Sardi in Events, Opportunities

The Clay Center Observatory will be open, weather permitting, for public telescope nights on Tuesdays through May. Check the Clay Center web site for times and details: www.claycenter.org. On the campus of Dexter & Southfield Schools, 20 Newton Street, in Brookline.

Observatory Night: Black Hole Chaos, May 16

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Agi Sardi in Events, Opportunities

The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics will host a free Observatory Night and lecture on Thursday, May 16, at 7:30PM at Phillips Auditorium, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge. The topic: Giant black holes at the centers of galaxies — the most powerful engines in the universe. In active galaxies they blast out jets of material at near-light-speed, and when galaxies collide, their black holes merge with a dramatic burst of gravitational waves that can kick the black hole out of the galaxy entirely. Travel to the lairs of these hungry monsters and uncover their secrets. This Observatory Night talk will be followed by viewing through telescopes (weather permitting). Free and open to the public. For more information: pubaffairs@cfa.harvard.edu, 617-495-7461, More info: www.cfa.harvard.edu

Summer Program in Architecture for Teens at MIT

Posted on April 22, 2013 by newtonstem in Opportunities

The Summer Design/Build for Teens is the highlight of MIT/URBANFRAME’s annual research and design schedule. Started in 2009, the program now accepts 50 youth, ages 15-19, from the U.S. and abroad. Under the guidance of graduate teaching fellows and architect/professor, teams design and build full-scale structures for the community. No prior experience in architecture or construction is required. Monday-Friday, 9AM-3PM. Two sessions (or both): July 1-19 and July 22-August 9.