As part of its “Eye on Education” series, CBS Boston news recently profiled The Innovation Institute — an extracurricular STEM enrichment program in Newtonville for elementary and middle-school students designed to complement and supplement in-school programs (CBS video here). The Innovation Institute employs scientists and engineers as instructors to get kids inspired and engaged in hands-on STEM for high achievement. It recently announced its Spring and Summer programs:
Spring: Enrollment is open now for At the Frontiers, which enables students in Grades 7 and 8 (and in some cases advanced 6th graders) to investigate leading-edge, interdisciplinary topics in science and engineering. In the course’s “flipped” model, up to 10 students prepare for seminar-style discussion by reading all assigned materials in advance. The 12-week course starting March 27 will focus on biomedical topics such as:
- Medical nanotechnology
- Emerging cancer therapies
- Quantum mechanics and neurobiology
- 3D printing and medical applications
- Vaccines
- Tissue engineering
- Microbiomes on the human body
Summer: Enrollment will open February 5 for summer courses in biochemistry and molecular biology as well as one-week mini-courses such as:
- Biology in our Backyard: Investigating the Urban Landscape (grades K-1)
- Architects of the Future: Using Recycled Materials for Creating a ‘Greener’ City (grades K-1)
- Alternative Energies Explorations I: Building Solar Vehicles (grades 2-3)
- Science that you Can Taste: Exploring the Chemistry of Cooking (grades 4-5)
- Sustainable Fashion: Designing Wearables with Zero Waste (grades 5-6)
- Alternative Energies Explorations II: Building Hydrogen Vehicles (grades 5-6, 6-7)
- Alternative Energies Explorations III: Building a MagLev Transport System (grades 5-6, 6-7)
- Hand’s On 3D Printing: Experiencing the Third Dimension (grades 6-8)