Monthly Archives: January 2019

Northeastern Summer STEM Programs for Middle- and High-School Students

Summer

Northeastern University’s Center for STEM Education offers summer STEM programs for middle- and high-school students.

NUSSP is a three-week academic program (July 8-19) for students currently in Grades 5-7 who have an interest in STEM, live within 30 miles of Northeastern, and are in historically under-served and underrepresented groups with limited opportunities.  The program builds STEM knowledge and skills, introduces participants to college life, and stimulates interest in STEM careers.
The cost is $500 and a limited number of need-based scholarships are available. Applications (including two-part essay and recommendations) are due March 15. 

The Young Scholars Program, running June 24-August 1, is for current high-school juniors who live within commuting distance of Northeastern (with priority given to students who have low access to similar programs).  It offers selected students laboratory research experience, career exploration and counseling, and an introduction to college life.  Applications (including short essay questions and teacher recommendations) are due March 1.

Grades 10-11: Apply Now for ‘Girls Who Code’ Summer Immersion Program

Summer

Girls Who Code offers its free, 7-week Summer Immersion Program for girls currently in Grades 10-11 to learn computer science and get exposure to technology jobs. No previous experience is required — just an interest in technology and willingness to learn. It will be held in 23 cities, including Boston (at MIT, starting in July; dates to be announced later). Several free webinars are scheduled to explain the program. The application takes about 20-30 minutes and does not require grades or recommendations. Apply by February 15 for early acceptance or by March 15 for the regular deadline. Students may also apply for need-based stipends.

Girls Who Code: Success at Oak Hill MS

Accomplishments

Oak Hill Middle School teachers Maureen Stewart and Jessie Cadigan sent this about the school’s Girls Who Code program:

The Girls Who Code group at Oak Hill has been meeting weekly since October. We are very fortunate to have a parent volunteer, Raktim Sinha, who offered to start the group and share his knowledge of coding. The intent of GWC is to explore coding while teaching the girls self-reliance and problem-solving in a collaborative and fun environment. It has a wide interest with many girls joining across all three grades. The girls started by learning basic concepts using Scratch and now have moved on to Python. Interspersed with the coding lessons, the girls are also exploring ideas around what it means to be “courageous” and “creative.” They are currently brainstorming project ideas that they will focus on for the rest of the year.

MetroHacks Hackathon for Girls in Grades 8-12 at Microsoft NERD, Feb. 23

Events

MetroHacks, run by high-school students to host high-school hackathons in the Boston area, will host MetroHacks Women II on February 23 (8:30AM-6PM) at the Microsoft NERD Center (1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge). Young women (ages 13-18), regardless of level of experience, are invited to register for a free day of learning, programming, and competing to build applications in the areas of health, the environment, and civics. Meals and snacks are included. Adults who would like to be mentors at the event may apply here. For more information, email info@metrohacks.org.

High-School Summer STEM at University of Vermont

Summer

The University of Vermont runs a challenging 4-week summer program (July 7-19 weeks on campus, followed by July 20-August 2 online) for students who have completed Grades 10-12 and wish to explore one of these STEM fields:

  • Adventures in Neuroscience
  • Biomedical Science and Human Disease
  • Drones for Environmental Mapping
  • Health and Medicine

Admitted students may apply by March 15 for a limited number of scholarships available.

MIT Museum FebFest Vacation Events, Feb. 18-23

Vacation Programs

The MIT Museum celebrates February school vacation (February 18-23) with FebFest — a range of activities:

Events for teens and adults, included with museum admission:

  • Nautical Chain Reaction:  February 18, 10AM-Noon and 1:30-3:30PM
  • Nautical Day: February 23, 1-4PM

High-school students (free with pre-registration, which opens February 8):

  • Teen Science Cafe: February 23, 6-8:30PM. Dinner provided.

Workshops for ages 11-14 ($40 per student; pre-registration required):

  • Sail Through Engineering: February 19, 9AM-Noon
  • Structural Engineering: February 20, 9AM-Noon
  • Illuminating Protein Expression: February 22, 9AM-Noon

Walk-in workshops for ages 11+ (under 15 must be accompanied by an adult) $10 per person in addition to museum admission. On-site registration, first-come/first-served, starts at 10AM on day of workshop.

  • Sail Through Engineering: February 19 & 22, 2PM-3:30PM
  • Structural Engineering: February 20, 2PM-3:30PM
  • Intro to 3D Design: February 19 & 21, 10AM-1PM
  • Float Your Boat: February 20 & 22, 10AM-1PM

Idea Hub: Drop into the Museum’s maker space (included with museum admission; 30-minute sessions available for on-site signup on day of event)

Free, One-Week Curriculum: Resisting Scientific Misinformation

Resources

Resisting Scientific Misinformation is a free, one-week curriculum for Grades 6-12 designed to help students learn to guard against misinformation. It was created by Andy Zucker (former Senior Research Scientist at the Concord Consortium) and Penny Noyce (Tumblehome and STEM Next), with video production assistance from NOVA staff at WGBH, and it consists of four lessons and homework. Most of the class time is spent not in videos or lectures but in activities such as researching to investigate a variety of “scientific” claims. All materials, a teacher guide, and a one-page introductory flyer are freely available online.