Each year the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs recognizes individuals and groups with awards for excellence in environmental or energy education. Nominations of school programs, teachers, and students will be accepted until March 30. Winners will be notified in April and invited to an award ceremony at the State House.
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SheHacks Boston: Hackathon, Jan. 26-28
SheHacks Boston aims to the be largest student-run hackathon for female and femme non-binary high school and college students 16 years or older. It will be held over 36 hours, January 26-28 at Boston University. Hear keynote speakers; attend optional workshops to learn how to code; address challenges and win prizes; network with technology companies; benefit from mentorship. Learn more here. It’s free, and meals will be provided Friday night through Sunday brunch. Online registrations will be accepted on a rolling basis, and walk-ins may be available. Teams will be formed via a Facebook group and also in-person at the event. Volunteers and mentors of all genders are welcome.
Two More Local Camp Fairs Showcasing Summer Programs
In addition to the Teen Summer Program Expo on January 29, here are two more free opportunities to learn about summer programs for kids:
On January 28, the City of Newton will hold its annual Camp Fair in the Newton North HS cafeteria, noon to 4PM. From noon to 3PM, entertainment will be provided by Wicked Cool Science, enabling kids to build and launch air rockets. Participating organizations include Newton Parks and Recreation, Newton Public Schools, Newton Community Education, Newton Free Library, and Historic Newton.
On February 11, the Newton England Camp Fair will be held at Bigelow Middle School, 11:30AM-2:30PM. While many of the exhibiting programs have a STEM component, the following have a particularly focus on STEM: Edge on Science, Empow Studios, Exploration School, LINX Camps, and Zaniac Learning Center.
‘Dream Big’ IMAX Film at Museum of Science
Boston’s Museum of Science is showing a new IMAX film, Dream Big: Engineering Our World, now through June 30 to highlight “the human ingenuity behind engineering marvels big and small and show how engineers push the limits of innovation in amazing and unexpected ways.” It’s recommended for Grades 3-12 and adults. Take a look at the film’s accompanying Educator’s Guide.
Jr. Tech One-Day Program on Sharks for Grades 5-7, Feb. 3
Jr. Tech will host instructors from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy for a program on shark biology, anatomy, and dissection for students in Grades 5-7 on Saturday, February 3, 9AM-3PM at Barnstable United School in Marstons Mills. The cost is $85. Register online.
MIT OMEGA Scholarships for Grades 11-12 Making Intergenerational Connections
Applications are now open until March 31 for New England high-school juniors and seniors to apply for OMEGA scholarships sponsored by the MIT AgeLab and AARP. Three OMEGA college scholarships are available (offering $1000 to the student plus $1000 to his/her high school) to recognize efforts of young adults in creating multi-generational connections in their communities. For more information, contact omegamit@mit.edu or 617-253-1894.
LigerBots Win Worldwide Recognition for Safety Video
Congratulations to the LigerBots — Newton’s robotics team spanning both high schools — for placing first in a worldwide competition to create a short animated video explaining and supporting safety guidelines of FIRST robotics competitions. Winning the 2018 FIRST Safety Animation Award, sponsored by UL, is a highly visible achievement, as the team’s safety video will be seen by about 500,000 spectators at various FIRST robotics competitions worldwide throughout the 2018 season. On the LigerBots blog, the team describes the inspiration and challenges of creating this engaging, informative video based on the theme of this year’s competition, Power Up.
Late Nite Skies at FSU Planetarium: Phantom of the Universe, Jan. 19
The Christa McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University opens its planetarium for free public presentations on the third Friday of each month (except April). The presentation on January 19, for adults and teens 14 years and older, will be an encore showing of Phantom of the Universe, a full-dome film about the exploration of dark matter by the world’s top physics labs, including CERN. After the film, Dr. Vandana Singh, FSU’s Chair of Physics and Earth Science, discuss the work being done by scientists at facilities like CERN. Registration is required and opens January 12.
MIT Edgerton Center Maker Workshops for Educators
MIT’s Edgerton Center offers a series of one-day, hands-on workshops for Grade K-12 educators to learn about setting up (or improving) makerspaces. Each session costs $275 and is limited to 18 participants. Register here. For more information, email Diane Brancazio at dianeb@mit.edu.
Tufts CEEO Survey Seeks Your Input on Summer Design & Engineering Workshops
Through a brief online survey, Tuft’s Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO) seeks input from Grade K-12 students and their parents about their interests in ideas for planning summer Design and Engineering workshops. Take the survey here.