All posts by newtonstem

Mass. Life Sciences Center: High School Lab Training and Summer Internships

Opportunities, Summer

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center will offer after-school lab training and summer internships to high-school students in Grades 10-12.

The after-school Lab Training Program is for underrepresented minority or economically disadvantaged students, to prepare them for summer internships.  It will be administered by the BioBuilder Educational Foundation over 8 weeks this spring in two locations:  MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering and Worcester Technical High School.

The Summer Internship Program connects students with employers throughout the state and subsidizes intern stipends (up to $12 per hour, for a total of up to $2,880 for six weeks) so that life sciences companies and academic researchers can hire interns. Employers provide a mentor and a hands-on learning experience. Employers sign up here and students sign up here.

ProjectCSGIRLS-Yahoo Computer Science Workshop for Middle-School Girls, Feb. 18

Events, Opportunities

ProjectCSGIRLS is a non-profit aiming to address the gender gap in computer science through workshops and a national competition. ProjectCSGIRLS and Yahoo will host a free computer-science workshop for middle-school girls on February 18, 10AM-2PM at Yahoo’s Boston office (31 St. James Avenue, Suite 11A, Boston), to kick off a national competition in using computer science to address an imminent social problem.  Workshop sessions will include web development, social impact and design thinking, mobile app ddevelopment, game programming, presentation by Yahoo Engineers, ‘Women in Tech’ panel, robotics, and bioengineering. Registration for the workshop is first-come/first-served. Individuals and teams may also register for the competition by February 20., and projects are due April 15.

STEM Programs During February Break, Feb. 20-24

Opportunities

STEM programs during the February school break (February 20-24):

  • Math Camp at Mathnasium: Choose any number of days for individualized programs: Addition Mastery, Multiplication Hero, Fabulous Fractions, Decimals, Percents, MCAS practice.  Up to 4 students per Instructor; $49 – $63 per day.
  • Empow Studios’ Tech & Design Camp:  5 days ($380 half days, $645 full days) at Leventhal-Sidman JCC in Newton and in other locations in Lexington and Belmont.
  • Ecotarium in Worcester:  Tuesday-Friday.  A wide range of science discovery programs, table-top activities, and planetarium shows.  Note: This is not a drop-off program.

Two Political Events in Defense of Science, Feb. 18 & 19

Events

These two events coincide with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Boston next weekend:

  • Defending Science and Scientific Integrity in the Age of Trump, Saturday, February 18, 4-5PM, at the Sheraton Boston Hotel (Back Bay A Room), 39 Dalton St., Boston.  The Union of Concerned Scientists will convene a panel discussion about the consequences of political interference in science, the benefits of independent science-based policy making, and strategies to defend science, scientists and science-based policy making. RSVP here.
  • Rally to Stand Up for Science, Sunday, February 19, 12-1:30PM, in Copley Square. Sponsored by ClimateTruth.org, The Natural History Museum,  Union of Concerned Scientists, 500 Women Scientists, 350 Mass for a Better Future, Alliance for Climate Education, Toxics Action Center, and Greenpeace USA. RSVP here.

Free Workshop for ‘Informal Educators’ on Mass. STE Standards, Feb. 27

Events, Opportunities

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary Secondary Education and the Museum of Science will co-host a free workshop at the museum on February 27, 9AM-12PM, for educators in ‘Informal Science Institutions’ to discuss the 2016 Science / Technology / Engineering standards. Register online. For more information, contact Marianne Dunne (Marianne.dunne@doe.mass.edu) or Lesley Kennedy (lkennedy@mos.org).

Summer Training for Mathematicians to be Expert Witnesses on Redistricting and Gerrymandering

Opportunities

Tufts University will run a one-week summer course (August 7-11) to train mathematicians to be expert witnesses for court cases in electoral redistricting and gerrymandering. The course is designed for, but not limited to, those with doctoral training in mathematics. Topics will include the Voting Rights Act, geometric compactness, GIS, being an expert witness, and ideas for including voting and civil rights in mathematics teaching. Some sessions will be open to the public and others will be for official participants. Applications will be available online during February 15-March 31. To get on the mailing list, email gerrymandr@gmail.com.

“e” Inc.’s New Environmental Science Discovery & Action Museum is Open

Resources

“e” Inc.’s new Environment Science Discovery & Action Museum opened in (114 16th Street, Room 1030, in the Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown) on January 30. It’s aimed at Grades 3-7, and its first exhibit is “Weather and Climate: Our Changing World.” About 50 classrooms and after-school groups have already signed up for 4-hour visits. Teachers and group leaders may schedule visits here ($3 per student + $10 per adult after the first 3 adults). Starting at the end of March, the museum will be open to the public on Saturdays, 10AM-4PM, with online signups for reservations opening in mid-March.

Mass. Eye & Ear Seeks Athletes, Age 12-18, for Larynx Study

Opportunities

A doctoral candidate in the Voice and Speech Lab at Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston is studying larynx disorders leading to breathing problems during physical activity. The lab seeks research subjects who are athletes 12-18 years old with no atypical breathing problems during exercise. Each selected participant will have his/her larynx examined by a tiny camera. Participants will receive a $50 gift card and be able to experience “science in action” and learn about speech-language pathology. For more information, contact Adrianna Shembel at Adrianna_Shembel@meei.harvard.edu or 617-702-2619.

Register for Science on Saturday (Weather) at MIT Lincoln Labs, Mar. 11

Events

Registration is now open for two Saturday-morning sessions of Science on Saturday, on March 11 at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory (244 Wood Street in Lexington).   The topic will be The Science of Weather.  All children (5-17 years) must be escorted by an adult, and every adult must be escorted by a child or children.  Children under 5 are not admitted.  Admission is free but each person attending must be registered.  Space is limited, so register online soon for either Session 1 (9AM to 10:30AM) or Session 2: 10:45AM to 12:15PM).  Adults must bring government photo identification.  See other rules on the registration pages.