All posts by newtonstem

Empow Studios: BUILD After-School, One-Day Holiday Camps, Vacation Camps

After School, Vacation Programs
Empow Studios‘ award-winning BUILD After School Program is enrolling for the fall semester (September 6 – December 2). Classes meet for 90 minutes per week with an 8:1 student:instructor ratio for all on-campus classes. Empow’s Project-Based-Learning (PBL) encourages students to progress through lessons at their own pace. Register here.
Empow’s One-Day Holiday and Vacation Camps run on days when schools are closed, offering STEM projects and exploration in Video Game Design, Digital Animation, Stop-Motion Animation, 3D Art & Printing, 3D Architecture, and Coding/Programming Fundamentals.

Discovery Museum webinar: Coding, Computational Thinking, and Robotics in Early Childhood, Sept. 22

Events, Virtual/Online

The Discovery Museum will host an online presentation — Playgrounds vs. Playpens: Coding, Computational Thinking, and Robotics in Early Childhood — on September 22, 7PM-8:30PM on Zoom. The speaker, Prof. Marina Umaschi Bers, holds appointments in Tufts University’s Department of Child Study and Human Development and Department of Computer Science. Drawing on her recent book, Beyond Coding: How Children Learn Human Values through Programming, she will speak about how coding should be taught not only as a technical skill but as a new literacy, enabling children to express themselves and engage with the world and others. Registration is free, and a $5 donation to the Discovery Museum is appreciated.

TechGirlz: Free, Online Workshops for Girls in Grades 5-8

After School, Summer, Virtual/Online

TechGirlz, a nonprofit program of CompTIA, is hosting an ongoing series of free, online workshops running in two-hour sessions for girls in Grades 5-8. The topics between now and mid-October are:

  • Artificial Intelligence: How Computers Learn
  • Python Programming
  • Intro to Encryption – How to Protect Your Information
  • Architecture and Design: Build Your Own 3D House
  • Designing Mobile Apps
  • Cybersecurity Basics: How to Manage Cyber Risks

In addition, TechGirlz will run a one-day, virtual Code Some Chords Mini-Camp on August 27, 10AM-3PM.

MassRobotics 5th Annual Robot Block Party: School Visits Sept. 30; Open to Public Oct. 1

Events

MassRobotics will hold its 5th Annual Robot Block Party on October 1,  11AM-4PM  — free and open to the public — at the Seaport Common (85 Northern Avenue, Boston.  More than 40 companies and universities will offer demonstrations, presentations, hands-on interactions with robots, games, and more.

On September 30 is School STEM Field Trip Day, when schools for Grades 7-12 are invited for 1.5 hours of interactive activities and demonstrations from FIRST robotics teams, drones, robotic hands, and more. Teachers may register here for visits to be scheduled 9:30AM-3PM that day.

Science Club For Girls: Recruiting Volunteer Mentors for Fall Semester

Opportunities

Science Club for Girls seeks women and gender-expansive individuals who are working or studying in STEM fields in the Greater Boston area to be volunteer mentors teaching hands-­on STEM explorations for SCFG youth in Grades K-8, alongside high school Junior Mentors. Volunteers commit to two hours a week for eight weeks, either after school or on Saturdays. Curriculum and materials are provided. In-person and online mentoring opportunities are available. Apply here.

MAST Awards: Nominate a Science Teacher by Oct. 15

Opportunities

Nominations are open until October 15 for several awards for science teachers from the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers (MAST):

  • 14 county-level science educator awards
  • 1 award for an exemplary new teacher
  • 1 award for a distinguished “friend of science” working with educators
  • 1 award for a K-8 teacher who is inspirational in environmental education
  • MAST State Educator of the Year

Anyone may submit a nomination by completing this online form. All nominees will be notified of their nominations, and awards will be presented at the MAST Annual Conference.  For more information, contact Laura Carlin at awards@massscienceteach.org.

Highland Street Foundation’s August Adventures: Something Free Each Day

Events, Opportunities

The Highland Street Foundation is once again hosting August Adventures, its community program partnering with Massachusetts cultural institutions to provide the general public with a free activity each day for every day in August. Among all 31 institutions participating in August Adventures by offering free admission on one day in August are these STEM-related institutions: