Edge on Science reports that an anonymous benefactor is providing up to 14 partial to full scholarships for families who would like to send their children to a summer STEM program. Over the remaining four weeks of Edge on Science STEM programs at Lasell University (Newton) and Endicott College (Beverly) this summer, there are nine different week-long STEM adventures to choose from. All are led by an engineer, scientist, inventor, and/or scholar. Programs are available for students entering Grades 3-12 in the fall, and there are positions for Counselor in Training (CIT) too. To inquire, families should call Edge on Science at 315-773-5673.
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Empow Studios: Discounts on summer STEM camps
Empow Studios is offering a $75 discount on summer camps. Register by July 27 using discount code SUMMERDAYS. Campers who enroll in multiple weeks of camp can also save up to an additional $100 per week. Popular camps include Coding, STEM Exploration, and Minecraft. Empow offers refunds up to 14 days before camp starts (minus a $10 registration fee).
MITES Symposiums: High-school students present their work, July 21 & Aug. 2-3
MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering & Science (MITES) provides transformative experiences to bolster confidence, create lifelong community, and build foundations in STEM for highly motivated students in Grades 7-12 from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. The MITES students who are rising seniors will be presenting their work in two symposiums. Register here to attend:
- July 21: MITES Summer, in-person, 8:30AM-5PM
- August 2-3: MITES Semester, virtual, 6PM-9PM each day
Register by June 27 for MIT’s Virtual HSSP — Sundays in Summer for Grades 7-12+
MIT’s Summer HSSP is a weekend academic program (July 9-August 13) for students entering Grades 7-12 (plus those who just graduated high school). Courses are run virtually on Zoom by volunteers on Sundays at various times between 1PM and 4PM. Registration is now open until June 27 on a lottery basis, with equal consideration given to all applicants registering by that deadline. The cost is $50 regardless of the number of courses taken, and generous financial aid is available. For more information, email summer-hssp@mit.edu. The course catalog for this summer contains these 17 STEM courses:
- StudentS’ STEM (S3) — an approach empowering students
- How to Make a Dragon: Introduction to Synthetic Biology
- Introduction to Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
- DIY: Mini Magnetically-Levitated Trains
- Circuits Analysis 101
- Modeling Mechanics and Circuits via Differential Equations and JavaScript
- Introduction to Computational Statistics
- More Than One Variable? – An Introduction to Multivariable Calculus
- Developmental Immunology
- Cancer Warriors: Unleashing the Power of Your Immune System against Cancer
- From Earth to Space: Introduction to Space Medicine
- Electrifying Biochemistry
- Saving the World with the Science of Sustainability!
- Nuclear Reactors: Science and Operation
- How the Earth Moves Below the Sea: An Intro to Conducting Marine Geophysical Research
- Relativity and Black Holes
- Everything they don’t tell you about Mathematics
New England Sci-Tech STARS: Ham Radio Field Day, June 24-25
The New England Sci-Tech hosts the STARS – Amateur Radio Club, open to all ages, beginners to experts. On June 24-25 (2PM Saturday to 2PM Sunday), STARS will participate in ARRL Field Day, when licensed amateur radio operators worldwide participate in contests and practice exercises of radio skills. The STARS event takes place at New England Sci-Tech (16 Tech Circle, Natick). The Field Day event runs outside in vans and tents running off alternative power to simulate emergency conditions, but the building is open for tours, restrooms, maker activities, etc.)
Discovery Museum in Acton: Free Friday Nights
The Discovery Museum (177 Main Street, Acton) will offer free admission on summer Fridays, 4:30PM-8PM. (Treehouse and Discovery Woods close at dusk.) Reservations are required and can be made 10 days in advance. Donations of non-perishable food will be gratefully received for Open Table and the Acton Food Pantry.
Museum of Science: EiE offers summertime STEM activities for families
EiE, a program of Boston’s Museum of Science, offers EiE Families — STEM activities, games and more for families with children ages 4-11 to continue learning in the summer, at home and on the go. Available in English and Spanish, these at-home activities offer engaging, real-world design challenges using commonly found around the home. Activities include:
- Bye, Bye Bug: Help Kenji and Emi engineer a solution to relocate a bug found in their bedroom!
- A Story to Remember: Use sequencing skills to think of a story and relate it to the story Nur, Fitri, and Fakhri are trying to remember.
- I Spy Technologies: Make a trip to the store or laundromat more fun as you spot technologies all around you.
- Technology Categories: Think of as many technologies as you can to solve different problems, like cooking food or making light.
- Technology Deck: Use this deck of 52 technology cards to play seven different games. Use the printable version for a true card game experience or download the mobile version for your cell phone or tablet.
Families and educators can also organize a STEM Event at school or in a community space for learners and their families to work on engineering challenges in a group setting.
Mustang Math recruits HS and college volunteers for next year
Mustang Math is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization of high school and college volunteers promoting a collaboration and curiosity in mathematics among middle school students globally. It does this through annual math tournaments and low-cost, high-quality math classes. It’s now recruiting high-school and college students to volunteer for the next school year. Opportunities include writing problems, organizing tournaments/events, building software, working on design and marketing, engaging the community, building YouTube videos, and more. Register your interest here.
HMNH Science Spotlights: Young scientists discuss big questions, June 10
Harvard Museum of Natural History will host Science Spotlights on June 10, 2PM-3:30PM, where up-and-coming young scientists will present short talks about questions at the forefront of research today. For ages 10+. Free for those admitted to the museum.
2PM: Exploring Other Worlds with Victoria DiTomasso, Center for Astrophysics. Take a look at distant planets outside of the solar system, retrace the steps to the discovery of the first so-called exoplanet, and see how astronomers like DiTomasso use the movement of stars to learn about the exoplanets that revolve around them.
3PM: Tales of Zircon: Adventures in Understanding Deep Time with Dr. Heather Kirkpatrick, Drabon Group. Geologists use the rock record to understand what the Earth was like millions of years ago. But what happens when we explore periods of history so long ago that we no longer have these rocks? Kirkpatrick will discuss her work on using the chemistry of minerals to understand these long-ago times in Earth’s history.
LigerBots Host Info Night about FIRST LEGO League Robotics, June 14
Newton families with students in ages 4-16 — who are interested in STEAM and/or robotics (or think they may be!) — are invited to a free information session about First Lego League (FLL), on Wednesday, June 14, 7:00-8:30PM, hosted by Newton’s high school robotics team, the LigerBots. Parents, guardians, students, and potential mentors can learn about how the FLL season and competitions run, what is required to participate, and what students can gain from the experience. This Info Night will be held at Newton North High School, in the Film Lecture Hall (off the main lobby). There will be hands-on STEAM activities for children while adults are in the presentation. Sign up here.
FIRST Lego League (FLL) is an annual robotics competition in which teams of 2-10 students build a robot, solve engineering challenges, and learn in a friendly competition. FLL offers different divisions for ages 4-6, 6-10, and 9-16+. Older students compete in LEGO robot competitions and complete research projects, while younger students do hands-on activities using LEGO or LEGO DUPLO bricks, and explore real-world scientific problems.
Several LigerBots students started in the FIRST program by participating in FLL. A few of the speakers at the FLL info night will be past FLL participants, ready to share experiences and answer questions. They will provide information on how students can start their own teams — and how adults do not need backgrounds in engineering to be successful FLL coaches!
The LigerBots have been extremely generous in supporting FIRST LEGO League in Newton. The team hosts the Newton Qualifier FLL tournament every year and the Massachusetts East FLL Championship most years. The team also runs a STEAM activity expo alongside at least one of its tournaments each year. The public is invited in to watch the tournament and children are invited to do activities at the STEAM expo.
For more information, email cso@ligerbots.com