All posts by newtonstem

Lincoln Labs’ Science on Saturday: Curious About COVID, Dec. 12

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is offering its Science on Saturdays programs virtually this year, and registration is NOT required. The programs are free and designed for children aged 5-17, their parents, and teachers. On Saturday, December 12 at 10AM, the program will be Curious About COVID, in two parts:

  • Part 1:  Wide-area Fever Screening will describe the building of a prototype digital imaging system to measure body temperatures of crowds of people.
  • Part 2: Become a Junior Epidemiologist will present an online game to help explain terms such as quarantine, contact tracing, super-spreader, exponential growth, herd immunity, isolation, protect the vulnerable, and flatten the curve.

Join via this Zoom link and passcode 549480.

Summer Research Science Institute at MIT: Apply by Jan. 16

The Research Science Institute hosts 80 accomplished high-school students in a rigorous, 6-week summer STEM research program in-person at MIT, June 27 to August 7, combining on-campus coursework in scientific theory and off-campus work in STEM research.  Students first participate in a week of intensive STEM classes, then conduct five-week individual research projects with mentors, and finally prepare written and oral presentations of their results. The program is designed for students entering senior year in the fall, but exceptions for younger students will be considered. Except for a $65 application fee (which may be waived upon request), the program is free to students. Applications are due January 16.  For more information, email RSI.

Apply for Broad Summer Scholars Program by Jan. 22

Applications are now open for the Broad Institute’s Summer Scholars Program for highly motivated, rising high-school seniors in the greater Boston area who have a strong interest in science. BSSP is planning for an in-person program next summer but may need to shift to a virtual program. In any case, students are matched with Broad scientists for six weeks (June 28-August 6) conducting original research and will have opportunities to explore careers in science, attend a college fair, present their work to Broad scientists in a poster session, and participate in social events. There’s no cost to apply or attend, and compensation is available for students demonstrating a financial need. Excitement for science is required, but no previous experience is needed. Students from communities or situations underrepresented in STEM are particularly encouraged to apply. Apply by January 22. For more information, see this FAQ page or email bssp@broadinstitute.org.

Science Club for Girls: Success By the Numbers

Science Club for Girls is celebrating its 25h anniversary providing free, experiential activities in STEM for K-8 girls — prioritizing those who are underrepresented in STEM by race and socioeconomic factors. SCFG also offers junior mentoring and leadership experiences for high school girls, supported by adult mentoring and role modeling by women with STEM careers. SCFG’s success is shown in these numbers:

  • Over 250 girls in Grades K-12 engaged this fall in hands-on learning in SCFG’s 8-week Virtual Science Clubs, “Engineering Around the World’;
  • 75% of participating girls coming from SCFG’s priority communities;
  • 73 mentors, many of whom are women in STEM;
  • Over 40 volunteers packing and distributing science kits for each girl to have her own supplies for hands-on experiments; and
  • Nearly 25 episodes of  the #SCFGLive! science show, with more than 21,688 views, reaching an even wider audience of girls.

You can be a part of this by supporting SCFG through donations and volunteering.

TechGirlz: Free Online Tech Workshops for Middle-School Girls

TechGirlz is a non-profit program founded to inspire middle-school girls to explore technology to empower future careers. Affiliated with the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), it runs free online workshops open to girls in Grades 6-8.  Upcoming online workshops include:

  • NoSQL Databases, November 24, 4:30PM – 6:30PM
  • Storytelling and Video Production, December 2, 6:30PM – 8:30PM
  • Build Your Own Voice App, December 12, 2:30PM – 4:30PM
  • Python Programming, December 18, 6:30PM – 8:30PM
  • You Can Code!, December 19, 12:30PM – 2:30PM
  • Game Design, December 28-29, 11:00AM – 2:00PM

Model UN Virtual Program on Climate Change, Feb 17-19 & Mar. 15-17

The United Nations Association of Greater Boston will offer two 3-day, virtual Model UN programs, the Virtual Spring Institute in Global Leadership, for students in Grades 7-10 to explore climate change from a global perspective. In the role of diplomats, students will engage in public speaking, negotiation, and team-building activities and use parliamentary procedure to structure the debate and represent the perspective of their assigned country in a full-day Model UN simulation on Climate Change. The programs will be offered February 17-19 and March 15-17, 9:30AM-3PM each day. The cost is $345 for each 3-day program. For more information, email lynn.arsenault@unagb.org.