The Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts are hosting their Geek is Glam STEM Expo at Worcester Polytechnic Institute on October 14, 9AM-5PM for girls in Grades 4-8. Register by September 21. For more information, email info@gscwm.org.

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.)

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.

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.

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

Tonight, the International Space Station (ISS) will be visible for about 6 minutes starting at 9:25PM, appearing in the northwest, moving directly overhead to a maximum elevation of 89 degrees, and disappearing in the southeast. Skies are expected to be very clear, with 11% cloud cover. The ISS circles the Earth every 90 minutes or so, but its visibility varies. You can check Spot the Station to find when and where it will be visible and sign up for alerts of when it’s most visible in your location.

The Christa McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University will host Sally’s Night Celebration at FSU’s McCarthy Center Forum on June 16, 7PM-9:30PM, in partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. See flyer. It’s an evening of free fun for attendees of all ages to mark the 40th anniversary of Sally Ride’s historic STS-7 mission and becoming the first American woman in space. Registration is required.

• 7:30-8:15: Keynote presentation by Dr. Margaret Weitekamp, Curator and Department Chair, Space History Department, National Air and Space Museum
• 7:00-8:30: Hands-on activities led by NASA Solar System Ambassadors and giveaways
• 8:30-9:30: Stargazing with McAuliffe Center staff or interactive Solar System Explorers program

The Christa McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University will host a free evening of stargazing and observation on May 25, 8:30PM-10PM (weather permitting), in front of May Hall on FSU’s campus in Framingham. For more information, email cmc@framingham.edu.