The Girls Who Build Music Tech workshop for high-school girls is a one-day, hands-on introduction to music technology on February 3, 8:30AM-4:30PM, at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Beaverworks Center in Cambridge. It will include learning how pop stars use autotuning to be on pitch,  tearing down old headphones and speakers, designing your own speaker, and programming a synthesizer guitar — as well as keynote speakers from the music technology industry, including female engineers from Bose and MIT. The $50 fee includes lunch and materials. Register here. For more information, leave a message on the Girls Who Build contact page.

MIT’s Edgerton Center holds free Science on Saturday programs approximately monthly during the school year for elementary, middle, and high school students — as well as their parents and teachers.  Each is a fun, one-hour, interactive presentation beginning at 10AM in MIT’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge.  Kids under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Attendees also receive same-day admission to the MIT Museum at half-price. No pre-registration is necessary but seating is limited and first-come, first-seated.  The next program will be February 3: Materials with Magical Properties. For more information, contact Dr. Todd H. Rider, Mad Scientist in Residence, at thor@mit.edu.

Registration is now open for two Saturday-morning sessions of Science on Saturday, on February 24 at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory (244 Wood Street in Lexington).   The topic will be The Rise & Fall of Pluto: How Science Progresses, presented by Jane Luu of Lincoln Laboratory. 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). Register an adult first, then a child, then others. Adults must bring government photo identification.  See other rules on the registration pages. Due to construction, this event will be held in the cafeteria, accessed via the garage stairs instead of the main lobby.

DynamiQueST is an annual, day-long showcase of the power of simulations and critical thinking for analyzing complex systems (see brochure). This year, it takes place on March 16, 9AM-2PM, at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, sponsored by Creative Learning Exchange.  Students (ages 12-18), teachers, and parents will participate in a large scale climate simulation and present their own work in system dynamics. No experience is needed. The cost of $25 per person (or $100 for five) includes lunch. Teachers can register themselves and their students here. Students wishing to present a project should email Lees Stuntz at stuntzln@clexchange.org.

SheHacks Boston aims to the be largest student-run hackathon for female and femme non-binary high school and college students 16 years or older.  It will be held over 36 hours, January 26-28 at Boston University. Hear keynote speakers; attend optional workshops to learn how to code; address challenges and win prizes; network with technology companies; benefit from mentorship. Learn more here. It’s free, and meals will be provided Friday night through Sunday brunch. Online registrations will be accepted on a rolling basis, and walk-ins may be available. Teams will be formed via a Facebook group and also in-person at the event. Volunteers and mentors of all genders are welcome.

Jr. Tech will host instructors from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy for a program on shark biology, anatomy, and dissection for students in Grades 5-7 on Saturday, February 3, 9AM-3PM at Barnstable United School in Marstons Mills. The cost is $85. Register online.

The Christa McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University opens its planetarium for free public presentations on the third Friday of each month (except April).  The presentation on January 19, for adults and teens 14 years and older, will be an encore showing of Phantom of the Universe, a full-dome film about the exploration of dark matter by the world’s top physics labs, including CERN. After the film, Dr. Vandana Singh, FSU’s Chair of Physics and Earth Science, discuss the work being done by scientists at facilities like CERN. Registration is required and opens January 12.