Category Archives: Opportunities

Register Now for Newton Destination Imagination Creativity Day, May 4

Events, Opportunities

Newton Destination Imagination Creativity Day, on May 4, will offer parents and kids a preview of the Destination Imagination program — a volunteer-run STEAM program for Grades K-12 (see video). Participants will work in teams to solve STEAM-based challenges in structural engineering, science, math, performance, and improv. The event will take place at Memorial Spaulding School (250 Brookline Street), and the cost is $5 person. Attendees under Grade 9 must be accompanied by an adult. Register now for either the 9AM-11:30AM session or the 11:30AM-1:30PM session.

In the school-year Destination Imagination, teams of 2-7 students form in September (by Grades: K-2, 3-5, 6-9, and 9-12) to address various design challenges throughout the year in preparation for regional tournaments in the early spring and potentially state and global competitions in May. Over the years, over 350 Newton students have participated, and last year a Newton team went to the Global Finals!

STEM Volunteers are Needed for S.E.T. in the City, Apr. 6

Events, Opportunities

The 11th annual SET in the City (that’s Science, Engineering, Technology) takes place next Saturday, April 6, and needs adult volunteers to help 150 high-school girls explore academic paths and careers in STEM. Volunteers are needed specifically for its Science Information Bazaar, 10:30-11:30AM in the Photonics Center at Boston University. Can you bring a demo, exhibit, poster, or computer application to share with the girls?

It’s a wonderful opportunity to share your enthusiasm for what you do with high-school girls eager to learn what motivates people into STEM careers. In past years, volunteers have:

  • Made “elephant toothpaste” and bottle rockets with the students;
  • Brought in sea urchins, Van der Graaf generators and ultrasound machines;
  • Demonstrated innovative computer applications and nano materials; and
  • Experimented with Snap Circuits and Mobius bands.

After the Science Information Bazaar, the girls will travel to other campuses (Emmanuel, Harvard, Simmons, or MIT) for lunch and lab activities — and finally to Merck in Boston for the keynote and a student panel. Adult volunteers exhibiting in the Science Information Bazaar are invited to travel with them for the lunch and lab activities (but need to arrange their own transportation back).

SET in the City is sponsored by the Boston Area Girls STEM Collaborative: Boston University, Emmanuel College, Harvard University, MIT, Northeastern University, Simmons College, UMass Boston, Wentworth Institute of Technology and WGBH.

MassBay Offers STEM Sampler Workshops for Disadvantaged High-School Students

Opportunities

MassBay Community College in Wellesley will offer free, one-week STEM Sampler Workshops this summer for eligible high-school students to explore one of the following, July 15-19, 9AM-3PM:

  • Science (Biotechnology Lab Work)
  • Technology (Robotics and Web Design)
  • Engineering (Engineering Design)
  • Math (interactive, contextualized in STEM)

Eligible students are those who are eligible for free or reduced lunch, or will be the first in their family to attend college, or are under-represented in college admissions. Preference will be given to juniors and seniors. Here’s the registration form and application. For more information or to register, call 781-239-2582 or email STEMStarter@massbay.edu.

Wellesley STEM Expo Seeks Exhibitors, Workshops, and Sponsors for Apr. 6

Events, Opportunities

The fourth Wellesley STEM Expo will be held on April 6 at Wellesley High School.  Last time, over 3000 attended this amazing event with over 120 exhibits, 21 workshops, and 40 robots! The organizers invite individuals, organizations, schools, companies, and groups to sign up to host an exhibit, run a workshop, or become a sponsor. For more information, email expo@wellesleyeducationfoundation.org.

Sign Up by Feb. 14 for MIT’s Spring HSSP, Saturdays, Grades 7-12

Opportunities

MIT’s Spring HSSP is a six-week academic program for Grades 7-12, held at MIT on Saturdays, February 23 to April 6 (except March 16), 1PM-4PM.  All online registrations completed by February 14 will be considered equally in the course-assignment lottery, and registrations after that will be taken first-come/first-served until February 19.  The cost is $40 per student (regardless of the number of courses taken) and generous, need-based financial aid is available. Email spring-hssp@mit.edu for more information.  The Spring HSSP course catalog covers many academic and non-academic topics, including these STEM offerings:

  • Programming Amazon Alexa with MIT App Inventor
  • Machine Learning with MIT App Inventor
  • Introduction To Python
  • Deep Learning from First Principles
  • Computer Graphics Programming
  • How to Build a Nuclear Bomb
  • Being Real about Bioengineering
  • A Lot of Meta-Mathematics
  • Algorithms that run the world!
  • The Science of Nutrition: A Microscopic to Macroscopic Exploration
  • Kitchen Chemistry
  • Soil Ecosystems from Micro to Global Scales
  • Next Generation Biology
  • From Neurons to Thoughts: An Introduction to the Human Mind and Brain
  • Quantum Mechanics, with Applications in Astrophysics and Computation
  • Sensational Neuroscience: How Your Brain Understands the World
  • 40 Orders of Magnitude: Selected Problems in Physics
  • The Chemistry in Our Lives
  • Thermodynamics and Applications
  • The Science of Recognizing Good Science
  • Introduction to Evolutionary Biology
  • Social Psychology and Game Theory
  • Economics and Psychology
  • Make Your Own Language
  • Happiness
  • Math and Science Lecture Series

ProjectCSGIRLS Competition for Middle School Girls

Opportunities

ProjectCSGIRLS is a non-profit run by undergraduate women aiming to close the gender gap in computer science by holding a national competition and regional workshops for girls in Grades 6-8. The 2019 ProjectCSGIRLS Competition is now open for individuals or teams of two to three middle-school girls to build projects to address a social problem or issue. Building can mean anything from physically putting together machine parts for a robot to writing code for a mobile app to prototyping a new prosthetic device. Register by March 1 and submit projects by April 15.

New Exhibits at Boston’s Museum of Science

Opportunities

This month, the Museum of Science will debut two new exhibits, just in time for February school vacation. Both are free with Exhibit Halls admission or museum membership.