Category Archives: Opportunities

Newton Community Ed: Early-Release Science Days

Events, Opportunities

Newton Community Education is partnering with Wicked Cool for Kids to offer Early Release Science Days for Grades 1-4 at Horace Mann, Underwood, Cabot at Carr, and Bowen elementary schools on days when Newton Public Schools are released early. The cost is $65 per session, and you can save $15 by registering for all three sessions.

  • Wednesday, February 7:  Squishy Circuits:  Combine make-your-own play-dough with electronics to build circuits. Concoct colored conductive and insulating dough, and integrate batteries and LEDs to make creations with light-up components.
  • Thursday, March 8:  Slime Time:  Create six amazing slime samples. Make glow-in-the-dark slime and super smelly putty. Whip up some polka-dot slime and concoct color explosion goop. Finish up with undersea slime and a bouncy-ball formula.
  • Thursday, May 3:  Space Base:  Travel into deep space and construct a human habitat. Determine what you’ll need to terraform a planet. Decide how you’ll grow food, where to live, and how to communicate with Earth. Construct buildings and landscapes for the survival of humankind.

Marine Genomics & Career Workshop for Girls in Nahant, Feb. 20-21

Opportunities

Girls in Grades 10-12 are invited Northeastern University’s free Marine Genomics and Career Workshop at the university’s Marine Science Center in Nahant, February 20-21.  It’s an opportunity to explore the ocean, science, and math while meeting scientists, educators, and new friends. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until February 2 or until the workshop is filled. Preference will be given to girls from economically disadvantaged families. There’s a daily shuttle from Boston to the Center. For more information, contact Val Perini at v.perini@northeastern.edu or 781-581-7370 x373.

NSHS Biomedical Research Club Seeks Hosts for Internships

Opportunities, Summer

The Newton South Biomedical Research Club seeks adults in local academic or commercial science research institutions to sponsor one or ore Newton South HS students in their labs for summer or school-year internships. Alternatively, the club welcomes such individuals to visit the school to speak about their research with students.  Interested individuals are invited to email name/title/contact info, area of research, specific interest in this program (research intern/lecture), and availability (summer intern/school year intern/other) to NSHS parent Rhoda Alani alani@bu.edu.

MIT OMEGA Scholarships for Grades 11-12 Making Intergenerational Connections

Opportunities

Applications are now open until March 31 for New England high-school juniors and seniors to apply for OMEGA scholarships sponsored by the MIT AgeLab and AARP. Three OMEGA college scholarships are available (offering $1000 to the student plus $1000 to his/her high school) to recognize efforts of young adults in creating multi-generational connections in their communities. For more information, contact omegamit@mit.edu or 617-253-1894.

Girl Scouts Seek Presenters for 6th Annual STEM Conference, March 18

Events, Opportunities

The Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts seeks presenters to provide interactive workshops for 15 to 25 participants in Grades 6-12 at its 6th annual STEM Conference and Expo, to be held March 18, 9AM-5PM at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel. This drop-off event is open to both members and non-members of the Girl Scouts. Potential presenters register here.  This is one of many STEM activities offered by the GSEMA.

Newton Schools Foundation Annual Appeal Supports STEM Programs

Opportunities

You can donate to the Newton Schools Foundation Annual Appeal to support these STEM initiatives in the Newton Public Schools:

The Calculus Project aims to narrow the achievement gap in mathematics and increase the number of African American, Hispanic, and low-income students who complete calculus in high school. Rising seventh and eighth graders participate in small-group intensive summer instruction in mathematics and related workshops to gain academic skills and confidence, followed by after-school tutoring during the school year.

The DaVinci Program Newton South HS is a project-based collaborative approach to learning science, technology, engineering, arts and math.  Students build skills in experimentation, analytical problem solving, collaboration, presentation, communication, and artistic representation through authentic and student-driven learning.

The Middle School Engineering and Sustainable Energy Generation curriculum focuses on new blade design for wind turbines to engage students in hands-on STEM projects at all four middle schools.

Science and Society is an interdisciplinary senior elective in science and history at Newton North HS using case studies to explore how science has changed and responded to society over time.  Studies include the development of the atomic bomb, DNA and how it connects to identity and medical innovation, germ theory and the development of public health, biological evolution, environmental history, the development of modern cities, and the science of race.

The Ligerbots robotics club engages students, teacher coaches, and parent mentors from both Newton North and Newton South High Schools to provide students with challenges that foster interest and skills in STEM and create the next generation of scientists, inventors, and engineers.