The Model Bridge Competition is open to middle- and high-school students, in teams of up to three students supervised by a faculty advisor and mentored by practicing engineers.  The challenge is to design and build a bridge of popsicle sticks and hot glue.  Teams work with their advisor and mentors at school a minimum of two hours a week before Competition Day on February 4 at the MassDOT Headquarters (10 Park Plaza in Boston), where bridges will be tested and judged.  Faculty advisors should register their teams now.  The Model Bridge Competition is sponsored by Boston Society of Civil Engineers, the Massachusetts Pre-Engineering Program, and the Massachusetts Highway Department.  For information, email BSCESModelBridge@gmail.com.

CodeCampKidz will offer free workshops at the Microsoft Store in Natick to introduce middle-school students to coding in HTML, CSS, and Javascript.  Upcoming workshops will be 6:30-8PM on November 10 and 17, with more dates to be announced for December.  Space is limited.  Register here. For other free workshop opportunities or for more information, check their website or call 617-974-0539.

The MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center invites high-school teachers to bring two outstanding students for the Center’s annual Outreach Day, December 9.  The event will discuss plasmas, harnessing fusion energy, large magnets, and sources of intense microwave and millimeter-wave power.  Students will observe plasmas in a glow discharge tube, perform hands-on demonstrations with superconductivity, and see MIT’s tokamak, the Alcator C-MOD.  The program begins at 9AM and goes to 1PM, when there will be an optional information session and tour of MIT at 3PM.  Bring a lunch.  Registration is first-come, first-served and closes November 18.  For further information, email Paul Rivenberg at rivenberg@psfc.mit.edu.

The Newton LigerBots will host two FIRST LEGO League (FLL) tournament events at Newton North HS and seek adult volunteer judges for either or both:

• November 19:  The Newton FLL Qualifier will draw teams from all over Massachusetts
• December 17:  The FLL Eastern Massachusetts Championship

The success of these events depends on many adults volunteering to be one of three types of judges:  Project, Hardware/Software, and Core Values.  No prior experience is needed, and not all judges need a technical background.  There is some on-line training beforehand, plenty of support at the event, and pairing of new judges with experienced ones.  Volunteer for one or both events by contacting Pam Wright at 617-763-7266 or pamwright@rcn.com.

FLL teams of students in Grades 4-8 design, build, and program a LEGO Mindstorms robot to perform tasks related to the annual challenge theme, which this year is Animal Allies.  They also research a real-world problem related to the theme and present their proposed solution.  Judging sessions are 10-12 minutes each, between 9AM-1PM, within a day that runs approximately 8AM-3:30PM.  Lunch is provided, as is the opportunity to interact with bright, energetic students on a mission.

Students in Grades 7-12 are invited to sign up for Brandeis University Splash! — a day of engaging courses taught by Brandeis undergraduates.  This year Splash! will be held on Saturday, November 12, from noon to 5PM on the Brandeis campus in Waltham. Courses are free, and an optional donation of $5 to $10 is appreciated. Students must check-in with a parent/guardian and this signed waiver. For more information, email essbrandeis@gmail.com. Among the wide-ranging courses offered are these STEM-oriented courses:

• Introduction to Programming/Computer Science in Python
• Introduction to Computer Programming in Java
• Introduction to 3D Animation
• An Introduction to Set Theory and Functions
• Lying with Statistics and the Z-Test
• 3D Design for 3D Printing
• Conceptualizing Public Health: Influenza Vaccine Design
• Chemistry of Baking
• Crash Course to DNA
• Immortality, Mind Control, and Zombies (in Biology)
• Mind and Medicine
• The Beginning and End of Our Universe
• The Power of Posture: What they Didn’t Teach When You Learned about Puberty
• Theoretical Neuroscience
• The Heart: The Engine of Life

The BostonTechMom blog offers its November list of technology-oriented events for kids in the Boston area.  There’s also a good guide to YouthSpark Camps at Microsoft stores.