The Museum of Science’s EiE Families curriculum development team seeks pilot sites for its new family engineering resources. If you are hosting a STEM night for ages 4-11 between October 15 and December 16, you may apply to run an EiE activity during your event. Apply by September 15. Sites that are selected will be notified by September 22 and will receive a free materials kit, an activity guide, visual resources, and a $200 stipend for your time in running the activity and providing online feedback.
Category Archives: Opportunities
Science Club For Girls: Recruiting Volunteer Mentors for Fall Semester
Science Club for Girls seeks women and gender-expansive individuals who are working or studying in STEM fields in the Greater Boston area to be volunteer mentors teaching hands-on STEM explorations for SCFG youth in Grades K-8, alongside high school Junior Mentors. Volunteers commit to two hours a week for eight weeks, either after school or on Saturdays. Curriculum and materials are provided. In-person and online mentoring opportunities are available. Apply here.
MAST Awards: Nominate a Science Teacher by Oct. 15
Nominations are open until October 15 for several awards for science teachers from the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers (MAST):
- 14 county-level science educator awards
- 1 award for an exemplary new teacher
- 1 award for a distinguished “friend of science” working with educators
- 1 award for a K-8 teacher who is inspirational in environmental education
- MAST State Educator of the Year
Anyone may submit a nomination by completing this online form. All nominees will be notified of their nominations, and awards will be presented at the MAST Annual Conference. For more information, contact Laura Carlin at awards@massscienceteach.org.
Highland Street Foundation’s August Adventures: Something Free Each Day
The Highland Street Foundation is once again hosting August Adventures, its community program partnering with Massachusetts cultural institutions to provide the general public with a free activity each day for every day in August. Among all 31 institutions participating in August Adventures by offering free admission on one day in August are these STEM-related institutions:
- August 6: Maritime Gloucester
- August 8: New Bedford Whaling Museum
- August 9: Stone Zoo
- August 10: The Gardens at Elm Bank
- August 11: Mass Audubon’s Blue Hills Trailside Museum
- August 13: World Ocean School
- August 16: Harvard Museums of Science and Culture
- August 23: Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
- August 29: Children’s Museum Easton
- August 30: Clark Institute
- August 31: Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
Applications are Open for Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Grants
The Lemelson-MIT Program within MIT’s School of Engineering administers the InvenTeams program, in which teams of high-school students, educators, and mentors receive grants of up to $7500 to invent working technological solutions to real-world problems. Each InvenTeam chooses its own problem to solve. Up to eight schools will be awarded grants. Newton has a successful history with InvenTeams. The application process occurs in two stages. Educators and their teams should apply now for the 2022-23 school year, and final applications will be due September 6. For more information, email inventeams@mit.edu. Potential applicants should attend an Information Webinar on July 26 at 7PM.
N. E. Sci-Tech to Host Students’ Conversations with ISS Astronauts
The New England Sci-Tech (NEST) STEM education center is working with ARISS and NASA to provide students across New England with opportunities to talk to astronauts aboard the International Space Station. NEST will provide select space science and amateur radio classes for free to eligible children entering Grades 4-12 and will host the astronaut contact at the BIG E state fair in West Springfield, MA in the last week of September. Learn more about NEST’s Space Science Club.
Blue Hill Observatory Seeks Funding for Mish Michaels Exhibit Hall
The Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center seeks to raise the remaining $125,000 needed to complete the Mish Michaels Exhibit Hall for Scientific Discovery, planned for completion this fall and dedicated to the memory of the late Mish Michaels — broadcast meteorologist, environmental reporter, scientist, educator, and BHO board member. Here’s a short video introducing the BHO. The Exhibit Hall will serve the 10,000 who visit the BHO annually. You can donate here, and all contributors will be invited to the dedication ceremony.
MassBioEd Life Sciences Scholarship and Awards: Apply by June 30
MassBioEd is accepting, until June 30, applications and nominations for the following scholarship and awards. For more information, email BioTeach@massbioed.org.
- The Henri A. Termeer Student Scholarship will be awarded to a Massachusetts high-school student or recent graduate who plans to enroll in a life-sciences undergraduate program.
- The Henri A. Termeer Champions in Biotechnology and Life Science Educator Award will be awarded to a New England high-school teacher expanding innovative biotech and life sciences curricula.
- The Joshua Boger Innovative School of the Year Award will be awarded to a New England high school offering exemplary school-wide educational programming in the life sciences.
JCDS Seeks Middle-School STEM Teacher
Boston’s Jewish Community Day School (JCDS) seeks to hire a STEM teacher for the 2022-23 school year to integrate Middle School science content with learning in the school’s new Makerspace. See the job description, email jobs@jcdsboston.org for more information, and apply here.
The LigerBots Wind Up a Very Successful Year and Seek Sponsors
Newton’s dual-high-school robotics team, the LigerBots, is finishing a year of success both in competitions and in community service. In FIRST Robotics Competition events:
- In the North Shore Competition in Reading, the LigerBots captained the second-seeded alliance and made it all the way to the semi-finals. The team also received FIRST’s coveted Gracious Professionalism Award.
- At the Greater Boston Competition in Revere, as part of the fourth-seeded alliance, the LigerBots again made it to the semi-finals, qualifying for the New England District Championship (DCMP). The team also won the Engineering Inspiration Award at this event.
- At DCMP, the LigerBots captained the eighth-seeded alliance and made it to the quarter finals, finishing 28th out of 160 teams in all of New England.
And in service to the Newton community:
- The LigerBots continue to provide assistance and mentorship to FIRST LEGO League teams for elementary- and middle-school students in Newton.
- Since the Covid pandemic began, the LigerBots have continued to offer the aptly named Awesome Mentorship Project to provide high-school mentors for elementary students both in the summer and during the school year.
- On April 24, the LigerBots participated in the Earth Day celebration at Newton City Hall, showing off Prometheus, the LigerBots’ newly built competition robot – to educate, entertain, and inspire the community. LigerBots also showed kids how to make bracelets with their initials in binary code.
- On May 1, the LigerBots participated in the Newton Bike Rodeo, a bicycle safety event hosted by Bike Newton for children in Grades K-6 to promote safe bike riding habits and cycling to school. The team created an obstacle course that participants used to practice their bike safety skills.
The LigerBots rely in part on donations and financial sponsorships to support its competitions, educational offerings, and community outreach. You can make make a donation here, and to learn about becoming a sponsor (corporate or otherwise), email sponsor-relations@ligerbots.org. The LigerBots are “massively grateful” to all of their sponsors!