Harvard Museums of Science and Culture will reopen to all visitors on Friday, November 26, with advance reservations and proof of Covid vaccination or negative PCR test required. Through December 31, HMSC is offering a 15% discount on annual memberships.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is again hosting its Airport Design Challenge for individuals or teams of up to five students in Grades K-12, from November 15 through January 14. Participants use the free version of Minecraft to design virtual airports based on guidance from FAA aerospace and engineering experts. Participating students meet aviation professionals, engage with other designers, and learn about the aerospace industry. Parents/guardians of students register here.

MassRobotics will soon launch the second year of its paid JumpStart Fellowships and is now extending the program to include Grade 10 and also extending the application deadline to November 19. JumpStart Fellowships provide high-school girls with training (3D Modeling/CAD, programming, fabrication and prototyping), industry exposure and networking, and opportunities leading to a career in engineering.  The program is open to female students in Massachusetts schools in Grades 10-12 with a passion for robotics and technology — and especially those who are Black/Latinx living in Boston. The program will meet on Saturdays, January 8 to May 14, as well as 9AM-4PM daily during the school break February 21-25.  Fellows will be eligible to apply for paid internships for summer of 2022. The deadline to apply (including a short essay and a letter of recommendation from a teacher or other trusted adult) has been extended to November 19 (although the application form still says November 1).

The Computer Science Teachers Association will award up to four ACM Cutler-Bell Prize scholarships to high-school seniors pursuing computer-science studies in college. Each award will be $10,000 of financial aid administered by the colleges. Applications are due 10AM Eastern time on January 10. Review the application questions here and this story about one of last year’s winners. For more information, email awards@csteachers.org.

MassBioEd’s  Apprenticeship Programs — one for Biomanufacturing Technicians and one for Clinical Trial Associates — offer facilitates pathways into the biomedical industry through technical training, on-site work experience with employer partners, and income support. For more information, see this flyer, fill out this Statement of Interest, and email BioTalent@massbioed.org.

Cool Science — a free, public art competition for K-12 students — is now in its 10th year and hosted by UMass Lowell, UMass Boston, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, University of Kansas, and Kansas City Art Institute. Students are asked to create a visual work of art, following these guidelines and rules, in response to one of these challenge questions:

1. What did you learn about extreme weather and climate that you want to teach adults?
2. Why is a weakening Polar Vortex causing wild ups and downs in winter temperatures?
3. How will our lives change as weather becomes more severe?

Submissions are due December 10. Winning art, in three divisions (Grades K-5,  6-8, and 9-12) will be displayed on public busses next fall.

For Massachusetts STEM Week, October 18-22, several organizations have contributed Design Challenges for students and educators to explore at no cost.