Category Archives: Virtual/Online

Apply by Feb. 16 for Step into STEM: Workshops and Mentoring for HS Students who will be First in their Family to Attend College

Step into STEM is a free, online program of workshops and mentoring for high-school juniors and seniors with parent(s) who never received a bachelor’s or other four-year college/university degree. It features monthly online meetings (2/23, 3/23, 4/13, 5/18, 6/15) with group discussions, 1:1 mentoring, a supportive network of students, and discussions with first-generation scientists. Applications are due February 16. For more information, email the program’s facilitators, who themselves are first-generation STEM majors: Claudia Mazur cmazur@bu.edu and Samuel Domingues samuel.domingues001@umb.edu. This program is an initiative of the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Newton Free Library Online: Little Lab Coats: Deserts!, Ages 6-9, Feb. 16

The Newton Free Library will offer Little Lab Coats: Deserts! on February 16 at 6PM, for ages 6-9 to virtually visit the driest regions of the earth, go on a camel ride, and explore how certain animals are able to withstand the heat and survive with little water. Space is limited. Registration is open until February 15 at 6PM. A Zoom link will be sent the day before the program.

Blue Hill Observatory Webinar: Climate Solutions Workshop, Feb. 24

On February 24, 7PM-8:30PM, the Blue Hill Observatory will host a webinar, Climate Solutions Workshop, featuring Dr. Tamara Shapiro Ledley, a climate and Earth Science thought leader, STEM education consultant, and Adjunct Professor at Bentley University. The webinar will be facilitated by NBC Boston meteorologist Tim Kelley. To support the nonprofit work of the observatory, a registration fee ($10 for BHO members, $15 for others) is requested but not required. Register to get sign-in credentials for the webinar and optionally make a donation.

FSU Planetarium Online — AstroNights for Families: Mars 2021, Feb. 19

The Christa McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University continues its season of free, virtual planetarium AstroNights events for families (ages 6+) with an online presentation, Mars 2021, on February 19 at 7PM. In a 30-minute presentation (followed  by Q&A session), learn about MOXIE (the Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment) and view Mars in the night sky. View the presentation on Zoom (registration required) or the Christa McAuliffe YouTube channel, where you can view recordings of previous AstroNights events.

Register Now for WPI Tech Kids (Virtual), Grades 5-6, Mar. 16 – Apr. 6

Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Pre-Collegiate Outreach program will offer its Tech Kids program virtually this year. It’s designed to encourage students in Grades 5-6 to pursue studies and careers in STEM, and the theme this year is STEM in Everyday Places. It will run March 16 – April 6, 4PM-5:30PM, and cost $150. Register here. For more information email pop@wpi.edu or call 508-831-4900.

Mass. Audubon Online Presentations for All Ages, Feb. 10 & Mar. 3

Mass Audubon’s Habitat and the Belmont Public Library will host these online presentations for all ages. Register at these links:

  • Who’s Looking for Love? explores how some animals look for love in February and the myths that surround their quests. February 10, 3:30-4:30PM.
  • Making Maple Sugar explores historical, current and revolutionary new practices in harvesting maple sap and turning it into syrup and sugar. March 3, 3:30-4:30PM.

Museum of Science #MOSatHome Events, Feb. 1-5

Boston’s Museum of Science, through its #MOSatHome initiative, offers almost daily programs online, free for all ages. The current week’s schedule has the following for this week:

Harvard Museums Online: I ❤️ Science, Feb. 12-15

The Harvard Museums of Science & Culture will present their online I Heart Science festival — four days of live discussions by Harvard scientists and graduate students, at-home activities, and views of museum specimens — February 12-15, 1PM-2:30PM each day. Register at the links below, at least 30 minutes before each event.

  • Incredible Evolution: February 12.  Meet Harvard researchers studying how brains evolve and how stress can enhance performance. Watch recorded videos by Harvard scientists studying mice behavior or try your hand at comparing bone structures, collecting bugs, and investigating the Giant Moa skeleton.
  • Tiny Creatures: February 13.  Meet live tardigrades (water bears), watch recorded videos featuring Harvard scientists who study bacterial resistance, ways to test for viruses, and how bacteria grow. Try making a water-drop microscope, comparing communities of microbes, and drawing microbes.
  • Love the Earth, February 14.  Meet Harvard researchers studying how we can design batteries large enough to power a building and investigate what it takes to save endangered species. Try growing crystals, modeling volcanos, and closely looking at an amethyst geode.
  • Faraway Worlds, February 15.  Meet Harvard researchers studying how we study the sun and what we hope to learn from missions to Mars. Try investigating light, explore what we know about coelacanths and hear the story behind the museum’s Kronosaurus specimen

Sharon Math & Science Tournament, Grades 6-8, Online, Mar. 27

The 7th annual Sharon Math and Science Tournament (SMST) will be held virtually on March 27, 1PM-6PM. It’s organized each year by a team of Sharon High School students to foster passion for STEM through collaboration and critical thinking. Middle-school students from anywhere are invited to register, individually or in teams of 4-6. For more information, see the flyer, or read the FAQs or email smst.sharonschools@gmail.com.

Various STEM Contests for Students

The American Society for Engineering Education notes the following free, online STEM contests open to students:

  • MathWorks Math Modeling Contest:  Grades 11 & 12 — up to 2 teams per school, of 2-3 students each — tackle real-world math problems online under time and resource constraints. Register by February 19 at 4PM.
  • New York Times STEM Writing Contest: Middle/High school students ages 11-19 write an engaging, 500-word explanation of a STEM-related issue or question of their choice. January 19 – March 2.
  • ACTE/NASA Student Video Contest: Students of all ages create videos on the theme of Advancing Space Exploration through Manufacturing. Submit entries by April 1.
  • EngineerGirl Writing Contest: Grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 submit essays by February 1(!) about engineering’s role in meeting and defeating the challenges presented by COVID-19.