CSRecititations in Natick (4 Mechanic Street, Suite 102) will offer a range of programming classes in two summer sessions: June 25-July 13 and July 16-August 2. For more information, call 781-349-7370 or email info@CSRecitations.com.
The Newton LigerBots had their best performance yet at the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) World Championship in Detroit this weekend, finishing 6th out of 68 teams in the Daly division and advancing to the Division Semifinals before falling to the team that won the World Championship. This is the fourth time that the LigerBots have won a spot in the World Championships in its ten years. and each time they have advanced further.
Thirty-three LigerBots students, accompanied by coaches, mentors and parents, made the trip to Detroit to compete with over 400 FRC teams from around the world. The FIRST World Festival also included 128 teams competing in the FIRST Tech Challenge and over 100 FIRST Lego League teams — including the Newton’s Day Dragons, a team of four students from Day Middle School and and two from Pierce.
The LigerBots lost only one of 10 matches in qualifying rounds, achieving third best among 37 New England teams that qualified for the championships. They advanced through quarterfinals and semifinals, but did not move on to the finals.
Excellence depends on many factors: a robust design, a skilled and level-headed “drive team,” the ability to partner with other teams, and scouting other matches to identify robots with complementary abilities with which to form alliances.
The event included exhibits from colleges across the country, an innovation fair, and exhibits from companies seeking to engage with students interested in STEM.
Newton’s Day Dragons FLL team presented a seminar on “Applying Agile Principles to Your FIRST Lego League Team,” which was well-received, and the students impressed the audience as they took part in a panel discussion following the presentation.
The LigerBots spoke to teams around the world about: how they inspire and engage their community in learning about STEM, their use of 3D printing, and their 3D printed part competition, which they created 3 years ago to celebrate the creative ways teams solve problems with 3D printing.
The LigerBots were excited to be a part of this event,and appreciate the community and corporate support that allowed the team to include as many students as were able to go. Their next competition will be BattleCry, on May 19 at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
The Massachusetts State Science & Engineering Fair will host its annual Showcase of Exhibits and STEM Expo at the MIT Johnson Athletics Center Ice Rink on Saturday, May 5, 12:30-3PM. This free event highlights 3 “Best of the Best” research and innovation projects by 400 high school students across the state. An awards ceremony, 3:30-5PM at MIT’s Kresge Auditorium, will recognize winners of a total of $500,000 in scholarships and prizes.
Boston Tech Mom (“a parent’s guide to raising a future techie”) is a great resource for all things STEM around Boston — including her monthly posts about free or low-cost STEM Events for Kids in Boston. Here’s her May list of STEM events.
Kids 4 Coding offers half- and full-day co-ed summer technology programs for students ages 7-16, in various age groups, July 2 to August 17, at both Newbury College in Brookline and Lesley University in Cambridge, with extended-day options. See a 2018 preview video and visit Kids 4 Coding for pricing and availability of programs, which run in weekly segments and include:
MetroHacks, run by high-school students to host high-school hackathons in the Boston area, will host MetroHacks III, a free, 24-hour event for ages 13-18 at the Harvard Student Organization Center, May 19-20. There will be speakers, free food, workshops, games, and prizes. Mentors and workshop leaders can help with projects and with learning Python, iOS app development, HTML/CSS, and more. Beginners as well as experienced coders are invited to register by May 1.
Join a team for the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s annual Bird-a-thon, 6PM to 6PM, May 11-12, to raise money for bird sanctuaries and programs. The event is open to Official Birders and Bird-a-thon Boosters who bird for fun and want to fundraise, too.
This week, the Newton LigerBots will compete against 400 other teams worldwide at the FIRST Robotics World Championships, in Detroit, April 25-28, having qualified for this by winning awards and designing a reliable, effective robot during this season of competitions. The team needs to raise $5,000 for the competition registration plus about $15,000 for travel (two days each way by bus). You can help out by making a tax-deductible donation.
Applications are now open for MIT Edgerton Center’s Engineering Design Workshop, July 5-August 3, a hands-on, self-motivated summer program at MIT’s Edgerton Center. Apply by May 7. EDW is a non-residential program for rising Grade 9-12 students in the greater Boston area working in small teams to design, build, and test projects that combine engineering, art, and science. (See video.) The workshop fee is $500, and financial assistance is available.
Bridgewater State University will host several one-week sessions of its Summer Science Academy for students entering Grades 6-12 to engage in science classes and hands-on investigation in the BSU Science and Math Center (24 Park Avenue, Bridgewater). Scholarships are available to student with demonstrated academic merit and financial need who apply by May 1. Register here.
Grades 6-8 ($400 per week)
Grades 9-12 ($500 per week)