National Fossil Day at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, Oct. 13

Events

The Harvard Museum of Natural History (26 Oxford Street, Cambridge) is celebrating National Fossil Day on Sunday, October 13, 1-4PM. Harvard paleontologists will present their research and favorite fossils through short talks and table-top presentations. All ages are welcome, and regular museum admission rates apply. Free event parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.

The following talks are recommended for ages 10 and up.

  • 1:30-2PM – So You Found a Fossil… What Next?
  • 2:15-2:45PM – Beyond Bones: The Secrets of Soft-Tissue Fossils 
  • 3-3:30PM – Tardigrades Through Time

There will also be a Fossil Story Time, recommended for ages 3-9.

NASA TechRise Student Challenge: Submissions due Nov. 1

Opportunities

The NASA TechRise Student Challenge is a national contest to design an experiment to be tested on a NASA-sponsored high-altitude balloon. Teams must include at least four students in grades 6-12 and one school employee. Sixty winning teams will each be given $1500 to build the experiment, support from mentors, and a spot for their experiment on a flight. Submissions are due on November 1, and winners will be announced January 21. 

Massachusetts STEM Week, Oct. 21-25

Events

Massachusetts STEM Week — an annual statewide celebration of STEM consisting of free community events and design challenges — takes place October 21-25. This year’s events include planetarium shows, a STEM fair, career panels, kids-friendly activities, and more. The week’s design challenges are:

  • Extreme Zoo Makeover: A STEM Approach to Habitat Design (Grades 5-8)
  • STEM Goes Green: The STEM Challenge (Elementary and Middle School Students)
  • “I Am STEM” Lesson Library: Problem-Solving in Books (Grades PK-7)
  • Engineering Plastic Filters (Ages 8-12)
  • Carbon Busters: Redesigning Schools to be Energy-Efficient (Grades K-12)

Data Jam Competition for Grades 5-12

Opportunities

The Northeast U.S. Ecosystems Data Jam is a contest dedicated to engaging students in data science and ecology. Students will analyze local data sets collected by professional scientists and create an original work to convey their interpretations. Possible media include graphics, songs, videos, computer games, plays, books, and more. Early-bird schoolyard registration ends October 15, and all pre-registration is due January 15. 

Congressional App Challenge: Submissions Due Oct. 24

Opportunities

Founded in 2013, the Congressional App Challenge is a prestigious national competition for middle and high school students to design original apps. Each congressional district selects a winning app to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building and online, with Rep. Jake Auchincloss selecting the winner of district MA04, which includes Newton. Apps can be built using any programming language for any platform, with no limits on theme or topic. Last year’s local winner developed Handshake, an app dedicated to live interpretation of ASL and English during conversations between hearing and deaf individuals. Submissions are due October 24 at 12PM. Register here.

Newton Robotics Teams perform at Boston’s Robot Block Party

Accomplishments

At the 7th Annual MassRobotics Robot Block Party on September 28, visitors witnessed innovative robot demonstrations and hands-on interactions, learned from experts in the field through presentations and a college and career fair, and played robotics games. With the highest student participation yet, over a dozen FIRST high school robotics teams demonstrated their robots at the event, including the Newton-based, internationally competing Lazer Robotics FIRST Tech Challenge team and the student-run LigerBots FIRST Robotics Competition team of Newton North High School and Newton South High School.

Jerry Gong, captain of Lazer Robotics and sophomore at Newton South High School, wrote: “The MassRobotics robot block party was one of the most inspiring and popular outreach events we’ve ever attended… Specifically, the focus on tech-related companies made the experience quite eye-opening for the team. To see what we’ve learned as a high school robotics team over the past years being applied in real-world industries is truly inspiring. All the skills that we’ve learned through building, designing, and testing our robots are the same set of skills that professional industries use to operate on a day-to-day basis. 

“I also felt that this event was an excellent representation of the strong FIRST robotics community in Massachusetts. Representing FTC, FRC, and even VEX robotics, this event represented high school robotics programs on a scale larger than any… FIRST robotics has inspired… the career paths of many [but doesn’t get much representation], and events like this truly put into perspective how much impact the world of high school robotics has on today’s generation. To know that the many hours of work that goes into our shared passion of creating robots is eventually what will change the world is truly inspiring.”

Eason, a sophomore at Newton North High School and member of LigerBots, was similarly impressed by the Robot Block Party: “This event is truly inspiring. This is the most interactive and interesting event I’ve ever attended. Throughout the event, I talked to many companies and colleges. The opportunities presented are endless. Dozens of high-tech companies and colleges offer internship and educational programs for high schoolers. In addition, I loved the presence of numerous robotics teams. This [event is] hosted [not only] by tech companies but also by high schoolers. It gives a more welcoming vibe for kids of younger ages.”

The Robot Block Party offered a unique glimpse into the vast field of robotics and an impactful opportunity for students interested in STEM. The event will return next year with even more to experience.