MAST Awards: Nominate a Science Teacher by Oct. 15

Opportunities

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

Events, Opportunities

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:

Applications are Open for Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Grants

Opportunities

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.

Broad Institute Free Online Lecture: What will it Take to Make Clinical Genomics Part of Everyday Medicine?, Aug. 2

Events, Virtual/Online

The Broad Institute will host a free, public, virtual event in its Science for All Seasons series — What will it Take to Make Clinical Genomics Part of Everyday Medicine? — on August 2, 5PM-6PM. Clinical geneticist Heidi Rehm will discuss how researchers and clinicians leverage genomic data to change the lives of millions of patients and find the causes for some of the rarest diseases. Register here.

Inspire2Dev: Online Summer Hackathon for Grades 6-9, Aug. 6

Events, Virtual/Online

Inspire2Dev invites students entering Grades 6-9 to its free online 2022 Summer Hackathon on August 6, 9AM-4:30PM. Students with or without experience in STEM or coding are welcome. There will be opportunities to collaborate with peers on projects, meet STEM mentors, and hear presentations by speakers in STEM fields. Various prizes and awards will be presented in the closing ceremony. Sign up here.

Boston Tech Mom has an interview with Inspire2Dev founder Charlotte Law.

N. E. Sci-Tech to Host Students’ Conversations with ISS Astronauts

Opportunities

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.

First Images from James Webb Space Telescope released on July 12; Celebrated at McAuliffe Center Open House July 29

Events

NASA will release the first images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope on July 12 in a live broadcast beginning at 10:30AM. Images will simultaneously be available on social media and this website. The images will be of these objects:

  • Carina Nebula — one of the largest and brightest nebulae in the sky, located approximately 7,600 light-years away.
  • WASP-96 b — a giant planet outside our solar system, nearly 1,150 light-years from Earth.
  • Southern Ring Nebula — a planetary nebula (expanding cloud of gas surrounding a dying star), approximately 2,000 light years from Earth.
  • Stephan’s Quintet — the first compact galaxy group ever discovered (in 1877), about 290 million light-years away
  • SMACS 0723 — Galaxy clusters in the foreground that magnify and distort the light of objects behind them, permitting a deep field view of extremely distant and faint galaxy populations.

Separately, the Christa McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University will host a free open house on July 29, 6PM-9PM, to celebrate the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope. Participants will be able to ask NASA Solar System Ambassadors questions about the universe and explore the night sky with telescopes. A keynote presentation will talk about the Webb Space Telescope and the first images received from it, and there will be free-choice learning activities related to astro imaging. For directions, use 7 Maynard Rd in Framingham. Face masks are required indoors.

Museum of Science Forum: Extreme Heat Boston, July 20

Events

Boston’s Museum of Science will host a free, evening-long, locally focused, deliberative, in-person forum — Extreme Heat Boston — on July 20, 7PM-9PM. Using materials developed by working with community groups and civic partners, participants will explore local extreme heat issues using community science collected data, local resilience plans, and a strong call to action. Snacks will be provided. Masks and optional and encouraged. This event is supported by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the Lowell Institute. Register here.