Register now for TransportationYOU Summit, Oct. 28

Events

WTS-Boston will host the 2023 TransportationYOU Summit on October 28, 10AM-2PM, for students in ages 8-14 of all gender identities, with a particular focus on educating girls and young women about the collegiate and career opportunities available to them in STEM, and particularly int transportation fields.

The Summit, held in person at UMass Lowell (31 University Ave., Lowell), will have in-person, hands-on workshops and activities hosted by professionals in the field to introduce students to career opportunities in transportation (engineering, planning, construction). Workshops will include activities that simulate real life projects and learn about UMass Lowell’s concrete canoe and steel bridge projects. Space is limited to 100 attendees. Register here by October 13. For more information, y questions, email transportationyouboston@gmail.com.

Separately, through November 6, the WTS Foundation will host a student contest for a rebranding of the TransportationYOU brand.

Science Club for Girls: Fall Registration is open for virtual clubs

After School

Science Club for Girls is currently enrolling girls and gender-expansive youth in grades K-12 in its virtual Science Clubs, which start the week of October 3. Space is limited. Participants need a computer, laptop, tablet, or phone with Internet access. All other materials are provided free. Choose one of four weekly one-hour sessions: Monday, Tuesdays, or Thursdays at 4PM, or Saturdays at 10:30AM. Register here.

Science Research Academy in Lexington coaches middle-school students: Budding researchers and science fair contestants

Summer

Science Research Academy in Lexington offers hands-on scientific exploration to middle school students (ages 11-16), teaching them how to build their own unique scientific research projects from the ground up. It currently offers three programs:

  • Summer Research Sprint: August 7-11, 8:30AM-Noon, in person at Grace Chapel in Lexington, for motivated and curious students entering Grades 6-10 who want to learn about scientific research, build their own projects, and explore a subject more deeply than what is offered in school.
  • Science Fair: January-April, at times determined by participants’ availability. A program 12 classes to prepare 5-10 students of all skill levels (who are entering Grades 7 and higher) for the Massachusetts Science Fair, using a step-by-step process from creating a research idea to presenting at the fair. Expect to also spend multiple hours outside of class working independently on your project. The program includes 12 weekly Zoom meetings, guest speakers, 1-on-1 meetings at least monthly, unlimited access to instructors by email, and an in-person dry run of each student’s presentation with feedback from multiple judges.
  • Independent Research Program: September-November. A 12-week program for 5-10 students (entering Grades 7 and higher) to break down research projects into bite-sized steps with coaching. Each student completes a research project with a project write-up, self-directed.

The founder of the academy, Parth Kocheta, graduated recently from Lexington High School and won the Massachusetts State Science Fair in 2022. The academy’s faculty of experienced student researchers has already guided over 25 students, and this year many of them secured various prizes at the Massachusetts State Science Fair, with 85% of its students advancing from the Regional Fair to the Massachusetts State Fair and several first-time students wining  2nd, 3rd, or Honorable Mention prizes at the State Fair.

Edge on Science: Full and partial scholarships available for summer STEM programs

Summer

Edge on Science reports that an anonymous benefactor is providing up to 14 partial to full scholarships for families who would like to send their children to a summer STEM program. Over the remaining four weeks of Edge on Science STEM programs at Lasell University (Newton) and Endicott College (Beverly) this summer, there are nine different week-long STEM adventures to choose from. All are led by an engineer, scientist, inventor, and/or scholar. Programs are available for students entering Grades 3-12 in the fall, and there are positions for Counselor in Training (CIT) too. To inquire, families should call Edge on Science at 315-773-5673.

MITES Symposiums: High-school students present their work, July 21 & Aug. 2-3

Accomplishments, Events

MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering & Science (MITES) provides transformative experiences to bolster confidence, create lifelong community, and build foundations in STEM for highly motivated students in Grades 7-12 from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. The MITES students who are rising seniors will be presenting their work in two symposiums. Register here to attend:

  • July 21: MITES Summer, in-person, 8:30AM-5PM
  • August 2-3: MITES Semester, virtual, 6PM-9PM each day

Register by June 27 for MIT’s Virtual HSSP — Sundays in Summer for Grades 7-12+

Summer, Virtual/Online

MIT’s Summer HSSP is a weekend academic program (July 9-August 13) for students entering Grades 7-12 (plus those who just graduated high school). Courses are run virtually on Zoom by volunteers on Sundays at various times between 1PM and 4PM. Registration is now open until June 27 on a lottery basis, with equal consideration given to all applicants registering by that deadline. The cost is $50 regardless of the number of courses taken, and generous financial aid is available.  For more information, email summer-hssp@mit.edu.  The course catalog for this summer contains these 17 STEM courses:

  • StudentS’ STEM (S3) — an approach empowering students
  • How to Make a Dragon: Introduction to Synthetic Biology
  • Introduction to Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • DIY: Mini Magnetically-Levitated Trains
  • Circuits Analysis 101
  • Modeling Mechanics and Circuits via Differential Equations and JavaScript
  • Introduction to Computational Statistics
  • More Than One Variable? – An Introduction to Multivariable Calculus
  • Developmental Immunology
  • Cancer Warriors: Unleashing the Power of Your Immune System against Cancer
  • From Earth to Space: Introduction to Space Medicine
  • Electrifying Biochemistry
  • Saving the World with the Science of Sustainability!
  • Nuclear Reactors: Science and Operation
  • How the Earth Moves Below the Sea: An Intro to Conducting Marine Geophysical Research
  • Relativity and Black Holes
  •  Everything they don’t tell you about Mathematics