The New England Sci-Tech hosts the STARS – Amateur Radio Club, open to all ages, beginners to experts. On June 24-25 (2PM Saturday to 2PM Sunday), STARS will participate in ARRL Field Day, when licensed amateur radio operators worldwide participate in contests and practice exercises of radio skills. The STARS event takes place at New England Sci-Tech (16 Tech Circle, Natick). The Field Day event runs outside in vans and tents running off alternative power to simulate emergency conditions, but the building is open for tours, restrooms, maker activities, etc.)
Discovery Museum in Acton: Free Friday Nights
The Discovery Museum (177 Main Street, Acton) will offer free admission on summer Fridays, 4:30PM-8PM. (Treehouse and Discovery Woods close at dusk.) Reservations are required and can be made 10 days in advance. Donations of non-perishable food will be gratefully received for Open Table and the Acton Food Pantry.
Museum of Science: EiE offers summertime STEM activities for families
EiE, a program of Boston’s Museum of Science, offers EiE Families — STEM activities, games and more for families with children ages 4-11 to continue learning in the summer, at home and on the go. Available in English and Spanish, these at-home activities offer engaging, real-world design challenges using commonly found around the home. Activities include:
- Bye, Bye Bug: Help Kenji and Emi engineer a solution to relocate a bug found in their bedroom!
- A Story to Remember: Use sequencing skills to think of a story and relate it to the story Nur, Fitri, and Fakhri are trying to remember.
- I Spy Technologies: Make a trip to the store or laundromat more fun as you spot technologies all around you.
- Technology Categories: Think of as many technologies as you can to solve different problems, like cooking food or making light.
- Technology Deck: Use this deck of 52 technology cards to play seven different games. Use the printable version for a true card game experience or download the mobile version for your cell phone or tablet.
Families and educators can also organize a STEM Event at school or in a community space for learners and their families to work on engineering challenges in a group setting.
Mustang Math recruits HS and college volunteers for next year
Mustang Math is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization of high school and college volunteers promoting a collaboration and curiosity in mathematics among middle school students globally. It does this through annual math tournaments and low-cost, high-quality math classes. It’s now recruiting high-school and college students to volunteer for the next school year. Opportunities include writing problems, organizing tournaments/events, building software, working on design and marketing, engaging the community, building YouTube videos, and more. Register your interest here.
HMNH Science Spotlights: Young scientists discuss big questions, June 10
Harvard Museum of Natural History will host Science Spotlights on June 10, 2PM-3:30PM, where up-and-coming young scientists will present short talks about questions at the forefront of research today. For ages 10+. Free for those admitted to the museum.
2PM: Exploring Other Worlds with Victoria DiTomasso, Center for Astrophysics. Take a look at distant planets outside of the solar system, retrace the steps to the discovery of the first so-called exoplanet, and see how astronomers like DiTomasso use the movement of stars to learn about the exoplanets that revolve around them.
3PM: Tales of Zircon: Adventures in Understanding Deep Time with Dr. Heather Kirkpatrick, Drabon Group. Geologists use the rock record to understand what the Earth was like millions of years ago. But what happens when we explore periods of history so long ago that we no longer have these rocks? Kirkpatrick will discuss her work on using the chemistry of minerals to understand these long-ago times in Earth’s history.
LigerBots Host Info Night about FIRST LEGO League Robotics, June 14
Newton families with students in ages 4-16 — who are interested in STEAM and/or robotics (or think they may be!) — are invited to a free information session about First Lego League (FLL), on Wednesday, June 14, 7:00-8:30PM, hosted by Newton’s high school robotics team, the LigerBots. Parents, guardians, students, and potential mentors can learn about how the FLL season and competitions run, what is required to participate, and what students can gain from the experience. This Info Night will be held at Newton North High School, in the Film Lecture Hall (off the main lobby). There will be hands-on STEAM activities for children while adults are in the presentation. Sign up here.
FIRST Lego League (FLL) is an annual robotics competition in which teams of 2-10 students build a robot, solve engineering challenges, and learn in a friendly competition. FLL offers different divisions for ages 4-6, 6-10, and 9-16+. Older students compete in LEGO robot competitions and complete research projects, while younger students do hands-on activities using LEGO or LEGO DUPLO bricks, and explore real-world scientific problems.
Several LigerBots students started in the FIRST program by participating in FLL. A few of the speakers at the FLL info night will be past FLL participants, ready to share experiences and answer questions. They will provide information on how students can start their own teams — and how adults do not need backgrounds in engineering to be successful FLL coaches!
The LigerBots have been extremely generous in supporting FIRST LEGO League in Newton. The team hosts the Newton Qualifier FLL tournament every year and the Massachusetts East FLL Championship most years. The team also runs a STEAM activity expo alongside at least one of its tournaments each year. The public is invited in to watch the tournament and children are invited to do activities at the STEAM expo.
For more information, email cso@ligerbots.com
UMass Amherst Summer Pre-College Programs at Newton’s Mt. Ida Campus
UMass Amherst is offering four summer pre-college programs for students in Grades 10-12 at its Mt. Ida campus in Newton. Students can experience college-level academics, explore their interests, and get a feel for campus life. All programs meet Monday-Friday, 9AM-4PM, are taught by UMass faculty and advanced graduate students, and feature hands-on, project-based learning. Residential and commuter options are available. Applications are considered on a rolling basis through mid-June.
- Building & Construction Technology: CityLab, July 23-August 5
- Summer Design Academy: June 25-July 15
- Veterinary Technology, July 9-22 (full)
- Wildlife Veterinary Medicine & Reproduction: June 25-July 8 (Full)
Newton Summer Science Program: NSHS Science Team offers STEM classes for grades 6-9
This summer, the Newton South HS Science Team is running its 4th annual Newton Summer Science Program (NSSP) for middle schoolers and rising 9th graders. NSSP is a series of week-long, free science classes taught by qualified and passionate NSHS Science Team members to help prepare students for high school science classes in a fun and interactive environment. All classes are free, and the Science Team greatly appreciates any donations to support its work. Register here.
This year, NSSP will offer these classes (details here):
- Genetics: Uncovering the Blueprint For Life (*)
- Cell Biology: Let’s Dive Into Life Science! (*)
- Psychology
- Code-cracking
- Brain, Body, and Behavior (*)
- Forestry: An Adventure In The Trees (*)
- Fluids: From Motion Graphics to Airplanes!
- Organic Chemistry: Unlocking the Power of Carbon
- Journey into Chemistry: Catalyzing Change
- Anatomy & Physiology: Immune System
- Intro to Python
- Intro to 3D Modeling
(*) Most classes are online this year, but those marked (*) will be running in-person at Newton South High School.
Newton FIRST LEGO League team — Lazer Robotics — wins Coopertition Award at Morocco Open Invitational
Last week, the Lazer Robotics, an award-winning, Newton-based FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team, completed its multi-year run in FLL by winning of the League’s most prestigious honors – FLL’s Coopertition Award – at the 2023 FLL Open Invitational in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Read the full story at Fig City News.
Tonight: International Space Station directly overhead in mostly clear sky
Tonight, the International Space Station (ISS) will be visible for about 6 minutes starting at 9:25PM, appearing in the northwest, moving directly overhead to a maximum elevation of 89 degrees, and disappearing in the southeast. Skies are expected to be very clear, with 11% cloud cover. The ISS circles the Earth every 90 minutes or so, but its visibility varies. You can check Spot the Station to find when and where it will be visible and sign up for alerts of when it’s most visible in your location.