The Newton Conservators‘ first webinar of the spring season, Learn About Vernal Pools, will be held on April 7 at 7PM. Mass Audubon teacher/naturalist and Newton Conservators board member Barbara Bates will talk about how these season pools form and the varieties of life they support, using as examples two vernal pools in Newton — Bare Pond and Dolan Pond. Register before 3PM the day before.
Framingham State: Science on State Street, Planet Earth Edition, Apr. 12-24
Framingham State University’s Christa McAuliffe Center will hold this year’s festival, Science on State Street — Planet Earth Edition April 12-24. Events will include hands-on activities for all ages as well as discussions with scholars and climate activists for young adults and older. Most events will be online/virtual but some will be outdoor and in-person following Massachusetts COVID-19 Guidelines. The keynote address — Global Warming Demystified — will be on Zoom on April 22, 5:30-6:30PM. Registration is required for most events. For more information, email cmc@framingham.edu.
Harvard Museums Online: Body Builders–How Animals Regenerate New Parts, Apr. 14
Harvard Museums of Science and Culture will present a webinar, Body Builders: How Animals Regenerate New Parts, on April 14, 6PM-7PM. Registration is free, and optional donations are requested.
BU Offers Virtual Summer Computer-Science Programs for Young Women, Grades 8-11
Boston University’s Learning Resource Network (for K-12 STEM) will offer three virtual programs in computer science this summer for young women in Massachusetts. Each program runs 9:30AM-Noon and 1PM-3:30PM, Monday-Friday. There is no tuition but there is a $100 registration fee assessed on those who are accepted. Apply at the links below by May 1.
- Codebreakers: July 5-30, for those currently in Grades 9-10 and interested in cybersecurity (including programming, cryptography, and network security). Students will learn to code in Python and will hear from guest speakers about careers in cybersecurity.
- AI4ALL: July 26-August 13, for those currently in Grades 10-11 and interested in Artificial Intelligence (including robotics, computer vision, and natural language processing). There will be lectures, group projects, and presentations from guest speakers, and students will complete a small group research project and make an online presentation.
- Artemis: July 5-30, for those currently in Grade 8 and interested in the creative thinking and problem-solving that are central to computer science. Students will learn to code in Python, build websites, program microbits, and learn about search and sort algorithms, cryptography, and artificial intelligence.
STEM Activities at Boys & Girls Club Summer Camp
The John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club will host in-person summer camps in two-week sessions following Massachusetts COVID protocols with a variety of themes and activities, including coding, animation, and STEM activities like solar energy robots. Register here.
Empow Studios: Register for Summer Camp by Apr. 4 for Discounts
Empow Studios is offering a $25 discount on fees for summer camp for registrations made with discount code SUMMERFUN25 until April 4. Registrations made before April 1 may be modified or refunded on your request. Further discounts of 10% to 40% are available for additional weeks.
Boston Tech Mom: Online Summer STEM Camps
Boston Tech Mom has created a remarkable catalog of online summer STEM camps.
Museum of Science Webinar: Vaccination Decisions–What Does the Future Hold?, Mar. 23
Boston’s Museum of Science will host a free webinar, Vaccination Decisions: What Does the Future Hold?, the third of three virtual town halls about the COVID-19 vaccines, on March 23, 5PM-6:30PM. It will address questions such as: Should schools and workplaces require COVID-19 vaccines? What will travel look like? Will the general public’s phase of vaccine roll-out be equitable for all populations? What long-term changes will our society face after COVID-19? Registration is required. After presentations by the panelists, attendees may join small-group discussions to share concerns and ask questions.
LigerBots Continue Their ‘Awesome Mentorship Project’ Connecting HS Students Online with Grades K-5
The LigerBots’ free mentoring program, the Awesome Mentorship Project (AMP), is now starting a new season, after successes last spring, summer, and fall. AMP is a free, online program that connects high-school mentors with elementary-school students for weekly online meetings to explore a wide variety of subjects from programming to the arts, to grammar and English. In addition to teaching, mentors and mentees can play games, be reading buddies, and do crafts. The AMP began last spring with 82 mentor pairs and expanded in the summer into a virtual summer camp with 150 students and 80 teachers. The LigerBots hope that more students of both age groups will join in this free service. Parents/guardians may register their children here. High-school students interested in becoming mentors may sign up here. For more information, email the LigerBots at cso@ligerbots.com.
Lincoln Labs’ Science on Saturday: Destination–Space Exploration, Apr. 10
MIT Lincoln Laboratory is offering its Science on Saturdays programs virtually this year, and registration is NOT required. The programs are free and designed for children aged 5-17, their parents, and teachers. On Saturday, April 10 at 10AM, the program will be Destination: Space Exploration, here on Zoom.