The Newton Schools Foundation is hosting Newton Inspires, its annual fundraising event, virtually this year. Among the fascinating speakers, Dr. Giovanni Fazio will speak on April 13 at 7PM about Our Origin and Our Demise: Birth, Life and the Death of Stars. He’s a senior physicist at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and a lecturer in the Astronomy Department at Harvard. Register here and sponsor the event here.
Boston University: U-Design Virtual Summer STEM Workshops, Grades 7-10
Boston University’s School of Engineering will offer three one-week, virtual U-Design summer engineering workshops for students entering Grades 7-10:
- Robo-Alley I: Build, code, and test LEGO MindStorm EV3 robots with Python, July 12 – 16
- Robo-Alley II: Build, code, and test more advanced robots via a virtual robotics simulator, July 19 – 23
- Flight School: Design and build gliders, and discuss topics in aerospace and astrophysics, July 26 – 30
Students will work together online, 10AM-Noon each day, with an optional session 3PM-4PM for further questions or assistance, plus independent, off-line work on students’ own schedule. The cost is $200 per student for one workshop, with discounts of $50 and $75 for additional workshops. A limited number of scholarships are available for those who qualify. Materials, including safety goggle and required tools, will be mailed to students before the workshop starts. Registration is limited to 20 students. For further information, email Ann Mahoney at 617-320-5351 or ammahon@bu.edu.
CSRecitations to Offer Small-Group, In-Person Summer Classes, Grades 4+
CSRecititations (5 Michigan Drive in Natick) will offer these in-person summer classes for groups of 4-6 students each:
- Grades 4 to 5: Introduction to Python
- Grades 6+ : Advanced Scratch
- Grades 7 to 8: A Short Course in JavaScript
- Grades 8+: Web Programming I
- Grades 8+: Web Programming II
The Knowledge Society: Innovation Program, In Person or Online, for Ages 13-18
The Knowledge Society (TKS) is a 10-month innovation mentorship program for ages 13-18. Groups of 30-40 students meet either online or in-person (in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Toronto, or Vancouver) on weekends from September 2021 through June 2022. Under the guidance of TKS directors, students:
- Learn about technologies such as blockchain, genomics, and nanotech;
- Develop skills in problem solving and presenting;
- Interact with mentors in partner companies;
- Conduct in-depth projects; and
- Develop relationships with peers in the program.
There’s an Innovate level for first-time students and an Activate level for returning students. Potential applicants are invited to schedule an online conversation with a current TKS student. The cost is $4,980 for online or $6,560 for in-person, and need-based financial aid is available. Applications are due April 5 and are followed by video interviews for finalists. For more information, see the FAQs, email hello@tks.world or call 855-244 7866.
MassRobotics JumpStart Fellowships for Female HS Students, Info Session Mar. 18; Apply by Mar. 26
MassRobotics invites female students in Grades 11-12 with a passion for robotics and technology — and especially those who are Black/Latinx — to apply for its paid JumpStart Fellowships that will provide training (3D Modeling/CAD, programming, fabrication and prototyping), industry exposure and networking, and opportunities leading to a career in engineering. The program will begin during the week of April 19-23 and continue with Saturday meetings in May and June, followed by paid summer internships with partner companies. Sign up for an information session on March 18 at 4:30PM. Apply by March 26 with a letter of recommendation from a teacher or other trusted adult.
Newton LigerBots’ Virtual Hackathon for Grades 4-8, Apr. 3
Newton’s high-school robotics team, the LigerBots, will host a virtual Hackathon for Grades 4-8 on April 3, 1PM-5PM. Students with or without programming experience will compete in teams of 2 to 4 to code the best animation in Scratch. There will be workshops for the first half of the event and prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Register here, either as a team or an individual to be matched to a team. High-school students who are proficient in the Scratch programming language are invited to help out! Contact iris_yang@ligerbots.com or cmo@ligerbots.com with any questions.
Museum of Science: Engineering Design Workshop Opens Mar. 22
Boston’s Museum of Science will launch its latest exhibit, Engineering Design Workshop, on March 22. It’s full of the museum’s Design Challenges and hands-on activities in engineering and computer science. NOTE: There’s still time to contribute any amount today for the museum’s Pi Day fundraiser and have your donation matched.
Blue Hill Observatory Webinar: Taking the Fingerprints of Global Sea Level Change, Mar. 24
On March 24, 7PM-8PM, the Blue Hill Observatory will host a webinar,
Taking the Fingerprints of Global Sea Level Change, presented by Dr. Jerry X. Mitrovica, Professor of Science in Harvard’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” in 2019. To support the nonprofit work of the observatory, a registration fee ($10 for BHO members, $15 for others) is requested but not required. Register to get sign-in credentials for the webinar and optionally make a donation.
Newton Free Library: Young Explorers Club Weekly E-Newsletter
The Newton Free Library offers a weekly e-newsletter for its Young Explorers Club, with links to video and other resources, suggested reading, and ideas for activities on a different topic each Thursday: weather, Mars, animal behavior, etc. Register once to receive all future issues. Virtual live programming will be added in April, under separate registration.
NPS Hiring a Coordinator of K-8 Science and Tech/Engineering
Newton Public Schools is hiring a Coordinator of K-8 Science and Tech/Engineering to lead curriculum and instruction for Grades K-8 across the district.