Boston’s Museum of Science will host the first of three free, online town hall sessions, Vaccine Decisions: Rolling Out the Vaccine, on January 26, 5PM-6:30PM. WBUR Health & Science Reporter Angus Chen will moderate a panel of experts in medicine and public health discussing how the COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed, in what priority order, against what measures of equity, and managed by whom? There will be opportunities to ask questions in small-group sessions. Register here.
Harvard Museums Online: After-School Animal Encounters–Defense, Feb. 2
Harvard Museums of Science and Culture will present a free, live, online, family-friendly event, After-School Animal Encounters: Defense, on February 2, 3PM-3:45PM. Museum staff will introduce live animals and explain many amazing and bizarre ways that animals defend themselves or avoid confrontation. Register here to get a link to the event and to make a voluntary contribution if you wish to support HMSC.
Girls Who Code: Apply for Online Summer Immersion Program
Girls Who Code has changed its Summer Immersion Program to be a free two-week virtual program. It’s for girls — trans and cis — and non-binary students currently in Grades 9-11 to learn computer science and get exposure to technology jobs. No previous experience is required — just an interest in technology and willingness to learn. For more information, see the FAQs in this flyer and view this recorded webinar about last summer’s virtual program. Space is limited for the Summer Immersion Program, and applications are due in mid-February for early acceptance or in mid-March for everyone else. The application takes about 20-30 minutes and does not require grades or recommendations. Students may also apply for a $300 need-based stipend.
CS Recitations: One-Day Prep for March Math Kangaroo Competition, Grades 1-6, Feb. 20
CS Recititations (5 Michigan Drive, Suite 201, in Natick) will be a local host for the in-person, international Math Kangaroo competition in late March — and is offering three two-hour, in-person preparatory workshops to help students build confidence for the competition on February 20: 10AM-Noon for Grades 1-2; 12:30PM-2:30PM for Grades 3-4; and 3PM-5PM for Grades 5-6. The competition is fun, with interesting and clever problems that children enjoy tackling. Each workshop is limited to 10 students, and the cost is $60 per student. Register here.
Teen Summer Expos: Catalog of Summer STEM Opportunities
Teen Summer Expos usually runs in-person expositions in Newton, Lexington, and other locations to match teens with various summer programs, but their expos are on hold during the pandemic. Instead, TSE offers this an online catalog of summer programs — including this online list of summer STEM opportunities — as well as personal phone consultations.
Newton Free Library Online: The 4-Billion-Year Story of Newton, Jan. 19
On January 19, 7PM-8PM, the Newton Free Library will offer The Four Billion Year Story of Newton — a free, online presentation for teens and adults by geologist Eamon McCarthy Earls describing the history of our landscapes and terrain from the formation of the planet to the present day. Register at that link.
Blue Hill Observatory Webinar: Thin Line Between Snow and Rain, Jan.27
On January 27 at 11AM, the Blue Hill Observatory will host a webinar featuring NBC Boston meteorologist Tim Kelley talking about The Thin Line Between Snow and Rain — How Forecasters Handle the Challenge. To support the nonprofit work of the observatory, a registration fee ($10 for BHO members, $15 for others) is requested. Register at that link to make a donation and get sign-in credentials for the webinar.
MSEN Online: Effective STEM Mentorship, Jan. 27
The MetroWest STEM Education Network (MSEN) quarterly meeting on January 27, 8:30AM-10:30AM, will focus on Effective STEM Mentorship. Register at that link. It’s free, online, and open to the public. Jessica Haggett Silverman of the National Mentoring Partnership will speak.
Worcester Polytech: Free, Online STEM Programs for Grades 3-5, Feb. 15-16
Worcester Polytechnic Institute will host the following free, online STEM learning sessions, with hands-on activities led by WPI undergraduate mentors, for Grades 3-5. Register here.
- Engineers on the Go: February 15 (9AM-11AM; wait list only) or February 16 (1PM-3PM)
- Introduce a Girl to Engineering: February 15 (1PM-3PM) or February 16 (9AM-11AM)
FSU McAuliffe Center: February Vacation Online Astronomy Program for High School Students
The Christa McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University will offer an online program, The Life Cycle of Stars, for high-school students over the February vacation, February 15-19, at either 11AM-Noon or 4PM-5PM each day. Motivated students in Grades 7-8 are also welcome. The cost is $45 per student. Register here.