Kids 4 Coding: Virtual Summer Camps, Ages 7-16

Kids 4 Coding, based in Atlanta and now in its 5th year in Massachusetts, is offering one-week virtual summer programs running June 1-August 21 with a maximum of five students per instructor (see instructor bios). Use code SAVE50 for a $50 discount. For more information, email info@kids4coding.com or call 800-484-2664.

  • Adventure Academy MMO:  Students in ages 7-9 combine gaming with learning in an open-world, instructor-led fantasy multi-player environment.
  • Kids 4 Coding Virtual Camp: Students in ages 7-16 code mobile apps, Roblox Studio games, and Minecraft mods, learn to code in a Python-based music environment, and learn to use Adobe Illustrator and PhotoShop for graphics and design.
  • Party of Five: Groups of five friends may join together to turn any Kids 4 Coding camp into a private coding camp for themselves.

Ligerbots: ‘Awesome Mentor Project’ is Expanding, Seeks HS & Elementary Students

The Ligerbots’ new Awesome Mentor Project — linking elementary students with high-school mentors during #StayAtHome — has grown to nearly 80 pairs of mentors and students in a short time. The Ligerbots hope that more students of both age groups will join in this free service to help continue younger students’ education during this time. Mentor and mentee pairs meet online weekly to explore a wide variety of subjects, from programming to the arts to grammar and English. In addition to teaching, mentors and mentors can play games, be reading buddies, and do crafts.

High school students interested in mentoring should fill out this form.

Parents interested in signing up their elementary-school children should fill out this form.

For more information, email cso@ligerbots.com.

Stay tuned for information about how the LigerBots are thinking about adapting their Awesome Mentor Project to be a summer program once school ends.

Girls Who Code: Virtual Summer Immersion Program, Free Code-At-Home Activities, and Peer Discussion Series

In response to COVID-19, Girls Who Code has changed its Summer Immersion Program to be a free two-week virtual program. It’s for girls 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, register for a live webinar on May 20, 6PM-6:30PM, or view the pre-recorded webinar here. Space is limited for the Summer Immersion Program, and applications are considered on a rolling basis, so act quickly. The application takes about 20-30 minutes and does not require grades or recommendations. Students may also apply for a $300 need-based stipend.

Girls Who Code also offers free Code-At-Home activities each week, some online and some offline, at varying levels of difficulty. New activities are released each Wednesday at 1PM, and each activity features a woman who pioneered innovative technology. The activities are also on GWC’s Instagram.

Girls Who Code also invites you to register for a free, four-part virtual event series for GWC alumni and community to discuss uncertainties around college, internships, and careers during the pandemic.

The Story of Robotics in Mass., 4 Webinars Starting May 20

MassRobotics and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative are co-producing a four-part webinar on the story of robotics in Massachusetts, featuring four leaders in the industry interviewed by four rising-senior high-school students. Register at the links below for the sessions, on four Wednesdays at 3PM:

The Knowledge Society Online: Talks with Tesla and SpaceX, May 23

The Knowledge Society will host an online talk for teens, Tesla & SpaceX: The Future of Travel, on May 23, 1PM-2:30PM, with Rey Mastrapa, the lead engineer of SpaceX’s Starship, and Mark Wai, former product lead at Tesla and co-founder of Orbiter. It’s free, but limited spots are available and by invitation. Apply for an invitation. According to TKS, priority will go to “students that demonstrate a strong level of curiosity and interest in emerging technology and science … The more effort you put into your application, the higher chance you’ll be invited.”

Complete the EiE/Museum of Science Survey, then Get Access to EiE’s Digital Storybooks for Elementary Students til June 30

The Engineering is Elementary team of curriculum developers at the Museum of Science is conducting a brief survey of educators and families to help EiE and MOS offer high quality STEM resources and experiences during these challenging times. Those who complete the survey will gain free access to EiE’s 20 digital storybooks until June 30. These interactive storybooks feature kids around the world using engineering to solve problems. Also included is a mini design challenge.

BlocksCAD Online Courses and Summer Camps, Grades 3-5 & 6-8

Boston-based BlocksCAD is a STEM education technology company offering a web-based 3D design platform that combines 3D modeling and block-based coding to help students in Grades 3-8 have fun learning math, computational thinking, and coding. See this summary. The BlocksCAD platform is free to use, and parents can help kids get started with projects here. The BlocksCAD team offers courses through Newton Community Education (formerly in person and these days online) as well as their own online courses. Each BlocksCAD online course runs once a week for four weeks, 5PM-6PM — on Mondays or Tuesdays for Grades 3-5, and on Wednesdays or Thursdays for Grades 6-8. As conditions permit, BlocksCAD plans to offer in-person, one-week summer day camps for Grades 3-5 (1:30-4:30PM, June 29-July 2) and Grades 6-8 (9:30AM-12:30PM, June 22-26).

Five Newton Students in Mass. Science & Engineering Fair

Five Newton-area students participated in this year’s Massachusetts Science & Engineering Fair, and two of them won awards. The in-person Fair itself had to be canceled, but all the work before it was celebrated through media. Here are Newton’s participants and their research topics, which are described more fully in the MSEF Program Book:

  • 2nd Place Rohit Paradkar (Newton South HS): Bioinformatical Analyses of the Wuhan Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
  • Finalist — Elizabeth Lesher (Newton Country Day): What Factors Increase the Risk of Contracting the Common Cold?
  • Charlotte Aslett (Newton Country Day): Testing the Effects of Sucrose on a Drosophila Model of Alzheimer’s
  • Emily Addona (Newton Country Day): Automated Integrated Security System
  • Nicholas Hu (Newton South HS): Defect Lifetimes in Active Nematic Systems

TeleTutor: Local, Online Tutoring Service, by HS Students for Elementary Students

Two high-school juniors in Newton, Talia Raffel and Emi Lundberg, have co-founded Teletutor, an online tutoring service for elementary students. They have recruited five other high-school students as additional teachers. They offer 40-minute virtual, one-session classes — STEM and other — with a maximum of six elementary students per session. Classes vary each week and are announced at 9PM each Saturday. Parents sign their kids up by 9PM the night before a class, paying online. Per-student costs are $15 for a 40-minute class, $10 for a 20-minute class. TeleTutor is offering two special deals now:  $40 for a pass to any four classes; or bring a friend, and both you and your friend get a 50% discount. Classes are free for kids of healthcare workers and first responders, as well as in cases of financial hardship of any kind, no questions asked. For more information, email teletutor123@gmail.com. STEM-related classes this week:

  • Light and Sound Waves
  • The Octopus
  • Bees and Honey
  • Giraffes
  • Introduction to Genetics
  • Aquarium Tour
  • Genetics: Mechanics