Looking for a winter STEM Activity? MAHacks is a free hackathon for high school students, run by high school students, held in Boston. Wondering what a hackathon is? It is an event where computer programmers, designers and others work in a team to develop software products. No experience? No problem, there are workshops to teach the basics of coding or join a team as an artist, designer or writer.
Free Admission, free food, free swag and over $17,000 in prizes! When: February 24, 2017 (note, date changed per their facebook page) Where: Upstatement, Boston, MA Time: 12 hour event (schedule not posted as of this writing) Cost: Free Register here To keep up on STEM Happenings throughout New England follow: STEM Advocates at www.mySTEMresource.com and on Facebook and Twitter @STEMAdvocates Are you or do you know a young female high school student, currently in the 11th grade, interested in technology? MIT Women's Technology program offers a four week residential academic experience, designed and taught by female MIT graduate students, exploring engineering through hands-on classes, labs and team-based projects. This program is geared towards students with no prior programming background.
This program is free of charge for families with incomes less than $120,000 and $3,500 for families earning more than $120,000. The program includes classes, housing and food. This is a competitive application process with over 500 applications for 40 spots. To learn more watch their YouTube Video or go to their website Program Dates: June 23 - July 21, 2018 Application Deadline: January 15, 2018 The Bezos Scholars Program, founded in 2005, through the Bezos Family Foundation (founded by Jackie & Miguel Bezos, the parents Amazon founder Jeff Bezos), offers a few select rising seniors the opportunity to attend an all-expense-paid leadership development program in Aspen, Colorado. Students have the opportunity to tap into their passions and work together to address community needs. Criteria:
Apply Here Application Deadline: February 9, 2018 Scholars Announced: May 2018 Registration is open for students to attend introductory classes at New England colleges by college students. Programs are available for students grade 5 - 12. Check out the schools, dates and links on the Students-STEM page of our site.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory has just announced their first fall Science on Saturday program, The Art of Science. The program explores the intersection of the sciences and performing arts. The Science on Saturday program is for children ages 5-17 (though I find it best for elementary and early middle school students). Two sessions are offered on Saturday, Oct 21, 2017 on from 9-10:30 and another from 10:45-12:15. The program is free of charge.
Registration open for Yale Sprout. Wondering what Yale Sprout it? Check out my earlier post for the scoop!
Looking for an opportunity to expose your teen to a college campus while learning topics that interest them? Brandeis University's fall SPLASH date has been released. Wondering what Splash is? Check out my previous post, Splashing into Fall.
Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 12 - 5 pm. Open to middle and high school students. More details about what classes will be held offered be released at a future date, so keep checking back! To keep up on STEM Happenings throughout New England follow: STEM Advocates at www.mySTEMresource.com and on Facebook and Twitter @STEMAdvocates UPDATE: Registration Full, Registration closed on Sept 6th at 3:30 pm
Registration is now open for the Merit Badge University (MBU) held on the WPI campus. This program for the boy scouts is run by the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity and student volunteers (thank you!). Most merit badge university programs are run in the spring, so it is especially nice to see this one is hosted in the fall. A wide variety of merit badges are being offered including many that are STEM related such as: Animation, Environmental Science, Engineering, Space Exploration, Chemistry, Electronics, Robotics, Geology, Astronomy & Oceanography. The event will be held over two Saturdays, attendance both days are required, November 4 & December 2, 2017. The program runs from 9 am - 4:10 pm. The cost of the program - 3 merit badges and pizza is $15. Registration open until Oct 1st or until 225 scouts have registered. Click on the link to register. To keep up on STEM Happenings throughout New England follow: STEM Advocates at www.mySTEMresource.com and on Facebook and Twitter @STEMAdvocates CyberPatriot, a program created by the US Air Force, is a youth cyber education program and cyber defense competition offering middle school and high school divisions. The program was created to increase interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) education and cyber security. The first cyber defense competition was held in 2009 with just eight teams in Florida, since then, it has grown to over 4,400 teams across the United States.
Teams compete online and are scored on how well they identify vulnerabilities in a simulated virtual network. Winners of the online competitions are invited to attend the, all expense paid, National Finals Competition in Baltimore, Maryland held in April 2018 and winners receive national recognition and are awarded scholarships. Each team consists of a coach and 2-6 competitors (up to 5 competitors, 1 alternate) and an optional team mentor and/or assistant. On-line training materials are provided. Teams need to be registered by October 4, 2017, there is a fee of $205 per team (to increase the number of females in STEM, there is no charge for all female teams) To keep up on STEM Happenings throughout New England follow: STEM Advocates at www.mySTEMresource.com and on Facebook and Twitter @STEMAdvocates Yale University has announced the dates for their fall Splash and Sprout High School Outreach programs. Wondering what Splash is? Check out my previous post, Splashing into Fall.
Yale Splash, for students in grades 7 - 12 , will be held on November 11, 2017. The catalog of classes has not been uploaded yet, but you can check out the spring catalog to get an idea of what classes have been held in the past. The cost of the program is $20, including lunch, full need-based financial aid is available. Yale Sprout, for students in grades 9 - 12, will be held three consecutive weekends, attendance for all three weeks in mandatory - September 30, October 7 and October 14th. The cost of the program is $45, including lunch; full need-based financial aid is available. Wondering what the difference is between Splash and Sprout? Splash classes are held over one day, Sprout is held over three days, allowing students to delve deeper into their topics. This years course catalog has not been released yet, but to get an idea of what type of courses might be available, check out last session's classes. Keep up to date as more New England Splash Programs dates are release check back on my Students - Splash page. To keep up on STEM Happenings throughout New England follow: STEM Advocates at www.mySTEMresource.com and on Facebook and Twitter @STEMAdvocates Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology. In 1984, 37% of all computer science graduates were women, now that number is just 18%. Girls Who Code helps prepare girls around the country for a future in computer science with free after school programs for 6-12th grade girls.
Find a location near you or start your own club! If you live near Worcester, MA, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is running a club for girls in grades 7 and 8. Dates: September 5 - December 19, 2017 (excluding November 21, 2017) Hours: Tuesdays, 4:00 - 6:00pm Cost: free Registration: Opens On Monday, August 14, 2017 at 9:00am To register, contact the Office of Pre-collegiate Outreach Programs by email at [email protected] or by phone at 508-831-4900. Are you looking for local STEM opportunities for your kids close to home? Try your local technical high school's School of Continuing Education classes. Montachusett Regional Technical High School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts has two programs for kids.
Cool Circuits for 7th & 8th grade students will be taught by Sehba Hasan, an electronics and telecommunications engineer. Students will learn about LED's (light emitting diodes), switches and fans. This course will be held Tuesdays, Sept 12 - Oct 17 from 4:30 - 5:30 pm and costs $149 Kidtronics for 5th & 6th grade students will teach the basics of electronic circuits. They will learn about electricity, electrons, voltage source, conductors and insulators. As a final project students will create a LED card. This course will be held Sept 11 - Oct 23 from 4:30 - 5:30 pm and costs $149. Register online at Montytechnites.com or call 978-345-9200 x5220 Ever wonder what the maker movement is all about? Are you interested in learning about 3-D Printing? The Leominster Public Library is hosting a Maker Monday - 3D Workshop this summer for 7th - 12th grade students. You must be able to attend all three sessions to sign up. Sessions are Mondays July 31, August 7, and August 14 from 2:30 - 4:30 pm. I am very excited to see the Leominster Public Library offer a program like this for teens! Looking for something fun and educational, and oh by the way...free, to do with your kids this summer? Microsoft stores run YouthSpark Camps for kids 8 - 12 years old. The camps run two hours a day from Monday - Thursday.
Starting a Business Jr - Kids learn that they are never too young to have great ideas and start a business. Students come up with a business idea, build a business plan and present their plan at the end of the camp. They learn how to do market research, create an advertising plan, figure out costs and distribution methods, think about how to finance their business, and write a business plan. If you have a boy scout, this plan meets most of the requirements of the Entrepreneurship Merit Badge. Get Creative with 3D in Windows 10 - Bring out your inner artist in this fun camp where students learn Paint 3D and create their own emojis, monsters, robots, and landscapes. Students have a chance to present their 3D designs to the other students in the class. (This was my son and his friend's favorite YouthSpark Camp!) Kodu Makerspace - A great way for beginners to be introduced the concepts game design and coding utilizing the free Kodu Game Lab software. My son attended all three of these camps and I would highly recommend if you live near a Microsoft store to take advantage of these opportunities. Mark your calendar, MIT Science on Saturday's 2017-2018 schedule has been released! All events are FREE and opened to students K-12, parents and teachers.
Science on Saturday events on the MIT campus are free and open to all K-12 students, as well as their parents and teachers. Each event features an hour of spectacular on-stage science demonstrations led by MIT presenters with volunteers from the audience, followed by an hour where kids can do their own experiments at 24 different hands-on activity tables. The events will be held 10:00 a.m.-noon on the following Saturdays in MIT’s Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139: October 14, 2017 Biotechnology December 2, 2017 Nuclear Science and Engineering February 3, 2018 Materials with Magical Properties March 10, 2018 Rockets and Flight April 7, 2018 Optics Events are produced by MIT alumnus Todd Rider and sponsored by the MIT Museum and the Akamai Foundation. Attendees receive half-price, same day admission to the MIT Museum. high school students learn how to design video games at becker college video game summer studio5/30/2017
Becker College, ranked number five worldwide by the Princeton Review for computer game design, is again holding their Video Game Summer Studio for high school students. My son attended this program last summer and said it was the best two weeks of his life! He was surrounded by peers with similar interests and the classes were taught by great teachers.
Becker's Video Game Summer Studio is a two-week residential program where students live, learn and play together. The program is an introduction to all aspects of game development including game design, game art and animation, motion capture, programming, sound, testing and production. Students will work in small groups, as part of a development team, and collaborate to build an original game. Students will have a chance to meet professional game developers at companies such as Petricore Games. At the culmination of the program, students will showcase their new game and discuss the programs and processes they used during game development. The program will be held on the Worcester, Mass. campus for students grades 9-12. Registration deadline, June 10, 2017.
Students who attend the Summer Game Studio can qualify to receive a $5,000 annual scholarship if they go on to enroll full-time in Becker College's Bachelor of Arts Interactive Media Design Program. See Becker College's website for scholarship details. UMass Amherst is offering a free 4-week pre-college program, Summer Transportation Institute, funded by the Department of Transportation, for current high school students entering the 10th - 12th grade. Students will learn about career paths, including: Connected and Automated Vehicle Technology, Public Transportation, Sustainability, Aviation, Safety and Enforcement, Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities
The program runs from July 9, 2017 - August 3, 2017. The program includes housing in a pre-college residence (a commuter option is available as well), a full meal plan and co-curricular programs. Available space is limited, so if interested, apply soon. This summer offers another opportunity for rising 7th graders to graduating seniors to take classes at MIT through HSSP. Students can choose from a variety of academic and non-academic courses. The program runs on Sundays from July 9, 2017 - August 13, 2017 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The cost of the program is $40, as always, generous financial aid is available. Space is limited. The course catalog is expected to be released on May 23rd and registration will open tentatively around May 28th. Registration closes on June 13th. Registration is now open for CODEIT!, a free program offered by MIT students aimed at decreasing the gender-gap in technology. Middle school girls with little or no programming experience will have the chance to explore computer science through interactive workshops and MIT student mentors. The program meets weekly on Saturday afternoons from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. beginning October 7, 2017 through December 2, 2017 (students are expected to attend all classes). Computers and smartphones will be available for student use and a catered lunch will be provided. "girls space day adventure" a day of Hands-on engineering & Science for middle school girls5/9/2017
Girls Space Day Adventure, hosted by The Society of Women Engineers, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, MIT AeroAstro Department and MIT Women's Graduate Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics, will be held this Saturday, May 13, 2017 at the MIT Johnson Ice Rink. Girls, grade 6 - 8, will participate in hands-on activities and demonstrations while learning about the role of science and engineering in space exploration. There will be interactive demonstration and the young women will have the opportunity to meet women scientists and engineers. Student Check-in: 9:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. Speakers & Demos: 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cost: $15 Pre-registration required. We loved the library when my kids were little, we were there all the time. We listened and sang at Mommy & Me story time, we played with puzzles, and borrowed lots and lots of books. We loved the kids performers – the magicians, the jugglers, and the science shows. It was a great time to get together with friends. The calendar was always full with upcoming activities.
It was a sad day when I realized my kids had outgrown the library. They were excited when they realized they were now going to a new room upstairs with a whole new variety of books, booths to sit in and computers work on. We quickly discovered, most of the time the door was locked and the room empty. The library staff were quick to unlock the door but it was soon locked again after the kids made their selection. The sense of feeling welcome was left in the first floor childrens’ room. My kids now prefer to just download a book on their electronic device and there is no real reason for them to head to the library anymore. It seems this is a common trend at many libraries and the middle and high school kids get lost. There is a void, a sense of loss of community that we had when the kids were little, we had loved the library. The question I was left with is, what do you do when your kids outgrow the library? More and more people are turning to makerspaces. Makerspaces are community spaces where people can gather together for learning, exploring, making and sharing using a variety of tools and materials. Makerspaces are unique to the community they serve. Some may be in a small space consisting of primarily art supplies and Legos while others can be in a vast location offering a variety of tools and classes. I recently had a chance to tour Technocopia, a makerspace in Worcester, with Lauren Monroe, the founder of Worcester Think Tank. Worcester Think Tank, established in 2008, is a youth education center providing hands-on experiences in science, technology and the arts for youth ages 8 to 17. Technocopia offers workshops, tool trainings and youth education. Memberships are available to individuals and families to use the space and tools. Workshops are offered to both members and non-members of the makerspace. The space includes a Design Studio, Glass Shop, a Metal Shop, a Laser Cutter, 3D Printers and a classroom with computers. The two organizations have formed a unique relationship, sharing a space and collaborating on a full time basis. In addition to workshops throughout the year, Worcester Think Tank is offering 2-weeks of summer programs in August. There will be a variety of workshops including: Illuminated Sculpture where students will learn 3D printing, how to use a laser cutter to create a sculpture and electronics to light up the sculpture; Screen Printing where students will create a design and to screen print on a t-shirt.; Minecraft and 3D Printing workshop; and Art Biology. …This may just be the answer to what we do now that we have outgrown the library. Registration is open for MIT Lincoln Laboratory's next session of Science on Saturday, May 20th with sessions at 9 am and 10:45 am. The session topic is "The Sound of Science". The program is appropriate for children 5-17 years old.
Join the 2017 BrickFair, celebrating its tenth year!
The show will include: - Stay & Play area of endless LEGO bricks where visitors may demonstrate their creativity, - Face-to-face discussion with popular LEGO artists, such as Daniel Siskind, creator of the world's largest LEGO aircraft carrier – see it for yourself! - Bounce houses for the little ones to expend their extra energy, - Self-serve photo booths and photo ops. Share your pics at www.BrickFair.com, - Bingo with LEGO prizes, - Midway games with LEGO prizes, - LEGO Derby Racing, - Guesstimate jars full of LEGO elements, all day every day, - Endless inspiration, camaraderie, like-minded fans of LEGO, discovery, learning, encouragement, and more! If you live in Central Massachusetts, sometimes it can be hard making the trek into Boston to attend STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math) enrichment programs with your kids. Luckily, close to home, is the Worcester Think Tank. The Worcester Think Tank offers many STEAM based hands-on youth programs for kids ages 8 - 17. This summer, the Worcester Think Tank is hosting 2 weeks of summer programs with planned hands-on STEAM projects in science, technology and art. All classes will take place at Technocopia's Maker Space or outside on the Worcester Common. Summer programs will be held the weeks of August 7 and 14th, 2017. Saturday, May 13, 2017, middle school girls (grades 6-8) will have the opportunity to participate in a free program "Girls Space Day Adventure" being held at MIT's Johnson Ice Rink. This is a FREE program in which young women can participate in hands-on activities while learning about the role of science & engineering in space exploration. They young women will also have a chance to meet and interact with women engineers and scientists.
This event is hosted by The Society of Women Engineers, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, MIT AeroAstro department and the MIT Women's Graduate Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Student Check-In 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Speakers and Demos |
AuthorWelcome! I'm Debbi and I'm so glad you're here! As a mom of two boys I found it difficult to find resources on STEM programs for my kids. I spent hours researching which resulted in my kids having some amazing STEM opportunities. I want to share information with other families. I try to focus on free or low-cost events so that opportunities are available to children no matter their family's income level. Archives
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