STEM in the News

Exciting ways students and the community are connecting with STEM.

2021 Massachusetts STEM Week Challenges

The following organizations received grants to develop STEM design challenges for students:

BioBuilder Edicational Foundation, Newton: BioBuilder invites students across the Commonwealth to engage with its Idea Accelerator, a digital offering that allows students to learn the foundations of biodesign and challenges them to develop a biotechnology that solves any challenge they want to address. The world’s health crisis has focused everyone’s attention on biology and life science. A design challenge related to bioengineering is not only timely but is also a way to focus student’s ideas on solving society’s needs, allowing students to both see themselves in STEM and see STEM in the world. To learn more, contact Stephanie Ovitt at stephanie@biobuilder.org.

CoderZ by Intelitek, Inc: CoderZ invites students and educators to explore CSTEM, the fusion of computer science and STEM, through their award-winning platform during Massachusetts STEM Week 2021. Owned by Intelitek, Inc., CoderZ's gamified online platform is as easy to use as it is powerful. Students learn core STEM, coding, and robotics skills, while supporting 21st Century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. To learn more contact Kathy Scott at kathy@gocoderz.com or 215.589.3954, and to schedule a demo, visit https://calendly.com/kathygocoderz.

FIRST Robotics WPI, Worcester: New England FIRST invites students and educators across the Commonwealth to engage with robotics teams during MA STEM week and learn more about how to get hands-on with robotics.  FIRST programs enable students from kindergarten through high school to understand the basics of STEM and apply their skills in an exciting challenge while building habits of learning, confidence, and teamwork skills along the way. To learn more, visit https://nefirst.org/ or first@wpi.edu

Gale Force Education: Gale Force Education brings the excitement of power engineering to high school students through Engineering for Resilience (EfR), which focuses on the design and operation of New England’s power grid. In a series of challenges aligned to MA STEM standards, students will design, test, and improve power grid system components and a model power grid system. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/2UMvRdN or contact us at michael@kidwind.org.

Kids in Tech, Inc., Lowell: Kids in Tech’s STEM Challenge will help students in the Commonwealth visualize the concepts of AI, understand how these systems affect the world, and appreciate the potential they have to change the future. Students will utilize two online platforms, Machine Learning for Kids and Scratch, through which they will complete engaging activities that allow them to see what is possible with AI concepts and technology. The challenge will culminate in a project in which students will design their own Smart Cities using AI principles and programming language. To learn more, visit us at www.kidsintech.org or info@kidsintech.org.

Museum of Science, Cambridge: The Museum of Science and EiE®, the Museum’s curricular division, invites educators and students to see themselves in STEM by engaging with the museum’s newest permanent exhibition, Engineering Design Workshop powered by MathWorks, in classrooms throughout the Commonwealth during Mass STEM Week 2021. Engineering Design Workshop enriches hands-on activities through the use of state-of-the-art tools and includes the popular Design Challenges program that invites visitors to design, build, and test their own solutions to fun engineering and computer science challenges. Challenges will engage students live and in-person as they engineer to solve problems related to environmental challenges humans face across the globe, set in the context of urban, coastal, suburban, and rural settings across the Commonwealth. To learn more, contact Lesley Kennedy, manager of professional development, at lkennedy@mos.org.

United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, Boston: In partnership with Boston Public Schools, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley’s (UWMB) BoSTEM initiative challenges students and educators across the Commonwealth to explore social justice for civics by using STEM as the lever for change. The impact of social justice issues on youth has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and racial injustices. Through this design challenge, teachers will support their students in local data collection and synthesis to build a social justice message and project around equity in the city for issues like our deteriorating environment, lack of affordable housing, transportation equity and food security. To learn more, contact us at bostem@supportunitedway.org.

Wade Institute for Science Education, Quincy: The Wade Institute for Science Education, the Salem Sound Coastwatch, and the Lloyd Center for the Environment have designed “Hurricane Heroes! Storm City, Massachusetts,” a phenomena-based challenge that will allow educators to use grade-level appropriate science and technology concepts that address Massachusetts curriculum standards. This challenge will give students across the Commonwealth the opportunity to learn about storms and their impact and to incorporate engineering concepts with physical and earth science disciplinary core ideas. To learn more, visit wadeinstitutema.org or contact Sandi Ryack-Bell at sRyack-Bell@wadeinstitutema.org.

STEM Challenge Partners

The following organizations were also announced as STEM Challenge Partners. The organizations have collaborated with the STEM Advisory Council over the last 4 years to provide opportunities for students across the Commonwealth.

i2 Learning: i2 Learning has been proud to partner with the Commonwealth since the inaugural Massachusetts STEM Week in 2018. Building on i2's successful weeklong and monthlong programs in schools and districts around the country, i2 is now partnering with select Massachusetts school districts to pilot i2 Full Year, a complete school year of immersive, interdisciplinary, project-based curriculum. For more information about bringing an i2 program to your school or district, please visit www.i2learning.org.

Mass STEM Hub and Project Lead the Way: As part of Mass STEM Week 2021, Mass STEM Hub, a program of the One8 Foundation, is providing an opportunity for schools to connect directly with industry professionals to help students deepen their learning and link their coursework to real-world careers. With Student Industry Connects for STEM Week 2021, middle and high school students (grades 6-12) are invited to submit Project Lead The Way (PLTW) and OpenSciEd (OSE) projects from Fall 2021 to receive authentic feedback from STEM professionals on their work. Classrooms that submit projects will also have the opportunity to continue the conversation with professionals through follow-up virtual classroom visits. Visit Mass STEM Hub Student Industry Connects website for more information, including a link to register. Contact connect@mass-stemhub.org with any questions.

Pre-College STEM research based on scientific and engineering approaches

This special session focuses on promoting research among young and talented students, primarily high schoolers who have been conducting rigorous research and are interested in publishing and presenting their research outcomes in an IEEE conference. All manuscripts submitted to this special session will go through the regular review process and will be reviewed by at least two experts in the related fields. Submissions will receive constructive criticism about their research topics and judges/reviewers will give comments to help guide young students. This special session provides young researchers with opportunities in exploring the STEM fields. One major field that this special session will focus on is the applicability of computer science and quantitative modeling to different fields, but research papers regarding any STEM field is acceptable.

Join the Wade Institute for Science Education and our collaborating partners for a unique, graduate level course that will engage you in hands-on, minds-on, inquiry-based investigations and increase your STEM content knowledge! Connect with scientists, engineers, and STEM professionals, and work with educators at our collaborating partner institutions to explore real-world phenomena through standards-aligned, hands-on, minds-on investigations that you can bring back to your classroom. Earn PDPs and optional graduate credits.

 

See the Events listings for the individual sessions offered around the state. Or visit the Institute Webpage

NISE, the National Informal STEM Education Network, is a community of informal educators and scientists. They offer resources to support STEM education in informal settings in communities around the country. The newsletter is available to informal STEM educators and contains many activities, programs, and development opportunities each month.

NISE Newsletter Archive

In a CryptoClub, students explore cryptography through games and informal activities that involve secret messages. Cryptography provides and engaging, real-world hook inot concepts taught in the middle school math curriculum.

CryptoClubs can be offered as  afterschool programs through organizations such as YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, and 4H. The curriculum is flexible, so the length of programs varies, ranging from a few times a week for about 10 weeks to weekly all year.

Cryptoclub Project

CryptoClub uses mathematics from the middle school curriculum as students explore cryptography through games and informal activities that involve secret messages.

The resources can be used by teachers in elective classes or afterschool activities. The resources include an interactive website.

CryptoClub Project

The National Museum of Mathematics offers virtual field trips for K-12 classes. Topics include geometry, probability, and cryptography.

Virtual Field Trips at the National Museum of Mathematics

The National Museum of Mathematics offers sessions specifically aimed at senior citizens. Program directors in senior citizen centers may be interested in this.

Online Math Sessions for Seniors at the National Museum of Mathematics

The National Museum of Mathematics offers online sessions, some recurring regularly, for people of all ages, including some designed for senior citizens.

National Museum of Mathematics Online Sessions

MOS at Home comes from the Boston Museum of Science. They offer videos, podcasts, and activities as well as virtual exhibits.

Boston MOS at Home

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