STEAM Newsletter – A Summer of Workshops and Activities!
July 23, 2024
Summer is more than just a break from school—it’s the perfect time to engage students in the exciting world of STEAM. This week commemorates the National Summer Learning Association’s National Summer Learning Week (July 15-19, 2024), which is dedicated to celebrating and emphasizing the importance of keeping kids learning, safe, and healthy throughout the summer and ensuring they return to school prepared for success in the upcoming year.
Summer learning is extensive—from outdoor science experiments and coding challenges to art projects integrating engineering concepts, there’s something for every aspiring innovator. Let’s transform this summer into a season of discovery and inspiration, fostering a lifelong passion for learning. Explore a multitude of activities on DiscoverSummer.org.
July is also Disability Pride Month! July commemorates the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. Every July, we commemorate the passage of this landmark civil rights law. Did you know that numerous scientists with disabilities have made groundbreaking discoveries and revolutionized the field of science? Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and Thomas Edison are just a few disabled scientists who have made groundbreaking scientific contributions. This month, and all year long, let’s celebrate STEAM professionals with disabilities and their invaluable contributions to our society!
In This Newsletter:
CAN & Friends at the 2024 Girls Builds Solutions Event
June 24 - 26, 2024
CAN and our Million Girls Moonshot Community of Practice members were thrilled to attend the Girls Build Solutions™event in San Diego this past June, hosted by STEM Next Opportunity Fund’s Million Girls Moonshot! Girls Build Solutions™ is the showcase event of STEM Next’s Million Girls Moonshot, an initiative to engage millions more girls in STEM through afterschool and summer programs. Moonshot is re-imagining who can engineer, build, and make. Learn more.
The Science Behind Inside Out 2
Webinar Recording
The Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at UC Berkeley recently hosted a webinar on the science behind the emotions displayed in the Pixar movie Inside Out 2. The webinar explored the science of teenage emotions and the work that was done to give these emotions an accurate portrayal in the movie.
Techbridge Girls Curriculum Programs
Techbridge Girls is recruiting educators to participate in its STEM and equity training, curriculum, resources, and ongoing support. Visit the Techbridge Girls Programming Information Session and Application page for more information and to apply to participate in Fall 2024 programming.
Reach out to program-managers@techbridgegirls.org if you have any questions.
New! Equitable Scaling Resources and Dissemination Toolkit
National Girls Collaborative Project
The National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) is thrilled to announce the Guidelines for Equitably Scaling Informal STEM Programs and Collaborative Decision-Making Tool are here! You can view and download these resources on the Advancing the Conversation on Scaling National Informal Programs webpage.
Check out their June 4, 2024 – National Dissemination Webinar Scaling STEM Equitably: Practitioner-Driven Reflections and Emerging Guidelines webinar recording here, as well as their Dissemination Toolkit with suggested messaging as you talk publicly about these resources.
Micro-Credentials & Digital Badging Info Session
Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024; 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST
ACRES (Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM) is excited to offer additional Information Sessions about STEM micro-credentials, which are competency-based, digital badges for afterschool and out-of-school professionals offered through the National Afterschool Association.
If you are interested in joining the information session to learn what Micro-credentials are and how to apply for them, fill out this form.
Teen Science Cafe Fellows 2024-2025: Apply Now
Application Deadline: August 1, 2024
The Teen Science Cafe (TSC) Fellows initiative is a ten-month training program designed to help informal educators implement Teen Science Cafes in their community. Teen Science Cafe Fellows receive one-on-one support from TSC Guides to launch a cafe program and host three cafe events during the year. Fellows receive a $2,500 stipend to support their work! Applications are now open.
Register for a Summer of CS Workshops!
Anaheim, CA July 22-26 2024
Looking ahead to the summer season, County Offices of Education across California are offering regional virtual and in-person Computer Science professional learning opportunities to enhance your instruction of the California K-12 Computer Science Standards. Check out these Summer of CS workshop offerings.
Additionally, registration is now open for the state-wide CSPDWeek. These workshops offer CS professional learning for California Grade 6-12 educators.
Stipends and travel reimbursements are available. No computer science experience is necessary.
Equity in Education: Evidence Based Strategies
Equity and Inclusion
Equity in education has become a common goal and guiding principle for modern school improvement and education reform efforts in the United States. But what does equity in education truly mean and how can it be achieved? Parent Powered’s Understanding Equity in Education resource center is a one stop shop to help leaders and practitioners define exactly what is meant by “equity in education” vs. equality and materials to support youth and families.
Access to STEM Framework
Equity and Inclusion
Million Girls Moonshot, in partnership National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) and national experts, has developed an Access to STEM Framework to address how program providers design and implement programming to increase access in STEM for youth who have been underrepresented in the STEM fields.
Women at NASA
Engineering Mindsets
Women have always played a critical role in NASA’s history. From the first black female engineer to the first female astronaut—many of their female pioneers have been the “first” to achieve something monumental in their fields. Today, the Women of NASA continue to lead and inspire in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and truly make an impact on society. As NASA looks ahead they know it will take a diverse workforce to achieve their ambitious goals—like putting the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. NASA is committed to recruiting and retaining women in STEM to help the agency continue to push boundaries to achieve the impossible.
Partnering with Multilingual Families
Roles Models and Mentors
Engaging with families of students who are learning English is a powerful lever for fostering academic success and overall student well-being. The Ohio Afterschool Network’s Partnering with Multilingual Families webpage has outlined effective strategies for engaging with families of English Language Learners in STEM.
Maryland Out of School Time College and Career Readiness Toolkit
STEM Pathways and Career Awareness
The Maryland Out of School Time College and Career Readiness Toolkit is a comprehensive guide to help middle and high school out-of-school-time programs get laser-focused on building 21st-century skills and supporting young people as they navigate through the complex world of planning for their advanced education and careers.
The College and Career Readiness Middle School Playlist is designed for middle school audiences focused on the College & Career Readiness Toolkit developed by the Maryland Out of School Time Network. This playlist distills the CCR Toolkit information into an actionable sequence for out-of-school time practitioners to implement with youth in their program. The Playlist consists of eight (8) 60-90 minute sessions aimed at middle school youth and one (1) session of pre-work for practitioners and organizational leaders only. Check out the accompanying CCR Middle School Playlist Youth Workbook.
Using Art As A Medium To Teach SEL
Learning in Afterschool & Summer Blog has written an article on how to use art as a medium to teach SEL. Explore some of the strategies they suggested below:
- Collaborative Art Projects: A great way to incorporate SEL into class or program time is by organizing collaborative art projects where students work together to create a piece of art. This promotes teamwork, cooperation, and communication skills as students learn to listen to each other’s ideas, compromise, and contribute to a shared vision.
Activities for July 2024!
Lunar Roving Vehicle Activity: In this activity, students compare lunar rovers to family cars, and then design and build a rover model that may be used to explore the moon. Special considerations for the vehicle include the type of terrain the rover will traverse.
Rocket Races: In this fun activity students construct balloon-powered racing cars using a foam tray and drinking straws. They test the cars along a measured track on the floor. After measuring trials they report on their racer design and how it performed.
Check Out CAN’s Other Newsletters!
Access the CAN newsletter archives to view past newsletters today! You may be interested in some of our other newsletters as well: