Happy New Year! As 2018 begins, here are a few STEM opportunities I wanted to share.
Girls Who Code: Summer Immersion Program
Girls Who Code will once again offer their popular FREE 7-week summer programs for current 10th-11th-grade girls who want to learn to code and get exposure to tech jobs.This is offered in 15 cities including Boston, MA. Â Join their mailing list and they will contact you when applications open in January 2018.
Visit Vertex’s Learning Lab
The Boston-based biotechnology company, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, hosts high school students for 3-hour class visits to explore topics in biology, biotechnology, and chemistry. Class visit programming is offered exclusively to high school science classes from Boston Public Schools. There is NO COST to visit the lab. High school science teachers can get details and request a visit here.
Beyond Benign: Green Chemistry
I heard the founder of Beyond Benign speak at this year’s Massachusetts STEM Summit. The nonprofit develops and disseminates green chemistry curriculum, training, lab experiments, case studies and more to science educators, industry and society at large. Their focus is green technology innovation and sustainability and they emphasize processes and products that promote human and environmental health. They have developed K-12 curriculum for teachers and the materials are available to download in Word document at NO COST.
Engineering is Elementary
I also heard Engineering is Elementary (developed by the Museum of Science, Boston) discuss hands-on engineering activities for elementary and middle school students at the Massachusetts STEM Summit. Their out-of-school-time curricula are research-based, kid tested, and FREE. Download the Educator Guide of your choice for engineering activities.
Here is a list of free or low-cost STEM activities for your kids to consider this month. Enjoy!
January (various dates): Learn to code with CodeCampKidz and write HTML, CSS & JavaScript at Microsoft Store in the Burlington Mall and Natick Mall. Intro classes free. (Grades 6, 7, 8)
January 1: Register now for WPI’s Girls Who Code program running January through May for girls in grades 9-11 on WPI’s campus. Free
January 2, 9, 16, 23: Learn basic coding concepts and sequencing by playing different coding apps. Play with the programmable Code n Go mice, and see your code come to life at the Tatnuck and Goddard branches of the Worcester Public Library. (Ages 7-12)
January 4: Explore and work with Scratch to create games, animation, and stories at the Newton Free Library. (Grades 3-4)
January 6, 20: Participate in STEAM activities at the North End branch of the Boston Public Library.
January 6, 13, 20, 27: Hands-on engineering and design programs are offered by the MIT Museum in Cambridge. Free with Museum admission. (Ages 12+)
January 13: Register for New England’s Bi-Annual High School Hackathon in Boston. During this 12-hour hackathon you will learn new skills and create projects in your area of interest. Beginners and experienced participants are welcome. Free
January 13: Learn how to make your own short stop-motion animated movie at the Thomas Crane Library in Quincy.
January 16: Learn programming and design skills with Empow Studios at the Watertown Library. (Grades 2-5)
January 20: Attend a Python programming workshop at the Weston Public Library. No prior programming or teaching experience is required (though students with prior experience are encouraged to participate!). (Grades 6-12)
January 24: Be a problem solver and take on a new engineering challenge each week at the Newton Free Library. (Grades 5-7)
January 26-28: Register now for SheHacks Boston, a 36-hour, student-run hackathon that brings together hundreds of female and femme non-binary individuals ages 16+ with coding skills from beginners to experts at Boston University. Free
January 27: Program and decorate KIBO robots at the Newton Free Library. (Grades K-2)
