As we head into spring, here are a few STEM opportunities I wanted to highlight.
Boston STEM Fair
Join us for the Boston STEM Fair on Sunday, March 11 from 1pm-4pm at the Embassy Suites in Waltham, MA. If you are considering a STEM summer camp or after-school program for your kids, you will not want to miss this fair. We have an outstanding lineup of exhibitors offering programs in a wide array of STEM subjects including robotics, coding, game development, engineering, green chemistry, tech entrepreneurship, math, rocketry, and so much more. This is a FREE event + open to the public.
The Tech Kitchen at the Boston Children’s Museum
Come make something! Join the museum every Saturday to discover your inner inventor in their new STEAM making space, the Tech Kitchen. Through both staff-led workshops and visits from local tech innovators, the Tech Kitchen provides a facilitated space for children to experiment with tools and technology. The repertoire of programming features a wide range of hands-on activities for makers young and old, from hammering to coding to sewing to circuitry, as well as technologies you’ve never seen before!
STEM Resources for Teachers
If you’re a K-12 teacher looking to infuse your teaching and lessons with engineering, Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO) can help along the way to enrich your student’s education.
- Teacher Engineering Education Program (TEEP): This affordable, flexible program offers graduate credit hours and gives teachers the tools they need to infuse their science, math, and technology lessons with engineering principles. Available online, 24-7.
- In-Person Professional Development Workshops: Tufts offer a series of week-long summer workshops for teachers and one-day workshops throughout the school year. Â Â
- Novel Engineering: An innovative approach to integrate engineering and literacy in elementary and middle school through stories, novels, and expository texts as the basis for engineering design challenges.
- Innovative Community-Building Conferences: Leading researchers and teacher education providers from around the country come together to provide dynamic talks on their work and lead interactive workshops to help you bring ideas back to your own classroom.
Here is a list of free or low-cost STEM activities for your kids to consider this month. Enjoy!
March  (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
March 1: Explore and work with Scratch to create games, animation, and stories at the Newton Free Library. Grades 3-4
March 1: Attend “Computer Science Fundamentals“, a series of classes taught by Boston Latin School student Adam Grant in the programming language “Scratch” and some of the code behind popular games. It is for 7th – 12th graders who are interested in learning to code and computer science. No prior knowledge is necessary. Location: South End Branch of Boston Public Library
March 3: The Boston Public Schools Science Department and Northeastern University’s Center for STEM Education are hosting the 72nd Annual Boston Public Schools Citywide/MA Region VI Science Fair. Come see hundreds of outstanding exhibits showcasing students’ work. The public is invited to the Cabot Center at NU to view exhibits at 1:30 PM.
March 3: Think Big is a chance for middle- and high-school students to network and talk one-on-one with professionals working in a variety of STEM careers at the Newton Free Library.
March 3: Attend a robotics demonstration and learn about robotics built from LEGO “Mindstorms” kits at the Tatnuck Branch of the Worcester Public Library. Ages 7+
March 3-4: Come visit the expanded and renovated Discovery Museum in Acton, MA. The museum is opening its doors for a Celebration Weekend. Children 12 and under will be FREE all weekend as a Thank You to the community.
March 3-4: Come watch high school robotics teams from across the state compete at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester for the Southern New England championship. Free and open to the public.
March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Hands-on engineering and design programs are offered by the MIT Museum in Cambridge. Free with Museum admission. Ages 12+
March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Empow Studios in Lexington is launching a DIY Electronics Club: Projects to satisfy the crazy genius in you – light up sneakers, spy cameras to catch the cookie thief, TV remotes, talking plush toys, piano staircases, and more! Cost: $95/month
March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Join the Advanced Robotics Club at Empow Studios in Lexington. Navigating the maze, designing a fall follower, color sorter, and solving FLL (FIRST LEGO League) missions are examples of advanced projects. This club is currently using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3. For grades 4-8. Cost: $95/month
March 10: Microsoft Store in Boston and Microsoft Store in Natick are hosting a free 2-hour DigiGirlz Workshop: Women in Aviation for ages 11-18. Learn about a career in aviation and also get a hands-on introduction to coding.
March 10: Attend Science on Saturday at MIT’s Kresge Auditorium and learn about rockets and flight. Free event for all ages.
March 10: Participate in Girls Day at the MIT Museum and explore Environmental Science with MIT faculty, students, and volunteers throughout the day. All hands-on activities, informal talks, and demonstrations are included with admission. Recommended ages 10+
March 10: Come watch a Vex Robotics competition at Walsh Middle School in Framingham. Free and open to the public.
March 14: Join the Museum of Science educators for a museum-wide celebration of Pi Day and participate in drop-in, hands-on activities, earn passport stamps and prizes, and explore math-related fun throughout the Exhibit Halls. Free with Exhibit Halls admission.
March 17: Microsoft Store in Boston is hosting a free 2-hour DigiGirlz Workshop: Women in Coding for ages 11-18. Learn about a career in computer science and also get a hands-on introduction to coding.
March 16: Microsoft Store in Natick is hosting a free 2-hour DigiGirlz Workshop: Women in Space for ages 11-18. Learn about a career in Space Aeronautics.
March 17-18: Spark is a wonderful program for 7-8th-grade students to take a variety of really neat classes taught by MIT students and community members on MIT’s campus. Cost: $40
March 17, 24: Northeastern University is holding their spring Splash program. High school students are invited to Northeastern University’s campus to take exciting and useful classes taught by college students. Register now. All classes are completely free.
March 18: At the sixth annual Girl Scouts STEM Conference and Expo in Framingham, girls choose three workshops based on interests and spend the day learning and exploring through hands-on activities. Cost: $45
March 22: Come learn about Urban Search & Rescue, a robotics challenge based on real-life scenarios involving search-and-rescue robots. The event challenges competitors to engineer a robot which can navigate a unique obstacle course to locate and remove an object within a specified time, using heavy-duty, aircraft-grade aluminum elements, powerful drive motors, and wireless cameras. For 11th and 12th graders at the Newton Free Library.
March 24: Microsoft Store in Boston is hosting a free 2-hour DigiGirlz Workshop: Women in Space for ages 11-18. Learn about a career in Space Aeronautics.
March 24: Microsoft Store in Natick is hosting a free 2-hour DigiGirlz Workshop: Women in Aviation for ages 11-18. Learn about a career in aviation.
March 25: Attend the “Sights Set on Science” seminar and learn from Alex Pertua, expert educational consultant and previous scientific researcher at Yale University, about the wide range of STEM opportunities available. Get strategies for gaining STEM internships and how to make your college resume stand out. Registration required. Free event.
Photo credit: Alissa Daniels
