Happy fall everyone! Now that a new school year has kicked off, STEM events and programs are back in full swing.
I recently learned about new science education resources created by WGBH: Explore Outdoors Toolkit. Â It is based on PBS Kids digital project:Â PLUM LANDING and it is a suite of free, bilingual materials for educators and parents that help urban families explore nature in their own neighborhoods. Kids ages 6-9 learn about environmental science and get some fresh air and exercise at the same time. With fall upon us, there are many activities you can do as a family. Click here to access the resources.
There is another Maker Faire this month! The Southcoast MA Mini Maker Faire will be held Sunday, October 1st from 10am-4pm at the Fall River YMCA. Come play with robots, experience locally made art, crafts, and anything goes technologies, and participate in many hands-on activities. This is a FREE family-friendly event.
Acera School in Winchester will hold their annual Fall Innovator Symposium on Thursday, October 19 from 6:30pm-8:30 pm. This school puts on a tremendous science event that is FREE and open to the public. Bring your kids and meet leading scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs from MIT’s Media Lab, Tufts School of Engineering, Harvard University, BiogenIdec, Autodesk and more.
Science on Saturday begins a new season this month with educational and fun programs for families at MIT’s Kresge Auditorium in Cambridge and Lincoln Labs in Lexington. You can learn about biotechnology on October 14 in Cambridge and the art of science on October 21 in Lexington.
Finally, HUBweek, a creative festival that celebrates innovation at the intersection of art, science, and technology, takes place in and around Boston October 10-15. Check out the list of over 150 events exploring AI, robotics, cybersecurity, biotech, entrepreneurship and more. Registration is required to attend HUBweek. The majority of events are free and open to the public.
Here is the full list of free or low-cost STEM activities for your kids to consider this month. Enjoy!
Register now for Splash programs for high school students in November at these universities: MIT, Northeastern, Boston College, Amherst, Brandeis, and Clark University.
October  (various dates): Learn to code with CodeCampKidz and write HTML, CSS & Javascript code at Microsoft Store in the Burlington Mall and Natick Mall. Intro classes free. (Grades 6, 7, 8)
October (various dates): Attend STEM Saturday: Measuring Speed with HotWheels at Microsoft Store in the Prudential Center Boston and Natick Mall. Free (Ages 11-14)
October 4, 11,18, 25: Learn how to create and build robots with random materials at the Grove Hall branch of the Boston Public Library. Â
October 4, 18: Attend Dr. Can-Do Science experiments about water at the Faneuil branch of the Boston Public Library. (Ages 4-10)
October 4, 11: Learn basic coding concepts and sequencing by playing different coding apps at the Roosevelt branch of the Worcester Public Library. (Ages 7-12)
October 5: Registration opens for Northeastern University’s Waterfall program on November 4th and 5th. High school students visit Northeastern University’s campus to take exciting and useful classes taught by college students. All classes are free.
October 5, 12: Learn basic coding concepts and sequencing by playing different coding apps at the Burncoat branch of the Worcester Public Library. (Ages 7-12)
October 5, 12, 19, 26: Get a taste of programming and learn Python, a powerful programming language widely used by professional software engineers but very accessible to beginners at the Central Library in Copley Square. (Teens)
October 5: Explore and work with Scratch to create games, animation, and stories at the Newton Free Library. (Grades 3-4)
October 7: Join Tufts Girls of Code in a workshop to code 3D animations using the Alice programming platform at the Fields Corner Branch of the Boston Public Library. Beginner-friendly and open to all girls ages 10-18.
October 8: 3D Club at Empow Studios in Lexington kicks off a new season where kids learn all things 3D!: 3D Modeling, 3D Sculpting, CAD, and 3D Modeling. Cost: $80/monthly (Grades 2-8)
October 8: YouTube Club at Empow Studios in Lexington is back! Kids learn animation, video production, live action film, music production, and more to bring their movies to the big screen. Cost: $80/monthly (Grades 2-8)
October 9: Empow Studios in Lexington is running a one-day NanoCamp on Columbus Day, where kids design, build, and code projects in a number of tech-based STEM projects. 9am-4pm, Cost: $95 Â
October 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15: HUBweek, a creative festival that celebrates innovation at the intersection of art, science, and technology, takes place in and around Boston. Check out the list of over 150 events. Registration is required to attend. Majority of events are free and open to the public.
October 11: Celebrate National Fossil Day at the Boston Public Library! Learn how fossils form, make imprints of natural objects and see real fossils from the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
October 11: Attend the “How To Be A STEM Mentor” workshop in Cambridge presented by Moms as Mentors® and explores why it’s more important than ever for children to be encouraged in the STEM fields. Cost: $15 (For parents/caretakers)
October 14: Attend an archeology fair and experience the excitement of archaeology with dozens of hands-on activities, live presentations, and special programs at the Museum of Science. Free with Exhibit Halls admission.
October 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29: Hands-on engineering and design programs offered by the MIT Museum in Cambridge. Free with Museum admission. (Ages 12+)
October 14: Science on Saturday presents Biotechnology at the Kresge Auditorium in Cambridge. Free (All ages)
October 14: Join the Sciencetellers for Tall Ships and Pirate Tales as they use their unique blend of storytelling and hands-on science experiments to teach about actions and reactions at the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy. (Ages 4-10)
October 16, 23, 30: Crazy 8s makes math fun through hands-on projects and games that teach basic math concepts at the Newton Free Library. (Grades K-2)
October 17, 24: Learn to code with Alice, a block-based programming language which allows you to code a 3-Dimensional environment with all kinds of characters and animate your world at the Newton Free Library. (Grades 5-7)
October 18: Registration opens for Technovation Challenge, a technology entrepreneurship program for girls ages 10 to 18.
October 19: Enjoy seeing groundbreaking science at the Fall Innovator Symposium at the Acera School in Winchester. This event is free and open to the public.
October 19: The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics sponsors a program called “Space Junk: A Traffic Crisis in Outer Space?” in Cambridge. Free event and open to the public.
October 21: Science on Saturday presents the Science of Art at Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington. Free (Ages 5-17)
Oct 21: Empow Studios Open House – Take a trip to Empow Studios in Lexington to get a glimpse of the After School Club, Weekend Class, and Summer Camp where kids learn to design, build, and code.
October 22: Registration is due for Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts’s day of hands-on learning with MathMovesU® on November 5 at Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay. Students will work with female engineers from Raytheon to unravel math mysteries and solve exciting math challenges. Cost: $30 (Girls, grade 4-8)
October 25: Be a problem solver and take on a new engineering challenge each week at the Newton Free Library. (Grades 5-7)
October 28: The planetarium will be set up in Druker Auditorium with 4 programs throughout the day at the Newton Free Library. (Grades K-6+)
October 28:Â The MIT Society of Women Engineers invites high school students to the Careers in STEM Conference on MIT’s campus. Free event
Image Source: WGBH
