Our TxGCP eNewsletter arrives monthly in your inbox to learn about science, technology, engineering and math resources, educational opportunities and more around Texas and beyond!
|
| Conferences, Events, Contests & More |
Techbridge Summer Professional Development Institute The Institute - aimed towards after-school program staff and youth development leaders - focuses on the professional development of out-of-school-time STEM educators, particularly front-line staff and administrators. If you want to start or refresh your after-school science club, this Institute will prepare you from start-up through implementation. We will explore Techbridge's proven science-and-engineering-focused, inquiry-based curriculum (designed for grades 4-12) while we delve into best strategies. Find more information and register!
Fluor Engineering Challenge
The inaugural Fluor Engineering Challenge, "balloon-powered car", is going on through March 15th! Use limited materials to build the strongest balloon-powered car possible, and you might find yourself at the top of the 2015 Fluor Engineering Challenge Score Board! Plus, one winning team will win $1,500 USD from Fluor for their school or afterschool program! Find more information and participate!
Girlstart Girls in STEM Conference
Saturday, April 11, 2015, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Girls in 4th-5th & 6th-8th grades will discover the fun side of STEM careers at this unique annual conference just for them. The day is packed with three hands-on workshops led by professional women who are excited to share their science, technology, engineering and math careers. Separate workshops are provided by grade level (4th-5th and 6th-8th).
Register today!
Colorado River Alliance Free Water Festival
Sunday, April 12, 2015, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Join the Colorado River Alliance with your kids outdoors to celebrate the Texas Colorado River and the lakes of Austin! Join them for live music, fishing and canoe clinics, river animals, arts and crafts, puppet shows, science exploration, food, face painting, door prizes and more!
Find more information!
Being an Engineer - Creating a World that Works
Tuesday, April 28, 2015, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
This free event will expose high school students to chemical engineering (ChE). Students and parents will hear about what engineers do, how engineering improves society and how to pursue a career in engineering. Registration is required to attend. Space is limited and available on a first-come first-serve basis. Request information on this program for your school.
|
| Spring Break & Summer Camps |
Your Opportunities are Unlimited at UT (YOU@UT) YOU@UT will be held on Monday, March 16, 2015 for high school students (9th - 12th grade students) interested in exploring the different engineering careers that The University of Texas at Austin has to offer. Participants will explore how engineering benefits society and impacts the world through engineering sessions led by industry professionals, engineering faculty and graduate students, interactive introductions to a variety of engineering areas and exciting career options, and creative engineering design and fun hands-on engineering projects. Register today!
Girlstart Summer Camp Registration Open!
Girlstart Summer Camps are week-long STEM programs for girls entering the 4th-8th grades. These programs achieve consistent positive outcomes by combining formal and informal educational strategies with challenging and relevant STEM curriculum. They provide individualized experiences that develop a strong conceptual understanding of STEM subjects and increase participants' interest in STEM activities and careers.
Register today!
CODE @ TACC Summer High School Program
CODE @ Texas Advanced Computing Center is an innovative and exciting summer program that incorporates a project based learning approach to expose students to STEM careers. Students will foster their talents and creativity by being introduced to the principles of high performance computing, life sciences, networking, robotics, and electronics. This camp is free for selected current sophomores or juniors. The application is open through March 30th!
Apply today!
Girls Inc of San Antonio STEAM Spring Break Camp
STEAM ahead with Girls Inc. of San Antonio as they get wild about water this spring break! Join them for a fun-filled week of hands-on experiments and activities that will inspire and encourage girls to explore STEAM - science, technology, engineering, art and math. For girls 7 - 12 years old. Register today!
Phoenix Arising Summer Aviation Camps
Phoenix Arising Summer Aviation Camps are week-long summer programs in aviation and aerospace for campers entering grades 1 - 12 in Fall 2015. Campers will be divided by age into multiple groups for most major activities, and may be combined at breaks, during sign-in/sign-out, and for special events such as demonstrations, guest speakers or field trips.
Register today!
|
|
Get Involved! Become a
TxGCP Regional Team Member!
|
Are you connected in with the STEM network in your region and want to be a part of helping TxGCP expand our reach?
As we expand our programming across the state of Texas, we need your help!
The TxGCP Regional Leadership Teams (RLTs) carry out the activities of the collaborative within their region and help set the statewide TxGCP strategy in alignment with the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) strategy. The TxGCP RLTs include members of organizations that are also invested in girls in STEM and are able to contribute to the project's success. The RLTs are supported by the TxGCP Core Leadership Team and the Collaborative Lead. Roles and responsibilities of TxGCP RLTs include the following:
- Commit to serving on the RLT for 2 Years
- Participate in 2 teleconferences (spring and fall) per year to assess and direct TxGCP administration, projects, communications and strategy
- Host one workshop, forum, or other TxGCP Regional Event annually with support from the TxGCP Core Leadership Team and the Collaborative Lead.
- Participate in online surveys to assess the effectiveness of the RLTs, TxGCP and NGCP
- Assist with the marketing and hosting of TxGCP K-12 STEM Outreach Forums, workshops and other programs
- Market, review, and score collaborative mini-grant proposals
- Provide administrative or materials resources to the TxGCP when available and/or appropriate
- Provide connections to resources or additional collaborators when available and/or appropriate
The goal for the TxGCP RLTs is to expand the reach of TxGCP across Texas and to connect more organizations and individuals across the state to research based best practices for engaging girls in STEM.
Apply today!
|
Articles, Reports, Resources
|
Microsoft encourages employees to donate their time to non-profits with new program
Microsoft just launched a new Tech Talent for Good program that encourages its employees to get out into the community and offer their skills to non-profit organizations that could use a hand with technical problems. The company started by partnering with 20 non-profits in Washington, including Food Lifeline, Year Up Puget Sound, the Bellevue Arts Museum and Washington FIRST Robotics. Under the new program, Microsoft is working with those organizations to identify specific projects that could use technical help, and then offering those opportunities to employees so they can pick a project that's right for their skill set.
Read more on GeekWire!
Project I: Students Make STEM Real for Young Teens
Chemical engineering. Biomedical research. Computer programming. These aren't the usual interests driving your average American high school student. But sophomore Claire Wild, 15, and junior Shay Kiker, 17, are working to change that. The teens and longtime friends are passionate about all things STEM. In 2013, Wild and Kiker co-founded a club at Glenbard West High School in suburban Glen Ellyn, Illinois, to provide an outlet so like-minded students could share and grow their STEM interests. "Science is not just someone in a lab coat," Kiker tells U.S. News, explaining that there are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to work in science or engineering.
Read more on U.S. News & World Report!
How Your Failed Project Made You a Better Maker
Projects that fail are rarely published - but they teach valuable lessons that often lead to success. If you've spent much time designing and building projects, you know this well. I certainly do. Some of my failed projects made a major impact on my career in electronics and science. During my senior year at Texas A&M University in 1966, Texas Instruments announced the development of a powerful LED that emitted several milliwatts of invisible near-infrared, about the same power output as a small flashlight. My great-grandfather had been totally blinded by a dynamite explosion when he was a young man, and the new LED gave me an idea for building a travel aid for the blind. So I hitchhiked to Dallas to meet Edward Bonin, one of TI's LED engineers.
Read more on MAKE!
|
|
|
K-12 STEM Outreach Forums, Role Models Matter & SciGirls Workshops
|
Educators across Texas are invited to attend free professional development opportunities and discover how to engage young women through research-based, high quality activities and resources!
  To request or schedule a workshop or forum in your area, please contact [email protected].
|
The TxGCP eNewsletter is distributed approximately once a month. Visit the
TxGCP web site for additional updates on upcoming events, resources and mini-grant information.
|
|
|
| Share Your Events and News |
FabFems - STEM Role Models
|
STEM Program Highlight:
Thinkery Volunteen Program |
|
K-12 STEM Outreach Google Groups
|
|
|
