School is almost out and there are lots of things to do to stay busy with STEM activities, contests and more!
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!
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K-12 STEM Outreach Forums, Role Models Matter & SciGirls Workshops
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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!
Saturday, January 17, 2015
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The Thinkery
  To request or schedule a workshop or forum in your area, please contact [email protected].
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| Spotlight on Mini-Grant Award Winner! |
Laurel Mountain Elementary applied for and was awarded a mini-grant through the Texas Girls Collaborative Project to do their Daughters and Dads Workshop! See what they accomplished:
Sixteen female students at Laurel Mountain Elementary, their caregivers, representatives from Keep Austin Beautiful, and three graduate level scientists from the University of Texas Environmental Science Institute's GK-12 Program recently finished an 8-hour STEM-based, kid-centric project that spanned two Sunday evenings titled "Daughters and Dads: Aquaponics at Laurel Mountain Elementary."
 | | "Drilling holes! I never got to do that before! I had no idea that it could make different sized holes!" A.G., grade 5 |
In the hands-on workshop, students designed and built three, classroom-sized aquaponic vegetable gardens. Aquaponics is a unique, environmentally friendly gardening system that combines aquaponics (the growing of fish) with hydroponics (soil-less growing of plants), using about 1/10th of the water required in a traditional vegetable gardening system. The system cycles fish wastewater to provide necessary nutrients to the plants and the plants help filter and return clean water to the fish tank. Classes at Laurel Mountain have already planted spinach, lettuce and other vegetables in the school's vibrant outdoor edible garden and intend to use the aquaponics systems to grow herbs that will compliment the salads eventually harvested.
 | | "I just like getting to build the aquaponics system, drill and work with tools because I don't usually get to do stuff like that and I think my dad and I will do more stuff like this after this workshop is over." A.C., grade 5 |
The unique learning and community building experience was made possible through a grant from the National Girls Collaborative Project awarded to Trevor Hance (LME outdoor learning specialist/teacher and ecology club faculty sponsor) in collaboration with Keep Austin Beautiful.
See more of the pictures from their event here and here!
Be sure to sign up your program, organization, and/or event in the National Girls Collaborative Project Program Directory to gain access to future mini-grant opportunities!
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| Conferences, Events, Camps & More |
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day 2015
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (Girl Day) is an international event celebrated during Engineers Week each year for 1st through 8th grade students. Families and educators are encouraged to join their students at The University of Texas at Austin for a free afternoon of engineering fun. Girl Day gives 1st through 8th grade students a chance to have fun doing grade-specific, hands-on engineering activities, meet students, professors and engineers from industry, and see what it's like to be an engineer. Girl Day is free, but registration is required and spaces fill quickly! Find more information and register today!
Take Care of Texas Elementary Art Contest
Take Care of Texas, a program of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and Samsung Austin Semiconductor invite K-5 students in Texas to submit their artwork of how they, along with their friends and family, help keep the air and water clean, conserve water and energy, and reduce waste. The contest begins January 5, 2015; artwork must be received by March 6, 2015. Find out more information and get started!
STEMpreneurship Series
Are you an Austin high school student interested in technology and business? Then join STEMed Labs, partnering with 3 Day Startup, Akins High School, and Culturebooster in their inaugural STEMpreneurship series this Spring. You'll learn to acquire coding skills, develop a business (or nonprofit) idea, and use crowdfunding to raise capital! The program is completely free thanks to a generous grant from the KDK Harman Foundation. Applications are on a rolling basis through January 10th! Find out more information and apply!
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. At YOU@UT, participants will explore how engineering benefits society and impacts the world through engineering sessions (tours, presentations and activities) 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. Find more information and register today!
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Articles, Reports, Resources
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How to Build a Successful School Technology ProgramTechnology is a catalyst for change. If you want to disrupt a classroom full of children or young adults, try handing out an iPad or a Chromebook to each of them. You'll see lots of activity and excitement, but without solid planning and expectations, much of that energy will be counter-productive. Distractions lurk behind every keystroke, and you can be sure that our 21st Century learners know how to find them. Read more on the Huffington Post! iRobot builds a vacuum-free Roomba for students to hackRobotics developer iRobot launched its latest "hackable" robot for aspiring developers last week. The Create 2 might look like a Roomba - which iRobot manufactures too - but it's actually a lookalike, one that isn't necessarily meant for cleaning jobs. Roomba vacuums have the potential to be a good base for robots - because of the sensors that they use to maneuver around a room, for one thing. Unlike Roombas, the Create 2 is designed specifically with robot makers in mind. Read more on Mashable! How many hours do we need to mentor to be part of the million? (Million Women Mentors)At Million Women Mentors, the team recognizes that all mentoring efforts are not equal, so we want to create an environment that really works for you and your colleagues, but also puts a stake in the ground that mentoring is about an ongoing relationship and should not be confused with guest speaking or a one hour coffee chat (although both can be filled with gems of wisdom and 'mentoring' guidance). Here is what we are proposing with this initiative. Goal of 20 hours (just 2 hours a month!) to mentor a girl or young woman in STEM skills. Some women are bringing in three mentees now bi-weekly for coffee or lunch mentoring small groups with goals and accountabilities and yes, you can count all three in your pledge. Read more on the Million Women Mentor site!
Girlstart is inspiring underprivileged girls into STEM with the help of FlowPlayToo few girls are getting a STEM education, and Girlstart and FlowPlay have teamed up to help change that. From now until Jan. 5, players of FlowPlay's online social games, Vegas World and OurWorld, can buy in-game items that will directly fund Girlstart, an Austin, Texas-based nonprofit on a mission to empower girls in science, technology, engineering, and math. It's hoping the extra funding will help more girls see a career in STEM, very much a male-dominated area, as something they can actively pursue. Read more on Venture Beat!
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| About TxGCP | |
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The Texas Girls Collaborative Project (TxGCP) connects organizations and individuals across Texas committed to informing and motivating girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The TxGCP is excited to provide opportunities across Texas for collaboration, networking, sharing of best practices, and leveraging of resources through in-person forums, email listservs and mini-grants.
Led by the Women in Engineering Program (WEP) at The University of Texas at Austin along with a dynamic Leadership Team and Champions Board, the TxGCP brings together advocates and leaders from non-profits, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, companies and organizations across the state of Texas.
Follow TxGCP! |
| About NGCP | |
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The vision of the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) is to bring together organizations throughout the US and Puerto Rico that are committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Follow NGCP!
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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.
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| Share Your Events and News | |
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FabFems - STEM Role Models
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Jo Ann Hill Jo Ann is a Business Partner Technology Executive at IBM. She manages the adoption of IBM technologies in the Healthcare Industry! She enjoys making time to help others and giving back to her community as well as reading, travel, and spending time with her family!
| | Join the FabFems directory today! |
STEM Program Highlight:
Starry Sky Austin |
Starry Sky Austin is an educational astronomy program for all. The mission of Starry Sky Austin is to share the enthusiasm and knowledge of the universe with others and in doing so, bring about a sense of wonder and appreciation for our universe. Starry Sky Austin offers programming, stargazing classes, Girl Scout badges, and other exciting ways to get everyone curious about astronomy through an informal approach.
Email us at [email protected] to get added as an event coordinator...and then start entering your events!
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K-12 STEM Outreach Google Groups
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These groups are all about sharing resources, information, events, volunteers, needs, and more with others reaching out to K12 students aiming to excite them about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
For those not in one of these areas who still want to receive information going out to all groups, join the Texas K-12 STEM Outreach group.
Contact Tricia Berry for any specific regional requests or questions.
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| NGCP Program Directory | |
TxGCP is frequently asked for STEM program connections. Don't miss out on getting connected with possible collaborators and funders!
Gain access to mini-grants and have the first shot at opportunities such as the Water Works camp curriculum, role model training and other curriculum and resource dissemination across Texas!
Sign up your program, organization and/or event in the National Girls Collaborative Project Program Directory. Join over 200 listings from across Texas and find collaborators and other STEM educators in your area.
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