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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| Conferences, Events, Contests & More |
Hot Science - Cool Talks - "Why Do We Believe in the Unbelievable" Friday, April 10, 2015, 5:45 - 8:15 p.m.
Why do so many people believe in supernatural phenomena? Culture plays a role in transmitting beliefs, but new research says that we are predisposed to form beliefs when we are young, and that this forms the basis for supernatural thinking when we are adults. Dr. Hood will examine the evidence for this idea, and demonstrate that even rational adults can hold supernatural beliefs that they themselves may not recognize. Register today!
STEMtacular Science Day Saturday, April 11, 2015, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
STEMtacular Science Day is geared toward 4th and 5th grade students. The day will consist of a series of twelve 10-15 minute activities where students will do hands-on activities and participate in demonstrations involving science and engineering subjects. The activities will be led by volunteers from the UT Society of Women Engineers, who will be responsible for running six stations during each half of the day. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is limited to the first fifty participants. Register today!
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!
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.
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| Summer Camps |
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!
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!
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Articles, Reports, Resources
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Amazon Launches a Dedicated STEM Toy Shop
Amazon announced this morning the launch of a new store on its site that's dedicated to selling STEM toys and games. The shop will feature a variety of items for children of all ages, the retailer says, which are focused on encouraging kids to develop [STEM] skills. Some of the toys include those from Snap Circuits and LEGO. And some are aimed at the preschool set, like the Melissa & Doug Classic Wooden Abacus, for example, while others are for older kids, like the littleBits Electronics cloudBit Starter Kit, which teaches coding.
Read more on TechCrunch!
Questions to Ask About Ed Tech at Your Kids' School
When a 4-year-old comes home from pre-K proudly announcing that she spent her "choice time" playing on the computer, what's a parent to do? Among public school classrooms, 97 percent have at least one computer - a stat that dates back to 2009, light-years ago in technology time. More recently, a national survey in 2014 found that nearly half of all K-12 schools allow students to bring their own smartphones to class, which they're using to do research, shoot video and, let's be honest, to text the occasional emoji note.
Read more on NPR!
Want to Get More Girls Into STEM? Give Them Real-World Work
In an effort to encourage girls' interest in STEM, a high school in Massachusetts is giving students a chance to apply their skills at the school's help desk. Students can join, regardless of their tech savviness, and learn on the job. The program's combination of strong, fun, female role models and hands-on learning has helped boost girls' confidence and excitement about tech. The all-student run Help Desk is part of Burlington High School's Student Technology Innovation and Integration course. If any student or teacher at Burlington has a tech issue, it's a student who solves it for them. (In a nod to Apple's support services, the Help Desk's tagline is "A Student Run Genius Bar.") Last year the program had only one girl.
Read more on KQED News!
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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!
  To request or schedule a workshop or forum in your area, please contact stem@txgcp.org.
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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 |
FabFems - STEM Role Models
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STEM Program Highlight:
GSNETX College Journey |
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K-12 STEM Outreach Google Groups
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