May 2015  


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. 


 

Free Celebration of STEM Education Day

Friday, May 8, 2015, 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Houston, TX
STEM Education Day is designed as a free, professional development day for STEM teachers and career/technical education counselors in grades 6 through 12.  The event will feature workshops to help you bring new, innovative and inexpensive STEM resources into your classrooms as well as an opportunity for counselors to learn more about educational and career pathways that lead to great STEM-related jobs in our area.  In addition, over fifteen educational resource providers will have booths to help you make your classroom and school a STEM leader!

Free Code.org Educator Workshop

Saturday, May 9, 2015, 9 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
UT Dallas

Software is redefining the modern world and is increasingly relevant in every 21st century career. Yet fewer than 10% of US public schools teach computer science, and the number has declined in the past decade. Women and students of color are severely underrepresented in this foundational field. One of the ways to solve this problem is to introduce computer science at a younger age. We're making this easy for any elementary school teacher to incorporate into their classroom. Encourage your teachers to sign up for a free weekend workshop and to bring computer science program to your school!


Austin Mini Maker Faire

Saturday & Sunday, May 16 - 17, 2015
Austin, TX

Maker Faire brings together families and individuals to celebrate the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset and showcase all kinds of incredible projects. At Maker Faire, you'll find arts and crafts, science and engineering, food and music, fire and water but what makes this event special is that all these interesting projects and smart, creative people belong together. They are actively and openly creating a maker culture.

TCEA Tots and Technology Conference

Sunday, June 14 - Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Galveston, TX

Elementary and PreK teachers, administrators, librarians, and technical staff, from Texas and beyond, flock to the beaches of Galveston each year for the Tots and Technology conference. This two-day learning event offers hands-on workshops and sessions especially designed to effectively integrate technology in the PreK-5 classroom.

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!

SciGirls Educator Training

Monday, June 22, 2015, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Jefferson, TX
 
Calling all organizations, schools and individuals involved in STEM outreach and recruitment in and around Jefferson!  We invite you to participate in a hands-on, minds-on Professional Development Training hosted by Girl Scouts of Central Texas and Collins Academy.


To request or schedule a workshop or forum in your area, please contact [email protected].   

   

Check out the TxGCP website for details about forums, Role Models Matter and SciGirls

 

Summer Camps

 

The Woodlands Children's Museum Summer Workshops

Our workshops offer age-appropriate activities that are especially designed to foster creativity and promote self-expression and develop a young child's imagination through the arts, dramatic play, squishing, sorting , mixing, swirling, collecting and building.

Nature Discovery Center Summer Science Camps

Campers work together and independently to solve problems, perform experiments, play games, create imaginative crafts, and more. Camps are limited to 20 children each week with 4 teen counselors assisting the Camp Instructor. Camp Instructors are salaried staff of the Nature Discovery Center. 

 

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.

 

UT Dallas Coding Camps

The University of Texas at Dallas is hosting over 100 coding camps for kids age 5 - 17! From playing with robots to introductory gamemaking, there is a camp for everyone! They offer half-day and full-day options as well as off-site coding camps.

 

eDiscover Center Camps

eDiscover Center is offering STEM summer camps for rising 3rd - 4th graders and rising 5th - 6th graders during 2 sessions! From defeating vampires using algebra to escaping a venomous spider using ratios, kids will use real-life applications of math and science.

 

 

To find more camps and list yours, visit the Engineering Education Service Center!

Articles, Reports, Resources

How Mentorship Can Spark a Lifelong Passion for Tech
Every year, on the fourth Thursday of April, thousands of professionals within the technology industry will take a break from writing code or developing the next ground-breaking application to do something even more important - mentor girls and young women. This is part of Girls in ICT day, a global program of the United Nation's International Telecommunication Union that takes place in 140 countries worldwide.  Read more on LinkedIn!

Disney's Create Tomorrowland - XPRIZE Challenge
If you're between 8 and 17 years old, Disney's Create Tomorrowland - XPRIZE Challenge invites you to take a journey into the future. Tell us about one new and amazing invention or innovation you encounter there by submitting a video, image, or story that explains what it is, how it works, and the impact it has on the world.

Google's 'Designed for Families' program will highlight kid-friendly Android apps
Google announced a new "Designed for Families" program today to make it easier for parents to pick out Android apps for their kids. The program is designed to offer a pre-screened stamp of approval that signals an app or game has been built more responsibly with kids in mind.  Read more on GeekWire!

PepsiCo/Society of Women Engineers Student Engineering Challenge
Engineering undergrad students are invited to form teams of up to four and develop original, technical solutions to enhance the way PepsiCo makes, moves and sells their products. Students are encouraged to develop ideas that will promote sustainability and make a positive impact on society. Each team will have the creative freedom to approach the challenge from any angle, provided their solutions fall into one of three categories: Packaging, Equipment Design, or Product and Ingredient Processing.  Read more on the SWE website!

2015 MOONBOTS Challenge
The 2015 MOONBOTS Challenge is an international on-line competition that challenges youth from 8 to 17 years old to form a team (2-4 members) to design, create and program their own robots. The competition is divided into two phases. In Phase One, teams create a user account and submit a short video or written story about what inspires them about the Moon, from old tales to the potential of lunar exploration.

Can a 3-year-old code? That's the intent of a former Microsoftie and children's author Ayesha Hameed, who used to be a software developer for the tech giant based in Hyderabad, India. She's created a new e-book series called Coding Palz. Seeing a lack of books about coding for younger kids, she thought why not start them a little earlier? Coding Palz is for kids ages 3-8.  Read more on GeekWire!
About TxGCP
Texas Girls Collaborative Project
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.

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About NGCP
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).

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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.
Share Your Events and News 
Submit information or events to be included in future TxGCP eNewsletters. Remember TxGCP eNewsletters are typically sent at the beginning of each month. Send news and information to [email protected].
Million Women Mentors


 

We are part of the Million Women Mentors movement and with the Texas Girls Collaborative Project, we have made a 

20,000 mentor and role model pledge 

for Texas. Help us meet our 20,000 mentors and role models goal by sharing your story on FabFems or pledging to mentor with Million Women Mentors

 

Join the movement today!
FabFems - STEM Role Models
FabFem of the month:

Jill DeVito
Jill is an ecologist and educator who loves to connect learners of all ages with the natural world. As a Lecturer in Biology at the University of Texas at Arlington, she introduces undergraduate students to the basic principles of evolution and ecology. Jill enjoys working outdoors, her pets, poetry, and traveling!

Join the FabFems directory today!
STEM Program Highlight:
Aquatic Science Adventure Camp
Aquatic Science Adventure Camp is a 5 day resident camp where campers learn about water resources and have opportunities to enjoy nature in the beautiful Central Texas Hill Country. This camp is designed to introduce campers to the amazing world of aquatic science through a holistic, inquiry-based learning environment.  Campers participate in hands-on learning activities in the lab and in the field facilitated by knowledgeable staff that are either active research scientists or science teachers.
 
Email us at [email protected] to get added as an event coordinator...and then start entering your events!
K-12 STEM Outreach Google Groups
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.

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.