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!

June 2017
All Educator Resources
Dallas, TX
Raining for classroom robotics, UIL robotics, and STEM pedagogical frameworks including project based learning and maker-focused design.

EcoRise offers a wide-range of curriculum and tools to help k-12 teachers create engaging, authentic learning experiences that foster student innovation and environmental literacy.  Whether you're a 2nd grade teacher looking to implement a cross-curricular recycling campaign or an AP Environmental Science teacher seeking a more hands-on approach to sustainability, EcoRise resources can be customized to meet your unique academic needs. Ready to join the movement and ignite a new generation of green leaders? Get involved now!

GenCyber Summer Camp (for K-12 Teachers)
June 19 - 23 or August 7 - 11, 2017
College Station, TX
Have you ever wanted to learn more about cybersecurity and how to prepare your students for this growing industry? Join this FREE 5-day training on cybersecurity in support of the TEKS-aligned GenCyber principles. Participating teachers will be provided with free housing, breakfasts, lunches, and one dinner along with a 4 GB RAM laptop preloaded with Linux tools to bring back to the classroom.

Three sessions in June and July
College Station, TX
Texas A&M University’s PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach office introduces Maker U—an interactive and innovative approach to professional development! Join us for hands-on lessons, activities, and projects custom tailored to transform a PK-12 teacher into a confident and prepared makerspace educator. Whether you’re new to the makerspace arena, thinking about creating your own innovative space, or are on the hunt for fresh new ideas—Maker U will help you achieve your goals.

July 24 - 27, 2017
Austin, TX
The Logo Summer Institute is an intensive immersion in creative computing for K12 teachers, parents, and technology integrators. Our project-based approach supports computational thinking, and STEAM learning and teaching. The program is highly individualized to accommodate novices as well as more experienced participants, teachers of different subjects, and those who work in informal settings as well as in classrooms. Learn to code as you explore and create projects using Scratch, Makey Makey, Hummingbird, Arduino, and a variety of other hardware and software platforms. 

May 10 - June 20, 2017
The Georgia Institute of Technology and the Sustainability Research Network* (SRN) are offering, free of charge, K-12 teachers the opportunity to learn how project-based inquiry learning (PBIL) is transforming classroom learning. The SRN is a network of scientists, industry leaders, and policy partners committed to building better cities of the future through innovations in infrastructure design, technology and policy. The SRN seeks to engage K-12 teachers and students as a part of this mission. This free instructor-facilitated online course supports teachers using project learning and sustainability concepts to enhance conceptual understanding, critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving.

Hill Country Science Mill
The Hill Country Science Mill is a new, cutting-edge interactive science museum in Johnson City with exhibits designed to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders. The Science Mill developed new 30-75 minute, TEKS-aligned, hands-on STEM exploration Learning Lab experiences to complement their field trips. Learning Labs are divided and aligned by grade groups K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Each Learning Lab allows students of all ages to interact with Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math in an entirely new way. Limited space available for the 2016-2017 school year. Learn more. 

Texas STEM Connections is a web-based tool that makes it easy for STEM professionals to connect with K-20 educators, classrooms, out of school time programs, and other volunteer opportunities. Professionals can share their skills and expertise to bring real-world, authentic learning opportunities to all our students helping to create the next generation of innovators. Through in-person matches and virtual sessions, professionals can help educators and program providers connect their students to the world of STEM. Together we can make a difference.

Educator Resources by Grade
Elementary Educators
The IBM International Foundation, along with our partners, and fueled by our belief that every student deserves a great teacher, aspire to help teachers strengthen their instruction by providing them with free cognitive tools that will enable them to better meet the needs of individual students in their classrooms. To this end, we have developed a cognitive coach for teachers called Teacher Advisor with Watson. This is a free tool, initially planned to support 3rd grade math teachers across English-speaking geographies. The tool will add elementary math grade levels over the course of 2017,and plans are in the works to add translation to make this a free tool for teachers around the world.

Thinkery Guided Tours and Focused Field Trips
Austin, TX
Come and explore Thinkery with your students this upcoming school year. We're now accepting requests for Guided Tours and Focused Field Trips for the 2016–2017 school year! 
Guided Tours are available for Pre-K–5th grade, 120 students max.
Focused Field Trips are available for 3rd–5th grade, 25 students max
Middle School Educators
June 21 - 23
Middle school science teachers are invited to apply to this free professional development session at LPI. Participate in hands-on, standards-aligned classroom activities to bridge content from Mars to the Earth science, and hear the latest research from Mars scientists. Limited $300 travel stipends are available for select participants.

Middle school students learn that people like themselves can make meaningful contributions to science by reviewing examples of online citizen-science projects, then forming "engineering teams" to brainstorm ideas to benefit their community and design conceptual interactive websites that could organize and support the projects. 

SciGirls Middle School Educator Hands-on Activity Resources
Virtual
SciGirls has made a commitment to providing quality, gender-equitable, inquiry-based STEM activities that are fun for all! Check out the activities under the following topic areas:
  • Earth & Space
  • Engineering
  • Health
  • Life & Environmental
  • Physics & Chemistry
  • Technology
High School Educators
Due September 6, 2017
Our High School Program kick-off event will host 100 high school girls from the Austin metro area in a completely free-to-participate event. This program includes food during events, transportation to and from events, and child care if needed. Each participate will attend one technology related workshop and leave with a take-home item from the workshop. Nominate a student today!

July 12 - 28, 2017
College Station, TX
Have you ever wanted to participate in a summer research experience? Join us for E3 and spend 2.5 weeks working alongside Texas A&M Engineering faculty and students researching cutting edge technology and create a project-based lesson based on your research to bring back to your classroom. This annual program is funded by faculty grants, and the number open positions for teachers and the available research subjects vary from year to year. Applications close April 17, 2017.

Engineer Your Life is a guide to engineering careers for high school girls!  Imagine what life would be like without pollution controls to preserve the environment, life-saving medical equipment, or low-cost building materials for fighting global poverty. All this takes engineering. In very real and concrete ways, women who become engineers save lives, prevent disease, reduce poverty, and protect our planet.  Dream Big. Love what you do.  Become an engineer.

eGFI is for everyone! From the interactive website to the colorful and inspiring print and digital magazine, there is something for everyone--students, K-12 teachers and informal educators, parents and guardians, and anyone else with an interest in engineering.  

Engineer Your World
The University of Texas at Austin has funding to help you bring a  project-based engineering course  to your Texas high school in 2017-2018. This course and comprehensive teacher support was developed by a team of UT faculty in collaboration with NASA engineers and secondary education specialists. Students complete a series of engaging and socially relevant design challenges to develop engineering design skills and habits of mind. Starting in 2016-2017, students also have the option to  dual-enroll  at UT and earn three hours of freshman-level credit. This may be the last year we can offer up to $8000 in implementation support per campus, so now is the time to learn more!
Join our K-12 STEM Outreach Google Groups! These groups are all about sharing resources, information, events, volunteers, needs, and more with others reaching out to K-12 students aiming to excite them about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Central TX  |  DFW  |  East Texas  |  El Paso  |  Houston  |  Laredo  |  RGV  |  San Antonio  |  West TX


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.
Let other know about the great programs you run! To find STEM programs across the country or to list your own, please visit   The Connectory
Find fabulous STEM role models in your area to show virtually or connect with in-person on the FabFems site!
About TxGCP & NGCP
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. The TxGCP is excited to provide opportunities across Texas for collaboration, networking, sharing of best practices, and leveraging of resources through in-person forums, listservs and mini-grants.   

Led by the Women in Engineering Program (WEP) at The University of Texas at Austin along with a 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 Texas.
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). 
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.