SHARE:  
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!
November 2017
TxGCP has lots going on this fall:


Mark your calendar now and check out all the events plus lots of educator resources below.
TxGCP 2018 Regional Leadership Team and Champions Board Applications Open
TxGCP connects non-profits, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, companies, organizations and individuals across the state of Texas committed to informing and motivating girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Led by the Women in Engineering Program (WEP) at The University of Texas at Austin, TxGCP provides forums, curriculum, best practices and resources to foster collaborations, build capacity of participating organizations, and create a state-wide network of informed and connected informal and formal STEM educators and advocates.

The TxGCP provides many opportunities for individuals and organizations across Texas to meet or reconnect, learn about each other's work, and develop ways to work together to better serve girls and young women in STEM.

TxGCP Regional Leadership Teams Overview

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 in collaboration with other RLT members 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
  • Encourage STEM Role Models to sign up in FabFems and Texas STEM Connections to help reach TxGCP's pledge of 20,000 mentors as part of the Million Women Mentors movement
  • Include TxGCP resources and/or information in presentations (resource slide and materials available) or throughout networks
  • 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.

TxGCP Champions Board Overview
 
The TxGCP Champions Board supports the activities of the collaborative and advances the statewide TxGCP strategy in alignment with the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) strategy. The Champions Board includes members of organizations that are also invested in girls in STEM and are able to contribute to the project’s success. Roles and responsibilities of TxGCP Champions Board include the following:
  • Serve a 1-Year Commitment (Renewable)
  • Participate in 2 telephone conferences per year for the TxGCP Leadership Team to provide updates (January Kick-off Webinar and Summer Update)
  • Participate in TxGCP Regional Leadership Team efforts as needed and/or as available
  • Encourage STEM Role Models to sign up in FabFems and Texas STEM Connections to help reach TxGCP's pledge of 20,000 mentors as part of the Million Women Mentors movement
  • Include TxGCP resources and/or information in presentations (resource slide and materials available) or throughout networks
  • Support the efforts of TxGCP through networks, connections, funds/grants, resources, meeting space, etc. as needed and/or as available

Applications due November 10th
Request STEM Professionals for Classrooms/Programs!
We’re pushing STEM volunteer and mentor needs out to a wide network of STEM professionals on September 6th. If your classroom or organization has a need for a STEM volunteer or mentor (or a team of them!), enter your request into Texas STEM Connections by the morning of September 5th to be included. Find instructions for how to enter a request for a volunteer here.

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.
Inspiring the Creators & Thinkers of Tomorrow:
A STEM Symposium
Tuesday, December 5 during CSed Week
8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Engineering Education & Research Center
The University of Texas at Austin

Hosted by TxGCP in collaboration with the Texas Advanced Computing Center at The University of Texas at Austin and LEGO® Education.

Join us for an engaging, hands-on STEM Symposium focused on bringing computational thinking, coding and STEM to life in elementary and middle school classrooms and programs. Discover ways that you can empower students to develop analytical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and problem solving skills, while preparing them for the STEM and technology-focused jobs of tomorrow.
TXGCP
TACC
LEGO Education
Texas Women and Girls in STEM Summit
Friday, December 8 during CSed Week
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Engineering Education & Research Center
The University of Texas at Austin

Join the Texas Girls Collaborative Project for our first Texas Women and Girls in STEM Summit designed to share best practices, connect organizations and individuals, and showcase outstanding efforts to increase the number of girls in STEM and support the retention of women in STEM careers.
TXGCP
All Educator Resources
Did you know that teenage girls who follow two or more female role models on social media are three times more likely to use the word ‘aspire’? The Female Lead, a book with 60 images and profiles of accomplished women including women in the arts, sciences, sports, business and activism, is available for free along with teaching materials.

Due February 1, 2018
Look around your community for the different systems in each of the categories listed above. Choose one system and do some research on how it works where you live. Prompts vary based on age ranges!

September 21, 2017 - May 24, 2018
Virtual
Bring a Smithsonian Scientist into your classroom or home with Smithsonian Science How, a live television-style program streamed through the web that takes questions from students. The 25-minute program features the research and personalities of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, providing your students with positive STEM role models, information about science careers and pathways, and more!

November 1 - 2, 2017
Dallas, TX
The Texas Prospect P16 Summit represents a unique collaboration, bringing together partners from education, state agency, and non-profit sectors across the State, including the UT System Office of Academic Affairs, Educate Texas, E3 Alliance, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Workforce Commission, and other post-secondary and non-profit partners.

Waco, TX
Find a Way, Not an Excuse: Women in STEM presents the lives of 19 women and their contributions to the science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Over the past 150 years across the state, country, and world, including five from Baylor University. From the clothes we wear to the phones we use, and from the food we eat to the health of our bodies, our quality of life has been improved by female pioneers in STEM. Women have contributed in STEM fields for generations, often without credit. Created in part by Baylor University Museum Studies graduate students, the exhibit focuses on pioneering innovations in STEM with the hope of inspiring a fierce desire to learn continuously and encourage curiosity to lead to discovery.

November 9, 2018
Thompson Conference Center, Austin, TX
This event has been hosted at IBM corporate headquarters in New York for several years, but our IBM Fellow, Rhonda Childress, is bringing it to Austin for the first time, to reach a good local as well as global audience. In past years STEM sessions in New York, has had 10K participants attend through these venues – we plan to expand further this year. We’re planning on having around 500+ in person attendance. The day will consists of multiple TED-type talks, VIP speakers, University speakers and demos that showcase STEM related content and initiatives. We are looking for STEM related organizations to host a table top event that students can interact with and learn about STEM or activities in Austin.

Lesson Submissions due November 30th
Calling all teachers! Do you have an award-winning lesson that highlights a STEM concept? This year following Energy Day Festival in Houston, we will be hosting a contest for educators. Submit a lesson plan to us implementing one of the STEM concepts you saw being demonstrated at an exhibit at Energy Day Festival Houston, and you will be entered into a contest to win a Visa gift card. Hint: we LOVE interactive and student-driven lessons! Think PBL’s.

January 25 - 26, 2018
College Station, TX
Join us for STEM 4 Innovation — an interactive experiential event for K-12 STEM educators, administrators and counselors from across the state of Texas. Formerly the Teacher Summit & PK-12 Leadership Forum, the College of Engineering and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, in partnership with the College of Education and Human Development and the College of Science, bring you 1.5 days of workshops, tours, speakers and hands-on activities.​

March 3, 2018
San Antonio, TX
Out in Space, Down to Earth brings together hands on professional development workshops and local resources for educators of all grade levels, pre-K – 12. This is one of the best educator conferences in the area. The goal is to provide educators with the latest TEKS based STEM teaching strategies and concepts, collaboration/networking opportunities and research to expand professional growth. Earn 6 CPE’s for attendance and lunch is provided.

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. 

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!

"Hyperlinked" producer Brindak Blake told CNN "STEM should be an everyday thing for girls...We want to provide these kind of positive role models that are relatable to middle school and younger or older elementary school girls," she said. "We want to empower them." That means characters who like to code and develop apps as much as they like to talk about boys or hang out with their friends.
Educator Resources by Grade
Elementary Educators
Dumpster 101 is an innovative environmental science curriculum for 5th and 7th grades designed around lab and inquiry activities. Students apply scientific concepts and skills to key subject areas of food, water, air, energy, waste, and health as they explore the central project challenge – transforming a used trash dumpster into a sustainable home. Aligned to TEKS! 

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 2017–2018 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
Dumpster 101 is an innovative environmental science curriculum for 5th and 7th grades designed around lab and inquiry activities. Students apply scientific concepts and skills to key subject areas of food, water, air, energy, waste, and health as they explore the central project challenge – transforming a used trash dumpster into a sustainable home. Aligned to TEKS! 

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. 

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
The Alamo AFCEA chapter offers a STEM Teaching Tools Grant intended to promote effective STEM teaching and to enhance the abilities of capable teachers in secondary schools in the San Antonio metropolitan area. The awards are to be used by the teacher to purchase consumable supplies for science experiments and activities in the classroom. Primary consideration is given to teachers working in schools, which are poorly supported, and/or with economically disadvantaged students. Awards are not limited to public schools.

Applications Due November 6, 2017
The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) honors women in grades 9 through 12 who are active and interested in computing and technology, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award for AiC recipients are chosen for their demonstrated interest and achievements in computing, proven leadership ability, academic performance, and plans for post‑secondary education. To date, nearly 8,600 women have been honored with the Award for AiC.

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. 

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!
Get Connected: K12 STEM Email Groups, Events & More
Join our K-12 STEM Outreach Google Groups! These email groups (open and moderated listservs) 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 |  WacoWest 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.