View the Spanish translation of our newsletter here
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Hello and welcome to May in our beautiful mid-valley-
This month, I’d like to focus this message on one important initiative we’re launching this summer: our educator externships. An externship is like an internship for educators. We currently have three different opportunities this summer for teachers, administrators, classified staff, counselors, and out-of-school educators to participate in a paid externship. Take a look at the offerings below and let us know as soon as possible if you would like to participate.
GAPS micro-externship - June 21-23: Sign up to learn more about the construction and advanced manufacturing sectors in Linn and Benton Counties. Open to 25 Albany School District educators. Space is limited. Learn more and sign up here.
OSU Educator Engineering Externship - June 20-22. Learn about engineering disciplines, tour facilities, get an overview of pre-college programs, admissions, and make industry connections. Space is limited. Email jarkowd@linnbenton.edu to learn more.
Associated General Contractors (AGC) Construction Externship: July 12-14 & 18-21. From apprenticeship programs and project management to procurement and safety, construction covers countless occupation areas - and is far more than swinging a hammer. Participants are eligible for three credit options: 80 hours of PDU’s, 4 PD 805 credits, or 4 ED 638 graduate credits. Space is limited. Sign up here.
We do, of course, have many more tools, programs, and resources to share with you - including a full lineup of STEM Week events - so please enjoy this month’s newsletter. I hope you find something of interest and relevance to you, your family, students, and work. Thanks for all you do out there!
Be well,
Sarah Whiteside, Director
Mid-Valley STEM-CTE Hub
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MVSCH Media: A Step Ahead & Closing the Gap |
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A Step Ahead
Recently we released another A Step Ahead video covering the Surgery Technology program at Linn-Benton Community College. Don’t miss out on learning more about this great career field; you can watch it on our website!
Tune back in on May 26th as we visit a local sleep study facility and learn more about becoming a Sleep Technologist. Did you know that Linn-Benton Community College also offers a Sleep Tech program? You can learn more about this program on the LBCC website.
You will be able to find this upcoming A Step Ahead video on our YouTube channel.
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Closing the Gap - Alaina Percival of Women Who Code
Just in time for STEM Week, 2022, our most recent Closing the Gap episode is being released on Tuesday, May 17th.
We are very excited to announce that this month’s Closing the Gap guest speaker is Alaina Percival, co-founder, and CEO of the organization Women Who Code. Alaina joins us to talk about the importance of women in tech and tech leadership positions, as well as to shed some light on careers in tech that don’t involve coding.
You can listen to this episode and all of our other Closing the Gap episodes on our website and Spotify.
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If you are a woman in STEM, or have a career in manufacturing or a skilled trade and would like to talk about your experience, contact Kacey Montgomery at montgok@linnbenton.edu.
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Special STEM Week 2022 Video Content
With STEM Week 2022 right around the corner, we have some special video content for you. On Monday, May 16th, (aka Make-It Monday) watch as our team visits Highland Woodshop, a woman-owned makerspace in Corvallis. Forrest, Kacey, and Ashley (owner of Highland Woodshop) build a workbench from the ground up out of upcycled and repurposed wood.
On Friday, May 20th, (aka Field Trip Friday), our own Kelsie Szeszluski - recent OSU graduate from the College of Forestry and seasonal - takes us to William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge to discuss the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace.
You will be able to find these videos when they are released and more on our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe so that you will be notified each time we publish a new STEM video.
See more about STEM Week below in our News section!
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Lending Library News & Updates |
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Ready For Checkout!
Strawbees and SumBlox are ready for check out! Help your students learn spatial awareness, math, engineering, and more with these new additions to the STEM Educator Lending Library! Watch our SumBlox unboxing video here. Another big thank you to the American Association of University Women for their support of the STEM Educator Lending library!
New Items Coming Soon! (More details coming next month)
- BeeBots (robots for PreK-early elementary)
- Six Bricks kits
- Tool kits
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3D Printing, IRL
Do you have a 3D printer that you are using or would like to use in your classroom? The Mid-Valley STEM-CTE Hub Lending Library wants to help educators find better ways to integrate 3D printing into their curriculum. Let us know how you are using or how you would like to use 3D printing in your class by filling out this 5 minute survey.
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Check out our Lending Library today!
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Meet our new Business and Industry Outreach and Equity Specialist! |
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Danielle Jarkowsky is joining our team as the new Business and Industry Outreach and Equity Specialist. She is passionate about connecting people who share interests. She looks forward to enhancing relationships with business and industry, creating awareness of our programs, and expanding opportunities for underserved and underrepresented students to explore career pathways. She is excited about the opportunities that this new role within the STEM-CTE Hub has in contributing to a viable economic future for the Mid-Willamette Valley.
Danielle’s background is in natural sciences, higher education, workforce development, and communications. “The greatest feeling is seeing a student light up as they tell you how much they enjoy a job they never thought they would be qualified for, while the employer reflects how much they’ve seen them grow throughout their internship.”
She is a photography-phyle, always aiming to capture the perfect image composition. She is drawn to the visual arts (pun intended). She enjoys viewing landscape design and architecture wherever she goes. She is excited to try out the 3D printing technology in the Hub's Lending Library/Makerspace.
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STEM WEEK 2022 (May 14-22) |
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In celebration of Oregon's STEM Week 2022, here's a reminder to register your STE(A)M event today!
Registering your event (events can be public or private) helps to show what will be happening around the state and enters the registrant into a drawing for daily prizes.
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New makerspace at the Albany Public Library! |
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We are proud to announce the opening of the new makerspace at the Albany Public Library (APL) ! Forrest Johnson, our Makerspace & Lending Librarian, teamed up with April Spisak, Children's Librarian to coordinate, plan, and outfit the space. The Mid-Valley STEM-CTE Hub contributed $14,000 to outfit the space, featuring a 3D printer, sewing machines, and a variety of other materials for young makers! In addition to the makerspace, we provided nearly $6,000 in STEM-themed kits to be used in the space.
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Makey Makey at Scio High School! |
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Our Program Coordinator, Chris Singer, went out to Scio High School last week to lead 9th and 10th grade science classes in Makey Makey exploration. With the Makey Makey kits, students can take everyday objects and combine them with the internet. Using the alligator clips attached to any conductive material (aluminum foil, playdoh, water, bananas… yes, bananas are conductive!!) you can control the keyboard of your computer, such as the space bar, arrow keys and left click of the mouse. With the Makey Makey, students can invent their own musical instruments, video game controllers, and even draw their own circuits.
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Resources, Events, & Upcoming Opportunities |
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STEM/CTE Community Bulletin Board |
What's happening in your school/business/organization? Send us your news items for the Community Bulletin Board in our monthly newsletter and we'll help you spread the word! We ask that submissions be regional, non-commercial, STEM/CTE germane, and be limited to one sentence and a link. Submissions are due by the third Monday of each month. |
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DIVE4Ag (Distant, Immersive, Virtual Education for Agriculture Literacy)
DIVE4Ag offers a series of FREE virtual professional development sessions for middle and high school teachers and informal educators.
The DIVE4Ag project brings Pacific Northwest middle and high school youth opportunities to explore topics in agriculture through virtual reality and other online activities. Together, Oregon State University’s Pre-college Programs, SMILE Program, and OSU Extension 4-H Youth Development Program lead the effort with community partners to implement an innovative Agriculture Distance Education Toolkit to be fully launched next year.
Project Invent Fellowship
The Project Invent Fellowship invites innovative educators (middle and high school) to embrace design thinking, community partnership, and authentic problem-solving in the classroom.
ATTEND AN INFO SESSION: 30-minute info sessions available May 3, and May 25. Note: Info session attendees are invited to experience an expedited application process.
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Coordinator of Student Outreach and Recruitment at Oregon State University
The College of Engineering is seeking a Coordinator of Student Outreach and Recruitment. This is a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month, professional faculty position. This position is an opportunity to advance and sustain the goals of the College of Engineering for broader participation of underrepresented groups in engineering. Learn more and apply here: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/117430. |
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Summer Camps at LBCC
Linn-Benton Community College is welcoming students in six through 12th grades to the LBCC Summer Camps. LBCC is offering more than 70 camps, in-person and virtual, focusing on areas such as STEM, art, sports, technical career introductions, and more. Camps will be free for Linn & Benton county students until all funding is spent. Registration is now open.
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Cottonwood Crossing Summer Institute
June 12-17, 2022 – Yes, it’s happening! The Cottonwood Crossing Summer Institute will take place at Cottonwood Canyon State Park (located along the John Day River on Highway 206 between Wasco and Condon).
Cottonwood Crossing Summer Institute (CCSI) is a week-long residential field studies program for high school students currently in grades 9-12. Participants choose from four course options where they learn about locally significant cultural or natural resources. Projects are led by EOU faculty, EOU Capstone students, and other regional professionals. Students earn 2 early-college credits through Eastern Promise. Learn more at https://www.eou.edu/cottonwood-crossing/. (Cost to attend: $350 --- scholarships are available – see the link on the “Forms” page) |
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New Apprenticeship Club at LBCC! |
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LBCC Auto & Heavy Equipment Diesel Program: Dyno Days & Open House |
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To keep up on the latest MVSCH news, follow us on our social media networks: |
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