View the Spanish translation of our newsletter here
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Hello and welcome to the dog days of summer here in the Mid-Valley!
Yesterday marked a big step for us at the Hub as we got the keys for a new-to-us van for our Mobile Makerspace program. With this newest acquisition, we are looking forward to bringing high-quality STE(A)M and CTE programming directly to youth and families across Linn and Benton Counties. A big shout out to Central Willamette Credit Union for their generous contribution in support of this program. This yet-to-be-named vehicle (Vanna White, anyone?), will allow us to provide our growing library of tools, projects, and hands-on learning directly to your doors. Speaking of which, if you haven’t yet checked out our Lending Library, take a look! We have classroom kits of everything from robots to binoculars and lots of plug -and -play lessons for STE(A)M enrichment ready to go.
We are also gearing up for a fall launch of our in-person makerspace, the Maker and Innovator Learning Lab (MILL), to be housed at the Albany campus of Linn-Benton Community College. The MILL and our Lending Library will be run by our Lending and Makerspace Librarian, a position for which we’re currently hiring. Check it out and help us spread the word! You can read more about the Lending Library, Mobile Makerspace, and the MILL in this month’s newsletter. Be sure to reach out to us with your questions about any of these resources and how to bring them into your community.
These efforts, as with all our work, strive to reach all students - particularly those who have been marginalized - to ensure they have equitable access to learner-relevant hands-on experiences to develop the STE(A)M-enabled mindsets to innovate, make career connections, build skills, and thrive.
Yours in striving and thriving,
Sarah Whiteside
Executive Director
Pictured: Hub Director, Sarah Whiteside, and Kelsie Szeszulski, Hub Staff, at Roberson Ford in Albany
with the new/future Mobile Makerspace.
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The MILL (Maker and Innovation Learning Lab) Is Coming! |
After two years of planning and preparation, we are thrilled to announce that we will be soft launching the MILL for LBCC students, staff, and faculty this fall! Located in IA 237 and IA 115, the MILL will be a space for projects big and small, rapid prototyping (3D printing, laser cutting, etc), fiber arts, electronics, and more. Most importantly, the MILL will support collaboration, experiential learning, and open, constructivist pedagogy. Further details about specific equipment, open hours, policies, and registration to come; stay tuned for next month’s newsletter!
If you have questions or would like to learn more about how you can participate, email Forrest Johnson at johnsof@linnbenton.edu.
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Our Program Coordinator, Chris Singer, travels to the far reaches of our region to bring exciting STEM educational experiences to the students in our communities. Visiting classrooms with coding, math, and circuit-building tools in hand, Chris leaves a lasting impact on the classrooms he visits about how STEM learning is not only fun and exciting but attainable to all students.
Recently, Chris brought Makey Makey kits and pizza to Santiam Canyon’s Social-Emotional class, taught by Hannah Baker. The students got a chance to learn about coding and circuit-building using pizza as a primary teaching tool.
Check out what educator, Hannah Baker, has to say about Chris’s impact on her classroom in the short video below.
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Special thanks to Central Willamette for sponsoring
Mid-Valley STEM-CTE Hub Early Learning Programs!
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Lending Library News & Updates |
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School is out, and the STEM Lending Library has been hard at work supporting summer camps throughout Linn and Benton counties! The STEM Lending Library provides instructors at Linn-Benton Community College’s summer camps with everything from laptops and tablets for coding, to tools and items like computer towers, skateboards, electric guitars, and
even a bicycle to take apart and rebuild.
The accessibility of these items to instructors helps LBCC continue to offer these incredible camps for free to all students.
Check out these LBCC Maker Camp students, who used 3D printers, power cardboard cutters, Strawbees, BBC Micro:bit and Robotic Connections, and a whole lot of office supplies to make awesome tabletop mini-mini golf courses
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Check out our Lending Library today!
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Classroom to Career:
Developments in Career Connected Learning
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When’s a Good Time to Start Learning about Careers? |
What do you want to be when you grow up? Children get asked this as early as kindergarten. Imagine if the child could answer this question by saying, ‘I’m not sure yet, but over the course of my K-12 education, I will be exposed to many career paths and get hands-on experience in those that interest me the most. Then I will be able to answer this question.
Well, that’s the aim of the Oregon Department of Education and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for Oregon’s youth!
Oregon defines the stages of career development through a system called the Career Connected Learning Framework. This framework includes “career awareness, exploration, preparation and training that is both learner-relevant and directly linked to professional and industry-based expectations.”
The Hub is developing partnerships with local businesses, community organizations,
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MVSCH Media: Closing the Gap |
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Closing the Gap
This month on Closing the Gap, we have Audrey Anderson. Audrey is a culinary arts instructor at LBCC,
a business owner, EMS first responder, as well as a firefighter trainee. Join us as we discuss Audrey’s expertise in time management and pursuing multiple careers! This episode will be available on July 18th.
Audrey’s episode will be the last episode of the summer, but we will be back with all-new episodes of Closing the Gap in September. While you’re waiting, feel free to binge our
back catalog where we have 17 great episodes waiting to edutain you!
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Educators, we need your help! |
You may or may not know about our awesome digital educational resources like our podcast, Closing the Gap, and our career-connected learning video series, A Step Ahead.
If you’re interested in resources like these, we'd like to invite you to fill out this survey. Our goal is to create resources for you, the educators in our region. Filling out this survey will help us custom-make content to best serve the educational needs of our community.
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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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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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To keep up on the latest MVSCH news, follow us on our social media networks: |
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