Million Girls Moonshot
The Iowa Million Girls Moonshot Minute
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August 2021
Welcome to the Iowa Million Girls Moonshot Minute! This monthly publication from the Iowa Afterschool Alliance provides dozens of STEM out-of-school time professional development opportunities and activities to strengthen the quality of programs across the state. We hope that you find these resources valuable! Learn more about the national Million Girls Moonshot movement here.
Million Girls Moonshot Resources
Featured Webinars
Engineering Mindsets
Curiosity Machine Design Challenges
September 16, 2021 10:00am Central

Curious About Curiosity Camp? IF/THEN® Resources to Support Girls in STEM
August 18, 2021 1:00pm Central
GoldieBlox is educating and empowering girls by creating engaging content, fun toys, and interesting resources. In this webinar, you will learn more about the IF/THEN® Collection, Curiosity Camp, and the newly released Camp GoldieBlox resources. The webinar will highlight ways to use these resources to support girls in STEM. Hear from GoldieBlox founder, Debbie Sterling, and the stars of Curiosity Camp, about the importance of STEM role models and resources for girls.

Resources for Afterschool Programs: Using the IF/THEN Collection
September 14, 2021 1:00pm Central
Stereotypes about who does STEM continue to be pervasive in current society. For girls, particularly girls of color, the cultural stereotypes of STEM disciplines as male dominated and white prevent them from seeing their current or possible future selves within these communities (Kang et al., 2019). How can adults and educators address these challenges?

Going Deeper: From Curiosity Machine to Technovation Girls Challenge 
November 4, 2021 10:00am Central
Calling all educators who are interested in teaching your students how to solve global problems with technology! While Technovation’s global program is tailored for girls, educators around the world are using this curriculum with all their students. Take your exploration of open-ended design challenges with your students to the next level by learning about this multi-week opportunity for students to dive deep into coding or AI and a passion project that could change the world and themselves. This program will prepare students not only to succeed as a STEM learner but as an entrepreneur as well.

The M in STEM: Making Mathematics Meaningful - National Girls Collaborative Project 
October 5, 2021 1:00pm Central

Role Models and Mentoring
Role Models Matters Training for STEM Volunteers
Techbridge Girls Inc.

Ready to train volunteers and role models in your Network, school, or afterschool program? COMPLETE THIS REGISTRATION FORM to gain access to the Role Models Matter training developed by Techbridge Girls.
Transformative Programming
For STEM Networks, Partners and Programs

Equity & Inclusion
Toolkit: Broadening Perspectives in Broadening Participation in STEM toolkit, developed by CAISE - To help informal STEM education and science communication groups reflect on and strengthen their efforts to broaden participation in STEM, CAISE’s Broadening Participation in STEM Task Force has developed a suite of professional development tools. If you are a staff leader or trainer working on broadening participation, these resources can help support your work. You can use them to plan and lead reflective discussions about current practices, with an eye to developing goals, strategies, and priorities that can make your ISE and science communication work more inclusive.

Engineering Mindsets
Poster: Engineering Mindset Graphic - This printable graphic presents the 10 critical engineering practices and shows how they all contribute to the development of an engineering mindset.

Article: What STEM Mindset Is … and Why Everyone Should Have One - This article describes how 21st century skills, growth mindset, and habits of mind all contribute to a STEM mindset

Website: DiscoverE | Engineering activities for kids, resources for teachers and volunteers, and more! Build a beverage holder that won’t hurt the environment, learn about the many careers in engineering, and meet an engineering role model in a short video. 

Incorporating Role Models
The following assets can be used in your programs as you celebrate National Aviation Day (August 19, 2021)
Activities for Youth and Families
  • Student Design Activity: Bouncy Ball Factory - Youth engineer bouncy balls that meet particular criteria. Using the engineering design process, they develop and test their creations.
  • Student Design Activity: Paper Table - Youth engineer a table from a newspaper that is at least 8" high and strong enough to hold a book.
  • Student Design Activity: Take Flight - Using everyday materials, youth engineer a glider that can fly straight for 15 feet.
  • Student Design Activity: Keep Your Cool! Design Your Own Cooler Challenge - Youth design a cooler that will keep a bottle of water cool using the engineering design process. They test their prototype and graph their results to determine the effectiveness of the solution.
  • Student Design Activity: Design a Watercraft - Youth engineering a small boat out of straws and plastic wrap that can hold weight.
  • Student Design Activity: Get it Write! - Youth engineering a writing device (pen) using everyday materials. They think about both the (water soluble) "ink" and the delivery mechanism.
Additional Virtual Professional Development
For Programs and Partners
The Mizzen by Mott Moonshot Connection
The Mizzen By Mott app delivers inspiring and engaging activities that spark learning in young people. Supported by the Mott Foundation, Mizzen is available at no cost to afterschool professionals! Encourage partners to download the Mizzen By Mott app to access STEM  activities at your finger-touch!  You’ll find it in Mizzen here.

Featured Activities & Playlists
  • Playlist: STEM Activities for K-5th Grade
  • Playlist: STEAM Activities for Middle School
  • Helicopter Engineering for 6-8th Grade- Students work in team to engineer an optimal paper helicopter design
This work of the Iowa Afterschool Alliance is made possible by funding from STEM Next and the Million Girls Moonshot Innovator Grant. The mission of MGM is to expand STEM opportunities, specifically in the field of Engineering, for girls across the United States, which is made possible through state partnerships.
Million Girls Moonshot | www.stemforiowa.org | bsamuelson@sppg.com