The Iowa Million Girls Moonshot Minute ---- July 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

Recorded Webinars: Engineering Mindset Deep Dive into each Engineering Mindset Practice Christine Cunningham Recording 1, Recording 2, Recording 3 Role Models and Mentoring Role Models Matters Training for STEM Volunteers Techbridge Girls Inc. LISTEN TO RECORDING 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. Incorporating STEM Role Models in Afterschool National Girls Collaborative Project Team LISTEN TO RECORDING STEM Role Models in Action!  National Girls Collaborative Project Team (Designed for grades 4-8) LISTEN TO RECORDING

Transformative Programming

For STEM Networks, Partners and Programs Equity & Inclusion Poster: This Is What A Scientist Looks Like poster featuring Dr. Monica Rho who is the head Physician for the US Women’s National Soccer Team. This poster can be used in your physical paces to highlight an inspiring role model in Sports and STEM. Monica Rho Fieldshot Article: Black Girls Create: Developing a Culturally Responsive Maker Program for Black Girls article describes the development and pilot implementation of a culturally responsive maker afterschool program for Black girls.  Book: Social Justice Reading For Kids : NPR - Looking for summer reading for youth in afterschool? Check out these recommendations from writer Ibram X. Kendi 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 Summer Olympics (July 23, 2021 - August 8, 2021)  The below assets are free profile videos of IF/THEN® curated Olympics resources featuring NBC Learn videos that highlight women in STEM who work with top U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Mission Unstoppable: The Science Behind Surfing Mission Unstoppable: Training With the U.S. Women’s National Team Mission Unstoppable: Using Science to Make Sports Safer Yamilée Toussaint-Beach Activity Sheet and Educator Guide Ellie Maybury Activity Sheet and Educator Guide Monica Rho Activity Sheet and Educator Guide US Soccer: High Performance 101 On-the-Job: Dawn Scott On-the-Job: Sarah Wilson

Activities for Youth and Families

Student Design Activity: NASA's Favorite House Plants for Space Stations and You - The Grow Network : The Grow Network - Select a plant to grow and keep a record of its change over time. Design a flowerpot for space—what shape works best? How deep does it need to be? What do scientists need to consider to grow plants in space?  Student Design Activity: Straw Towers to the Moon - Let your kids’ imaginations run wild. Build the biggest tower, or the best balanced, or the most attractive…change the criteria to change the design. Grades K-8.  Student Design Activity: Landing Humans on the Moon Educator Guide - These easy to do activities for grades K-8 use engineering design process to problem-solve solutions for survival on the moon.  Student Design Activity: Be “Cool” with Popsicle Engineering - Students learn the design process using easy to find materials (for example, popsicle sticks and KoolAid) to produce purple popsicles. Perfect for a summer day with young kids!

Additional Virtual Professional Development

For Programs and Partners Webinar Recording: Representation Matters! Highlighting the IF/THEN Collection - Join IF/THEN Ambassadors in a conversation about representation and why it is important for girls to see role models in STEM. In this webinar, learn why representation matters and how to use the IF/THEN Collection to increase representation of women in STEM.  Webinar Recording: Girl STEAM Ahead with NASA Free Resources - This Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA (part of NASA's Universe of Learning) webinar will provide a brief overview of the program and its free resources, including a range of computer-based and paper-based activities, print products, and a Program Cookbook for facilitators. Presenters will then delve deeper into some Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA activity-based resources.

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.

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Million Girls Moonshot | www.stemforiowa.org | bsamuelson@sppg.com