Building Community with Hands-on Learning

April 2023 Newsletter

MVSCH's student workers (Kayley, Austyn, and Joseph) learning how to safely use woodworking tools at Highland Woodshop in Corvallis.

Growing Innovating, Learning, Prospering... Together!

View the Spanish translation of our newsletter here.

From the Director's Desk

Dear partners and friends,

I am delighted to introduce our newest member of the MVSCH team, Dominga Sanchez. Dominga joins us as our Education Outreach and Equity Specialist. She will work closely with our Career-Connected Learning team on internships, job shadows, mentorships, teacher externships, and our growing portfolio of learner-relevant experiences for career awareness, exploration, preparation, and training.

Dominga’s background is in Structural Engineering and Engineering Education. She is an alumnus of UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and OSU College of Engineering. She is also currently completing her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at OSU. Aside from exploring coffee shops, bookstores, and hiking trails in her spare time, Dominga enjoys spending time with her two young adult children. In addition to advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusivity, she also serves as a mentor. Dominga can be reached at sanched@linnbenton.edu. Please join me in welcoming Dominga!

I’d also like to thank those of you who responded to our recent Shared Impact Project survey. Our Hub, along with the other STEAM Hubs across Oregon, are involved in a project to understand, communicate, and improve our shared impact. If you haven’t yet done so, here are the links:

It will likely take no more than 5 minutes to complete. Thank you for taking the time to support this effort!

Thanks and be well,

Sarah Whiteside

Women in Science Night panelists Jennifer Wong-Ala, Ommidala Pattawong, Carol Wood, and moderator Ramycia McGhee

The MILL is Open!

We had an incredible first term in the MILL! Here are a few of the highlights:

The MILL space kicked off with a bang with our Women in Tech night event and wrapped the term up with a Women in Science Night event. Guests enjoyed time using/playing with STEAM gadgets and projects from the MILL and Lending Library, and then were treated to engaging conversations with local industry and academic experts in technology and science.

The MILL hosted two Maker Lunch and Learn events, featuring LBCC’s own Franklin Roberts and Jo Ann Yonemura on Resin 3D printing and Paper Craft respectively. Attendees were treated to impressive creations like 3D printed articulating dragons and paper boxes that unfold into magical greeting card nature scenes.

Adam Karnes received a $500 grant from the Textbook Affordability Steering Committee to use the MILL for his Technical Writing class’s open pedagogy project, creating repair guides for electronic devices and publishing them on iFixit.com. Several other instructors also received grants for open pedagogy projects in the MILL, which will take place in the spring.

Anne Magratten’s Painting I class blessed the MILL with the Peace Mural, which was paid for through the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative grant the MILL applied for over the fall. Students who worked on the piece all received stipends for their work as well as the experience of working on a huge collaborative project; a great addition to their artist resumes. Read more about the mural here.

News From the Hub

Week of the Young Child starts

April 1st

Every year, the Week of the Young Child celebrates early learning, young children, their teachers, families, and communities.

Learn more

Listen up!

We have a new podcast called MILL Media!

Podcasts are a great way to learn on the go. In our busy lives, there is now always time to sit and watch or read something educational, but we can listen to something educational on our commute or while doing other tasks. Learn about our newest collection of podcasts on MILL Media.

Learn More

Mobile Makerspace:

Film and Animation

What do you call a film that’s entirely in stop motion?

A non-stop motion!

Watch the films students made with the Mobile Makerspace here!

Thank you AAUW

During our Women in Science Night event, panelist, local AAUW member, and avid Hub supporter, Carol Wood, presented Forrest

Johnson a check on behalf of Albany's AAUW chapter. The funding is in support of the MILL and its programming.

Many thanks for your continued support, American Association of University Women!

Partner Spotlight

MVSCH partners help leverage the impact made to youth in our region through hands-on, quality STEAM programming.

The Hub is appreciative of sustaining support received from the Linn Benton Lincoln Education Service District (LBL ESD) through:

Leadership representation on the MVSCH Leadership Board by LBL ESD Superintendent Tonja Everest, Deputy Technology and Information Services Officer Jennifer Kessel, and Equity and Inclusion Facilitator Christopher Hughbanks
In-kind and monetary support of the 2022-2023 STEM Education Fund Sustaining ‘Ignite’ Campaign through the Oregon Community Foundation which helps ensure the sustainability of Hub funding for critical programs including support for the new MVSCH Maker and Innovation Learning Lab (the MILL) through the Ignite capacity building campaign

MVSCH is grateful for the community partners helping us build a strong ecosystem to support youth.

If you are interested in learning more about opportunities to support the Hub through partnership support, please contact the MVSCH Fund Development Manager, Janice Hardy.