Celebrating Women in Delaware! Must Read!

March is Women’s History Month! This year’s theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” We honor all those women who lead the way with their skill, dedication, and perseverance – even when faced with adversity. During the month of March, we give extra attention to the amazing accomplishments of strong, determined women in STEM in Delaware.

We will celebrate Delaware Women & Girls in STEM Day on March 24. To mark the occasion, Million Women Mentors - Delaware, under the leadership of Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, Honorary Co-Chair of the national Million Women Mentors organization, will honor ten Outstanding Delaware Women in STEM. We are fortunate to have such committed and inspiring women in STEM in our state.

This month we report on several other important STEM happenings including Engineering Your Tomorrow and the YES! Youth Environmental Summit – as well as other springtime news and events.

Together, let's #InspireInclusion for women and girls everywhere!

— Jennifer Kmeic,

Founder, Inspiring Women in STEM

and State Chair of Million Women Mentors - Delaware

Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories

In honor of #womenshistorymonth we take a look back at women who made an impact

in STEM and helped pave the way for the women in STEM today.

(Left) The launch of Space Shuttle Challenger on STS-7; (Center) Ride on Challenger’s Flight Deck; (Right) Challenger as seen from the SPAS-01 satellite. Photos courtesy of NASA.

NASA

Sallie Ride: First American Woman in Space

Sally Ride is best known as the first American woman and teacher in space. She is also remembered as a physicist who wanted to inspire young people to consider careers in technical fields. Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model, inspiring generations of young girls to reach for the stars.

In 2001 Ride founded her own company, Sally Ride Science, to pursue her long-time passion of motivating girls and young women to pursue careers in STEM. >>READ MORE

Annie Jump Cannon

Astronomer, Physicist and Cataloguer of Stars

(1863-1941)

Born in Dover, Delaware in 1863, Annie Jump Cannon was known as the “census taker of the sky.” She was a brilliant astronomer who revolutionized the way scientists classify stars. She became the first woman to receive a Doctor of Astronomy degree, from Groningen University; the first woman ever to receive an honorary degree from Oxford University; and in 1931 she became the first woman to be awarded the Henry Draper Medal of honor from the National Academy of Sciences. Cannon classified more stars in a lifetime than anyone else, male or female, with a total of around 500,000 stars… >>READ MORE

Dr. Patricia Bath

First Black Female Doctor to Receive a Medical Patent and Inventor of the Laserphaco Probe for Cataract Treatment

(1942-2019)

Patricia Bath was a groundbreaking Black doctor who invented the Laserphaco Probe, improving treatment for cataract patients. Following her childhood interest in science, she became a doctor and the first Black person trained in ophthalmology at Columbia University in 1969. Bath developed innovative ways to expand eye care access to poor communities, including co-founding the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness in 1976, which established that “eyesight is a basic human right.” A decade later, she invented the Laserphaco Probe to better treat cataracts. Bath patented the device in 1988, becoming the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent. She died in May 2019 at age 76. In 2022, she became one of the first Black women inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

To watch a YouTube video of Dr. Bath’s accomplishments, click here.

Edith Clarke

First Woman Electrical Engineer

and Professor of Electrical Engineering

(1883-1959)

Edith Clarke’s trailblazing career has long been an inspiration for young women. Born in a small farming community in Maryland, she was one of nine children. As a young girl, Edith suffered from what would now be diagnosed a ‘learning disability’ with regards to reading and spelling. She did, however, show an exceptional aptitude for mathematics. She dutifully studied mathematics and astronomy at Vassar College and graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1908. In 1911, she enrolled as a civil engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She then worked as a “Computer Assistant” to an AT&T research engineer, later training a group of "human computers” — mathematicians who quickly calculated figures as part of larger computing systems. Her experience led to one of her career highlights, her first invention, the Clarke Calculator… >>READ MORE

2024 Delaware Women & Girls in STEM Day

Million Women Mentors to Announce

Outstanding Delaware Women in STEM Honorees

Governor John Carney, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long and the General Assembly will proclaim March 24, 2024 “Delaware Women and Girls in STEM Day”. This will be the fourth annual celebration of women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the State of Delaware. This special event was initiated in 2021 by Jackie Means, “The STEM Queen” and Founder of the Girls Empowerment STEM Initiative.

Million Women Mentors - Delaware (MWM-DE), under the leadership of Lt. Governor Hall-Long, Honorary Co-Chair of the national Million Women Mentors organization, will mark the occasion by announcing the ten 2024 Outstanding Delaware Women in STEM honorees. This annual recognition highlights the accomplishments, brilliance, and tenacity of women in STEM, as well as illuminates the many STEM career pathways for Delaware girls.

Watch for stories in the coming year when DFSME News will spotlight an Outstanding Delaware Woman in STEM each month in celebration of the groundbreaking achievements of the honorees.

Million Women Mentors is the premier network dedicated to encouraging girls and women to pursue, persist and succeed in STEM careers. The Delaware STEM Council and DFSME are partners in the event along with MWM-DE and the Office of the Governor, State of Delaware.

Middle School Girls Turn Out for Engineering Your Tomorrow

More than 100 middle school girls from 25 schools participated in "Engineering Your Tomorrow," a STEM Career Day held at Conrad Schools of Science in February and organized by Million Women Mentors - Delaware.

A diverse group of STEM professionals planned and implemented this empowering event sponsored by DuPont, Ashland, Incyte, Croda, FMC, Drexel and the Delaware Afterschool Network (DEAN). Additional support, donations and volunteers were provided by Agilent, Celanese, ChristianaCare, Goldey-Beacom College, Walmart, DFSME, Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids, the Delaware Office of Women’s Advancement & Advocacy, and the University of Delaware Graduate Scientists and Project Brain Light groups.

The day was filled with three exciting hands-on STEM activities led by predominantly female engineers and scientists. The girls had the opportunity to dissect flowers and fruits, conduct a chromatography experiment, and even engineer their own water filters. It was a celebration of curiosity and innovation… >>READ MORE

New Castle Walmart Community Resource Day

Daniel Harris, Walmart Complex Store Manager, hosted a Community Resource Day at its New Castle store location. Delaware nonprofits were invited to share their information and giveaways. Over 200 visitors from the community had fun learning and being inspired. Among the invitees was DFSME who set up their “STEM Spot” with lots of good information about STEM education, careers and jobs at companies located in Delaware.

DFSME also learned about Walmart’s education and STEM career opportunities for students interested in retail career paths, such as management, supply chain and transportation, human resources, data analytics and computer science among others.

Walmart supports students through their LiveBetterU program and provides associates with the right education to quickly move up into jobs with greater responsibility and higher pay.

To learn more about LiveBetterU, click here.

To download Walmart’s retail associate flyer, click here.

Apply NOW!

Yes, We Tech!

Summer Internship Program

Open Enrollment Extended

to March 29 at 5pm

The First State Tech Partnership, led by the Tech Council of Delaware, is extending Open Enrollment for the 2024 cohort of the award-winning Yes, We Tech! summer internship program. The 7-week paid internship provides rising high school seniors in Delaware with a paid career experience. The internship is for students looking to develop their technology and career readiness skills through work-based learning and classroom training. Students from underrepresented backgrounds in the tech industry are strongly encouraged to apply, so please inform your Black, Hispanic, and female students about this wonderful opportunity.

To learn more, click here. To download the flyer, click here.

For questions, email info@firststatetechpartnership.recruitee.com.

Video

Odessa Teachers Turn

‘Pi Day’ into Sticky Fundraiser

Courtesy WDEL

March 14, or 3/14, is the closest thing to the mathematical term "Pi", the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Add an "e", and it becomes a dessert, which when it's made of whipped cream on top of a pie tin, became a delicious fundraiser for the B+ Foundation.

Odessa High School teachers challenged their students to raise Pi times 10, or $31.41 for the right to hit them with the tasty treats. The students raised $1,544.32, and are now at about $3,800 over the three-year run of the campaign organized by Odessa Math Teacher Katy Hoffecker.

"I loved it. The kids cheering for us really created this really fun atmosphere, school culture, and unity that we're trying to embrace at Odessa. Pi Day is a fun day for mathematicians, and we're always trying to create more fun in the math world, and we thought what better day to do something with actual pies, and not just our mathematical pis."

To see the video of teachers with pies thrown in their faces, click here.

DFSME 2024 Seed Grants

Seed Grant Awards range from $1,000 to $5,000

The Delaware Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education (DFSME) announces that Proposals are now being accepted for 2024 Seed Grants. Teachers, administrators, and non-formal education groups may apply.

DFSME provides Seed Grants each year for innovative programs that support our mission and vision and are suited to standards-based STEM education for Delaware teachers and students. Seed Grants are designed to provide a portion of the costs of a program that either is new or that replicates a successful program in a new geographic area or for a new population.

Preferred programs are research-driven, produce measurable outcomes and data that can be shared and, if successful, can be adopted by others and become self-sustaining. If a program is proposed by a private school or agency, the program must be open to participants from public schools.

Please submit a proposal of no more than five pages.

Deadline: April 10, 2024 @ 5pm

To download guidelines, click here.

For more information, details, and to access the application, click here.

Applications are Open!

10th Delaware STEM Educator Awards!

The Delaware STEM Educator Awards recognize a teacher or team of teachers at the elementary, middle and high school levels of both traditional public & private schools and community programming that demonstrate STEM innovation and excellence through teaching, academic collaboration, and student engagement.

Applicants for this award include science (all fields), mathematics (all fields), computer science, engineering, and CTE educators. At least three unrestricted cash awards of up to $7,500 will be given to each first-place winning teacher or team of teachers.

For more information and the 2024 application, click here.

For info about the 9th Award Winners, covering the November2023 Award Winners, click here.

April 16 • 8am – 3pm

Delaware Technical Community College, Terry Campus

The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s workforce development affiliate, The Partnership Inc., announced a rebranded Navigating Delaware Pathways: An Education and Workforce Development Summit. Slated for April 16 at Delaware Technical Community College’s Terry Campus in Dover, the Summit was formerly known as the Delaware Pathways Conference.

The Partnership, Inc. partnered with the Delaware Department of Education, Rodel, United Way of Delaware, Delaware Technical Community College, the Delaware Workforce Development Board, the Office of Work-Based Learning, and Delaware SHRM. The event is described as a “reimagined, full-day immersive experience designed to unite educators, higher education professionals, and employers in a comprehensive exploration of education and workforce development.”

Attendees will learn about Delaware Pathways and how to become involved, with an emphasis on strategies for talent acquisition, training, and retention.

The event will also feature the long-running Superstars in Education and Training awards ceremony as a luncheon celebration, honoring workforce development programs in three categories: High School, Higher Education, and Independent Training and Certificate Programs.

For more details about the event, including an agenda and registration, click here.

The IceCube Masterclass

An Authentic Astrophysics Research Experience

The University of Delaware and the IceCube Neutrino Observatory announce that the Department of Physics and Astronomy is hosting its 9th annual IceCube Masterclass on April 15. The Masterclass is a full day activity for advanced high school students to get hands-on exposure to scientific research. Students will be introduced to neutrinos, the IceCube observatory at the South Pole, and their role in high energy astrophysics. Participation for students is completely free (including parking and lunch).

Registration is required and must be submitted by a teacher for the students as a group. A group may consist of only a few students or up to a full class, with or without accompanying teachers. To access registration, click here.

For more information and student videos click here.

Nominate Your Favorite Educator to be a Shining Light!

Anyone may nominate a STEM formal, informal or community Educator for the Shining Light Award. Honorees receive an award, a $100 gift card and a mini heavy-duty mag flashlight.

For more details, go to dfsme.org/shining-light-award

Email completed form to drses48@aol.com or Michelle.Kutch@bsd.k12.de.us.

Nomination Form

The Total Solar Eclipse: Monday April 8, 2024

As the April 8th Solar Eclipse approaches, check out what resources Discovery Education has to support you in the classroom. Witnessing a total solar eclipse is a rare opportunity, as the Moon's shadow moves very quickly along a narrow path on the Earth's surface. But looking directly at the Sun can cause eye damage, so observers must take extra precautions when viewing a solar eclipse.

Discovery Education has a variety of resources to engage and support your students for this event. For Solar Eclipse activities, fact sheets, videos, channels and more, click here.

If you need additional support, please email agardner@discoveryed.com.

Coming Next Month!

DFSME’s Earth Day Special Edition

Releasing April 17

Be sure to check your inbox on Wednesday, April 17th for our next DFSME eNewsletter! We are thrilled to share our EARTH DAY issue with exciting environmental features – including highlights from the 2024 YES! Summit. Over 500 high school students from Delaware and more than 40 exhibitors engaged in various environmental campaigns and advocacy initiatives. Learn more on April 17th!

March 23 • 10 AM – Noon

Appoquinimink STEM Showcase

Features all Appoquinimink elementary schools and early childhood centers’

STEM/science fairs in one place. Also includes K-5 STEM Challenges and Activities

for all students. Parents will be on hand to share stories of their careers in STEM.

The public is welcome. Odessa High School Cafeteria & Performing Arts Center.

To download the flyer, click here.

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March 24

Delaware Women & Girls in STEM Day

Governor John Carney, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long and the General Assembly

will proclaim March 24 “Delaware Women & Girls in STEM Day”.

Established in 2021 by the State of Delaware Governor’s Office, this annual event is

hosted in collaboration with Million Women Mentors, DFSME and the Delaware STEM Council.

For more information or questions, please contact mwm.dfsme@gmail.com.

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March 26 • 5:30pm – 7:30pm

JDG Job Fair for High School Students

Empower your High School students! This job fair event is brought

to you by Jobs for Delaware Graduates, Delaware Tech and Hilltop.

Delaware Technical Community College Conference Center

Stanton Campus, 400 Stanton Christiana Road, Newark, DE 19713

To download the flyer and to register, click here.

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March 28

JA of Delaware Job Shadow at DuPont Experimental Station

The JA Job Shadow at DuPont Experimental Station is STEM career focused.

For more info, click here.

To register your students, contact Denise.Christiansen@ja.org.

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March 29 • 5pm

Open Enrollment Deadline for Yes, We Tech

Tech Council of Delaware

For more information, please email mwm.dfsme@gmail.com.

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April 8, 2024

Total Solar Eclipse

A Total Solar Eclipse will darken a swath of North America as the Moon blocks the light

of the Sun for a few minutes on April 8, 2024. In addition to casting a breathtaking,

passing shadow over the heads of millions of people, this total solar eclipse gives

scientists a unique opportunity to study the Sun, Earth, and their interactions.

For more information and to visit NASA’s Solar System Exploration website, click here.

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Event Date: April 15 • Register Your Students NOW!

IceCube Masterclass

The Masterclass is a full day activity for advanced high school students

to get hands-on exposure to scientific research that includes neutrinos, the IceCube observatory at the South Pole, and their role in high energy astrophysics.

To access registration, click here.

For more info and student videos click here.

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April 16 • 8am - 3pm

Navigating Delaware Pathways

Attendees will learn about Delaware Pathways and how to become involved, with an emphasis on strategies for talent acquisition, training, and retention.

Delaware Tech, Terry Campus, Dover

For more details about the event, including an agenda and registration, click here.

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April 25-29

Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week 2023

Recognize, appreciate and advocate for those who work with young people during out-of-school hours. An estimated 10.2 million children participate in afterschool programs each year. Now more than ever is the time to promote afterschool programs and thank their devoted staff!

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May 7

National Teacher Appreciation Day

National Teacher Appreciation Day is a day to honor those incredible professionals

who create an everlasting impact on our own lives and those of our children.

For National Teachers Day activities, click here.

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Save the Date! May 16 • 6:30pm

Science Night at the Ball Park