El Paso Forum

NEXT WEEK - Tuesday, October 18

4 - 6 p.m.

• Central Texas K-12 STEM Outreach
• DFW K-12 STEM Outreach 
• Houston K-12 STEM Outreach
• San Antonio K-12 STEM Outreach
• El Paso K-12 STEM Outreach
• West Texas K-12 STEM Outreach

 More groups to come!  Contact Tricia Berry for any specific regional requests or questions.

Water Works Underwater LEGO^® Robotics

ONLY 2 SPACES LEFT!

APPLICATION IS OPEN!  Water Works educator training is scheduled for January 9-12, 2012.  Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to excite kids (girls in particular) about robotics and to gain access to full kits to run your summer camp.

This past January 2011, 31 educators from 17 organizations across Texas were trained on the high school camp curriculum.  Camps are being offered this summer - check the website for sites and dates around the state.  

To also learn more about the project, check out the great media coverage from Texas State Technical College in Waco.

Are You Listed in the Program Directory?

Gain access to mini-grants and have the first shot at opportunities such as the Water Works camp curriculum, role model training and other curriculum and resource dissemination across Texas!  Sign up your program, organization and/or event in the National Girls Collaborative Project Program Directory.  Join over 170 listings from across Texas and find collaborators and other STEM educators in your area. Registration is free...can't get better than that!

NEW - Super Connector Search - $25,000 Up For Grabs

Are you a Super Connector or do you know one? As part of our new Connect a Million Minds contest, we are looking for Time Warner Cable customers who have connected a young person to the wonders of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). You could win up to $25,000 in grants to the afterschool STEM organization of your choice, a starring role in a Connect a Million Minds TV commercial, and a year of Time Warner Cable Service. Find out more!

THIS MONTH - City of Waco Engineering Day 2011, October 18, 2011, Waco Convention Center, Waco, TX - The purpose of the day is to generate interest in engineering among students. Hosted by the City of Waco Engineering Department, exhibitors and volunteers are needed and all schools/students are welcome. Contact George Hill <GeorgeH@ci.waco.tx.us> to get involved.

NEW -  STEMconnector™ "STEM and Jobs" Conference Call, October 20, 11 a.m. EST

STEMconnector™ hosts monthly conference calls that focus on pressing issues in STEM education. We recruit key organizational leaders to speak on the call and examine the respective topic from their organization's perspective. Next Call: "STEM and Jobs" - STEMconnector™, Innovate+Educate and BISEC are finalizing the list of speakers for the next conference call on October 20, 2011 at 11 AM EST. The discussion will focus on how addressing STEM deficiencies in the workforce and how to improve both long-term. Learn more or sign up at http://stemconnector.org/

THIS MONTH - New Faces of Engineering, College Edition 

This national initiative recognizes the best and brightest 3rd, 4th, and 5th year engineering students, whose academic successes and experiences in the engineering field have positioned them to make an impact. Live on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CollegeEdition, College Edition is a program of the National Engineers Week Foundation (EWeek) and its partners. Winners will be featured in various print and online venues and eligible for a scholarship. The application is available on our Facebook page and the deadline is October 21.

THIS MONTH - Calling All Digital Divas, Web Chix, and Coder Girls!
The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is seeking applications from young women (grades 9-12) for the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. Awardees are selected for their computing and IT aptitude, leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education. National award winners will receive cash and prizes. Many states have local affiliates that also offer awards and recognitions. NGCP Collaboratives help conduct outreach to girls as well as educators that support girls' aspirations in computing. Applications will be accepted online through October 31, 2011. Register: https://awardportal.ncwit.org/register.php

Texas Science & Engineering Festival, November 5-6, 2011, Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX - Hands-on activity booths, partners and sponsors wanted.  Check out the website for details about this great community event.  TxGCP will be there!

NEW - NGCP Webinar:  Girls RISEnet: Strategies to Build Capacity to Engage Minority Girls
November 9, 2011; 11:00 AM -12:00 PM Pacific
Learn about strategies and resources developed by the Girls RISEnet National Museum Network, an NSF-funded initiative that is strengthening the professional capacity of informal science educators across the country to engage and motivate minority girls to explore and pursue careers in science and engineering. Register: http://www.ngcproject.org/events/events.cfm?eventid=221
Please help spread the word and share this webinar opportunity with your networks.

NEW - Engineers Week To Recognize STEM Teachers with New DiscoverE Awards Program
Nominations are now open for teachers to be considered for Engineers Week's new DiscoverE Educator Recognition Award Program.  Nominations will be accepted through Dec.1, 2011, and winners will be announced at the 2012 Engineers Week DiscoverE Summit in Washington, DC, on February 22nd. Teacher nominees must be full-time U.S. or international school-based educators teaching in grades 6-12 and they must be nominated by an engineer or engineering student (college or graduate level).  A panel of distinguished national education, engineering and business leaders will be organized by the National Engineers Week Foundation to determine winners. Learn more at http://www.eweek.org/NewsStory.aspx?ContentID=256.

National Afterschool Association 2012 Conference coming to Dallas - April 2-4, 2012, Gaylord Texan hotel, Grapevine, TX