Greetings!
Exciting times for STEM in Texas! Are you connected?? If you're in SAN ANTONIO - don't miss out on our event next week!
Wish you would have gotten some of this info earlier?? Well you would have if you were on a K-12 STEM Outreach Google Group!! Our Google Groups are the best way to be connected in your region with all things K12 STEM - are you connected to the conversation? Join the group in your region of Texas - details below. |
| PBS SciGirls® Professional Development Opportunity in San Antonio September 19th | |
Educators across Texas are invited to attend free professional development opportunities and discover how to engage young women and all kids through research-based, high quality activities and resources.
We encourage you to attend both portions of the evening...but you also have the option to participate in just one of them.
San Antonio Area K-12 STEM Outreach Workshops and Forum
Education Service Center Region 20 (ESC-20)
1314 Hines Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78208
Hosted in collaboration with ESC-20 / Transformation 2013 Texas STEM Center, SASTEMIC and Davinci Minds
- 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. - SciGirls Connect Professional Development
- 6:45 - 7:00 p.m. - Networking
- 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. - K-12 STEM Outreach Forum
Registration is FREE to attend. Details for each portion of the program below. Register online today to secure your space!
SciGirls Connect Professional Development 
5:30 - 6:45 p.m.
Participants attending this workshop will:
- Learn latest research for exciting and engaging girls (and boys) in STEM
- Experience one of the hands-on STEM activities such as using dough to teach circuits, designing their own wind measurement machine and creating your own experiment to identify mystery plastics
- Leave with curriculum for 20 hands-on, video enhanced activities that put a creative twist on teaching STEM
- Learn how to modify any activity to excite and engage kids in STEM using the SciGirls Seven
- Discover additional online resources that enhance teaching and learning experiences for all kids
San Antonio Area K-12 STEM Outreach Forum
6:45 - 7:00 Networking / 7:00 - 8:30 Forum
Participants attending the forum will:
- Learn about free resources available to support K-12 STEM outreach and education in afterschool, classroom, and other venues
- Get connected to other organizations, companies and individuals across the Houston area engaged in K-12 STEM outreach and education
- Enjoy facilitated networking activities designed to generate collaborative connections
- Share with others about your program, needs, resources and opportunities for engagement
Get all the details and register to attend at http://txgcp.org/forums. Space is limited. FREE to attend. THANKS to ESC-20 / Transformation 2013 Texas STEM Center, SASTEMIC and Davinci Minds for making it possible!
Additional Techbridge, SciGirls and TxGCP educational opportunities will be scheduled throughout Texas. Stay tuned for more opportunities in your region of Texas. Informal Science Learning Associates of Laredo, Girlstart, and the Women in Engineering Program at The University of Texas at Austin are certified SciGirls trainers connected with TxGCP.
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| Conferences, Events, Contests & More | |
NEW: Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2012 - Start Now!
Opened Saturday, September 8th
Zero Robotics challenges high school student teams to write their own algorithms to fly the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites, or SPHERES. The competition starts online where teams compete to solve an annual challenge guided by mentors. Students can create, edit, share, save, simulate and submit code, all from a Web browser. After several phases of virtual competition, finalists are selected to compete in a live championship aboard the International Space Station! Teams may register now at http://zerorobotics.mit.edu/.
NEW: Imagine Cup - Start Now!
Microsoft's Imagine Cup is the world's most prestigious student technology competition, bringing together student innovators from all over the world. If you have a great idea for a new app, bring it to life through Imagine Cup. With Microsoft resources and support, you can make a great app and win travel and cash prizes! http://www.imaginecup.com/
NEW: Texas Wildlife Association Discovery Trunks & Distance Learning
The Texas Wildlife Association believes that today's children are tomorrow's decision makers and have thus made it our mission to create an awareness of natural resources, our native Texas habitats and wildlife, and wildlife conservation related issues among Texas youth. TWA offers programs through our L.A.N.D.S. Outreach Division, to help enhance your classroom studies by providing you natural resource, habitat, and wildlife conservation educational materials that are fun, hands-on, TEKS aligned, and offered at no cost to you. http://www.texas-wildlife.org/program-areas/outreach-programs
Future City Competition 
Future City Registration is now open! New to the program this year, we are now accepting registrations from afterschool programs and groups. Register today or learn more about the Future City Competition at www.futurecity.org.
SciGirls CONNECT Partnership Program: Call for Applications
SciGirls is an important NGCP partner and is looking for organizations with a commitment to gender-equitable STEM programming for girls ages 8-13. Selected organizations will receive a full day of training, support via monthly webinars, and access to the SciGirls CONNECT online community. For questions contact Adine at aathoreen@tpt.org.
Application deadline is September 14, 2012.
Apply: http://scigirlsconnect.org
SXSWedu 
Early Bird Registration Deadline - September 21
Austin, Texas
SXSWedu features four days of compelling presentations and informative sessions from education professionals, industry leaders, and policy practitioners committed to engaging all learners. Learn more and register online at http://sxswedu.com/attend.
NEW: Adventure for Your Future
Deadline to Apply: September 28, 2012
The Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce will host the second annual Adventure for Your Future on Saturday, January 26, 2013 at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.
Adventure for Your Future engages sixth and seventh grade youth and their parent in workshops designed to be interactive and intended to build excitement and interest in the health science field. Workshops last year included a virtual knee surgery, a tour of a clinical simulation lab with state of the art equipment, and a health professions panel. See the Google Groups for details - an email with all the details was sent 9/10 with all the details and forms.
NEW: S.E.T. Awards Video Contest
Deadline: October 1, 2012 
Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) is hosting a video contest for those ages 13 and older, both amateur and professional, to pitch a television series using science, engineering and/or technology in daily life. The winner will receive a trip to the ceremony in Beverly Hills, CA on November 15, 2012 and a guidance luncheon. Contestants will create a 3-5 minute video explanation of the show or a sample of the pilot episode. These creative videos will also be available for viewing and voting on EIC's website. http://setcontest.votridea.com/contests/eic-contest.
Manufacturing Day
Friday, October 5, 2012
Manufacturing Day has been designed to expand knowledge about and improve the general public's perception of manufacturing careers and manufacturing's value to the U.S. economy. Manufacturing Day is for students, parents, educators, media, customers, suppliers and the community at large. The core element to Manufacturing Day is the schedule of manufacturers' open houses. Manufacturing Day will promote the open house schedule through its planned general and trade media
campaign, which will alert thousands of people to the opportunity to visit manufacturers and see for themselves that manufacturing is alive and well in America and that it needs skilled employees. Visitors will learn about real career opportunities, training, and resources. For more information and to learn how you can get involved please visit: http://www.mfgday.com/.
2012 Women of Color STEM Conference
Hosted by Northrup Grumman Corporation and Women of Color magazine Dallas, TX
October 11-13, 2012
Learn more about the conference and how to register online at http://intouch.ccgmag.com/page/woc_conference.
NEW: Earth Science Contests
Deadline: October 19, 2012
AGI is sponsoring three national contests for Earth Science Week 2012. The photography contest, open to all ages, focuses on "Earth Science Is a Big Job." Open to students in grades K-5, the visual arts contest is titled "Imagine Me, an Earth Scientist!" Finally, students in grades 6-9 are eligible to enter the essay contest: "Geoscientists Working Together." Entries may be submitted any time up to the Friday of Earth Science Week, October 19, 2012. http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/
NEW: Texas Awards for Excellence in Science Teaching
Deadline: October 20, 2012
The Texas Medical Association's Ernest and Sarah Butler Awards for Excellence in Science Teaching honor teachers who share their energy and enthusiasm for science through creative and innovative methods. http://www.tmacares.com/sta.aspx?id=32
NEW: Humans in Space Youth Art Competition Deadline: October 21, 2012
The international 2012 Humans in Space Youth Art Competition invites students ages 10-18 to express their ideas about the future of human space exploration through visual, literary, musical or digital art. Winning art will be showcased at displays and multimedia performances worldwide from 2013 to 2014, as well as in an online gallery. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/humansinspaceart/
NEW: STEM Poster Contest Deadline: November 1, 2012
The EESC's 8th annual poster contest will include two themes: 1) Grand Challenges of Engineering and 2) Women in STEM. Students may enter one or both up to three times. Posters should be fun, motivational and inspire students to pursue a degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). To enter, visit: http://www.engineeringedu.com/contest.htm
NEW: Invent It Build It 
November 10, 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Girls Grades 6 - 8, Parents, Educators
Hilton Americas - Houston
The best way to learn about something is to jump in and
experience it-which is exactly what Invent It. Build It. is all about! All participating girls will work with members of the Society of Women Engineers from around the world engaging in engineering-related activities featured on the hit PBS show Design Squad Nation. And while the girls are having fun, parents and educators will have a chance to network, participate in a panel discussion with SWE members and outreach experts, and do a hands-on activity of their own. Register today at www.weinvent.eventbrite.com.
NEW: Engineering is Elementary Teacher Scholarship Program 
Application Deadline: November 16, 2013
The second annual Raytheon-EiE Teacher Scholarship Program is designed to encourage the inclusion of engineering and technology in elementary classrooms and support teachers in their implementation of engineering education.Elementary teachers and science specialists are encouraged to apply. Recipients receive a $3,000 scholarship to attend a two-day EiE professional development workshop and purchase EiE curriculum materials for their classroom. Applications must be postmarked by November 16, 2012. Winners will be notified in early 2013.
NEW: Real World Design Challenge
Deadline for Team Registration: November 16. 2012
Registration is now open for the 2012-2013 Real World Design Challenge. The Challenge starts in the fall, but you can sign up today.
The Real World Design Challenge is an annual aviation design competition for teams of 3-7 high school students. The Challenge is FREE for students and teachers. And each teacher that signs up a team will receive $1 million in professional engineering software as well as access to mentors from industry, government, and academia.
State Champion teams get an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC for the students and the teacher to compete in the National Challenge. Every team that wants to participate needs to register EVEN IF THEY PARTICIPATED IN THE PAST. Teams can register by going to www.realworlddesignchallenge.org and following the registration link there.
NEW: Space Settlement Design Contest
Deadline: March 15, 2013
The NASA Space Settlement Design Contest is intended for students in grades 6-12, although younger students may enter. Individual or teams from anywhere in the world may enter. Grade levels are judged separately, except for the grand prize. All participants will receive a certificate. http://settlement.arc.nasa.gov/Contest/ |
| Regional K-12 STEM Outreach Listservs |
Then subscribe to your regional listserv and don't miss out on fabulous opportunities in the future!
To help create a community of K-12 STEM Outreach providers, supporters, educators and organizations, regional listservs have been created. These groups are all about sharing resources, information, events, volunteers, needs, and more with others reaching out to K12 students aiming to excite them about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Join whichever group(s) make sense for you and start collaborating, connecting, communicating and sharing!
For those not in one of these areas who still want to receive information going out to all groups, join the Texas K-12 STEM Outreach group.
Contact Tricia Berry for any specific regional requests or questions.
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Articles, Reports, Resources
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American Graduate  The public media initiative, American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen, is helping communities across America identify and implement solutions to address the high school dropout crisis.
- Math Activities include "how heavy is your backpack" and "find your longitude" and "math in videogames"
- Science/Engineering Activities include "the zoo of you" and "penguin secrets of survival" and "lifeboat to mars"
NASA iPad App - NASA Science: A Journey of Discovery NASA has released a new free iPad app, which provides users with the latest information on NASA's science missions, including spacecraft, their instruments, data, and what NASA scientists are learning from the missions. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nasa-science-journey-discovery/id541482963?mt=8 Geoscience Career, Scholarship, and Internship Resources This new page on the Earth Science Week web site can help students learn how to build a geoscience career - in fields such as oceanography, paleontology, seismology, mineralogy, meteorology, geophysics, petroleum geology, environmental science, and space science. http://www.earthsciweek.org/themebasedresources/career.html. |
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Did Your Org Miss Out on a Request from a potential FUNDER! Are You Listed in the Program Directory?
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TxGCP was just asked for STEM program connections in one of our regions of Texas. And earlier this year, one of our partners was asked for a list of informal education organizations across the state and others engaged in K12 STEM education. We pulled the list to share for BOTH of these opportunities from 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 200 listings from across Texas and find collaborators and other STEM educators in your area. Registration is free...can't get better than that!
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The TxGCP eNewsletter is distributed approximately once a month. Visit the TxGCP web site for additional updates on upcoming events, resources and mini-grant information. |
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| Share Your Events and News |
Submit information or events to be included in future TxGCP eNewsletters. Complete the short online form. Remember TxGCP eNewsletters are typically sent at the beginning of each month. | |
This is what a K-12 STEM Outreach Forum Looks Like...Hands-on, Networking & FUN!
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WEBINAR Highlight
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NGCP Extended Webinar Session Increasing Program Impact: Best Practices in Collaboration
September 19, 2012
1:00 PM-2:30 PM Central
Are you interested in providing more effective program services? Have you faced barriers in identifying collaboration opportunities? The National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) has been designed to encourage collaboration between girl-serving STEM organizations and higher education, community-based organizations, corporations, professional organizations, and groups interested in increasing the number of girls and women in STEM fields. NGCP uses a number of strategic activities to encourage collaboration among girl-serving STEM projects and programs.
This webinar will examine the key elements of effective collaboration by providing lessons learned from NGCP partners, including an opportunity to see collaboration in action by hearing from successful collaborative projects. Karen Peterson, Principal Investigator for the National Girls Collaborative Project, will lead this professional development opportunity.
Participants are encouraged to attend with other program staff, potential partners, and to participate in the webinar with a group. Opportunities for planning collaborative projects and practicing collaborative strategies will be provided.
Register: http://www.ngcproject.org/ngcp-extended-webinar-session-increasing-program-impact-best-practices-collaboration
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STEM Program Highlight:
STREAM STEM App
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Get your event listed in the STREAM app and be part of a national effort to get STEM events in the hands of parents, educators, and students. STREAM was launched at the U.S. News STEM Solutions Summit and TxGCP has collaborated on the development. Get it on your iPhone today...and add in your events! Email us at stem@txgcp.org to get added as an event coordinator...and then start entering your events!
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| About TxGCP | |
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The Texas Girls Collaborative Project (TxGCP) connects organizations and individuals across Texas committed to informing and motivating girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The TxGCP is excited to provide opportunities across Texas for collaboration, networking, sharing of best practices, and leveraging of resources through in-person forums, email listservs and mini-grants.
Led by the Women in Engineering Program (WEP) at The University of Texas at Austin along with a dynamic Leadership Team and Champions Board, the TxGCP brings together advocates and leaders from non-profits, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, companies and organizations across the state of Texas. |
| About NGCP | |
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The vision of the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) is to bring together organizations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico that are committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
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FabFems
Website Launched with
Amazing Role Models
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The FabFems directory is a national database of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions who are inspiring role models for young women. The FabFems directory is accessible to young women, girl-serving STEM programs, and other organizations that are working to increase career awareness and interest in STEM.
http://www.fabfems.org/
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