STEM Opportunities for Youth

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K-12 Newsletter

September 2015

Hello again!

It's been a while since you have heard from us. We were busy over the summer hosting 400 kids at our 16 summer camps. If your child attended one of these camps, we would love to get your feedback. If you have not already, please complete this survey.

Now that school is back in session, we are once again hosting Saturday hands-on science activities for 4th-8th graders (register here) and bringing the STEM fun to four Wichita middle schools through their after school programs. This year you will find us at Brooks, Hadley, Jardine and Pleasant Valley Middle Schools. We are also supporting the tutoring efforts of Upward Bound and the Urban League and we welcome invitations to visit high school classrooms. Just submit this form to invite us to your high school!

Other Fall STEM Events

Free Admission to Select Museums on Sept. 26

Once a year, museums across the country offer two free admissions in celebration of Museum Day. Visit this site to learn which Kansas museums are participating and how to print free tickets for this free event on Saturday, Sept. 26. Many participating museums offer the opportunity for STEM learning and fun, including the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita, the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson and the Kansas Children's Discovery Center in Topeka.

WSU Hosts Math Circles for 7th-9th Grades

Wichita State University Mathematics, Statistics and Physics Department will host Math Circle from 2-3 p.m. most Sundays from Sept. 13 through Nov. 22, in 372 Jabara Hall. Sessions are free and open to seventh- through ninth-grade students.

Each weekly lecture, discussion or activity will be led by a Wichita State professor. For more information contact

mathcircle@math.wichita.edu

Mentoring Program for Girls Seeks Participants

Future Women in A STEM Career, is a program of Children First: CEO Kansas Inc. which provides a path for girls to choose higher paying jobs in Aviation, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. All activities are designed to increase knowledge about aviation and STEM careers, increase confidence and core competencies in science and math, build upon the strengths of each girl, teach healthy competition skills, and increase workforce readiness. This program is for 5th-12th grade girls. Learn more and register here.

Girls Invited to Expanding Your Horizons Event

Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) is an event primarily for girls in middle school. This third annual half-day event will be held Nov. 7 on the WSU campus. It will feature hands-on activities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Attendees will get a chance to meet STEM role models and learn more about careers in those fields. Registration will begin on Monday, Sept. 28 at www.wichita.edu/conferences/eyh.

Kansas BEST Robotics Competition Seeks Mentors

BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) is a national 6-week robotics competition designed to interest middle school and high school students in engineering careers. This year the Kansas BEST competition is hosting 30 teams throughout the state of Kansas. Volunteers are needed to mentor teams as they design and build a robot, complete an engineering notebook, and prepare presentations and displays. Engineers, scientists, technicians, computer specialists, and others with mechanical, writing, organization, and documentation skills are all welcome. Mentors meet with teams typically once or twice a week throughout the competition period (September 19th - October 31st). Most teams meet in the evenings or on weekends. If you are interested in mentoring a team, learn more. If you want to watch the competition, it will be held Oct. 31 at Hartman Arena.