Newsletter Masthead

Volunteer Outreach Team Newsletter

 

Vol. 2, No. 3 - April 9, 2013

 

 Connect with DC Area STEM Advocates 
at the next Volunteer Meeting!
Volunteer at the Festival!
We are looking forward to seeing you at the next Volunteer Outreach Team Meeting April 14th, 2013. We will be handing out exclusive new Festival bookmarks and Periodic Table Posters to volunteers at the meeting.  

Periodic Table Poster

We have a limited number, so attend the April 14th Meeting to get enough materials to share with schools and community organizations.  We also have a special announcement about exciting new partnership for the 3rd USA Science & Engineering Festival. Please come to find out more!

Please use the forms below to register.

NEXT MEETINGS: 

April 14, 2013 2-4PM (Poster and Bookmark Pickup)
June 2, 2013 2-4pm (End of School Year Party)
 

Meeting Location: 1601 K Street NW, Washington, DC (K&L Gates)

New Volunteers REGISTER HERE

CERVIS Registered Volunteer REGISTER HERE



X-STEM Schools Pages Online! 
X-STEM School LOGO
We are proud to feature our X-STEM Schools with fabulous X-STEM Student Ambassador Teams.  Our X-STEM Student Ambassadors are the future of STEM in America - and we are excited to see all of the programs they create in 2013/2014. Within the first month of the X-STEM School program being launched, we have received over 120 X-STEM Registrations. 

Anacostia High School X-STEM Ambassador Team

Anacostia High School -Washington, DC (pictured above) was our first Certified X-STEM School.  Look online to see their mission statement and activities, as well as our other fabulous X-STEM Schools on our X-STEM School Page.  We now have X-STEM Schools certified in the District of Columbia, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia!

 

X-STEM Schools receive many benefits for participating in the X-STEM program:

  • X-STEM Ambassador Teams are eligible for free tickets to the X-STEM Symposium
  • X-STEM Schools have their own Festival X-STEM School Page
  • Festival partners offer programs exclusively to our X-STEM schools 
  • Priority registration for Nifty Fifty Speakers
  • Festival exhibit spaces offered to CERTIFIED Schools for only $150
  • Additional benefits still being added

Success Steps to becoming a certified X-STEM School

  1. To participate in the X-STEM School program, a school must first fill out the

    X-STEM Registration Form.

  2. Then, select a Student X-STEM Coordinator and 5 X-STEM Delegates to form the X-STEM Ambassador Team
  3. Hold a meeting and determine STEM mission statement for the team and take a picture
  4. Become CERTIFIED after submitting mission statement and picture through this X-STEM Certification Form. 

For more information about the program, click here or email [email protected]

Volunteer Opportunities ONLINE
CERVIS Technologies

We are making progress getting all of our volunteers listed on CERVIS.  Please register through CERVIS as soon as possible.  Volunteers will use this system to register for Volunteer Outreach Opportunities such as EPA P3 National Sustainable Design Expo Event table.  At this table, volunteers will share information about the Festival and encourage the visitors to become volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors and X-STEM Schools.  We have volunteer shifts available at the EPA P3 event April 18th and April 19th, 2013.  The dates were changed and registration is open for the new dates and time.  Please register to volunteer through CERVIS here.

  EPA P3 National Sustainable Design Expo

EXPO Space for X-STEM Schools!
X-STEM School LOGO

Certified X-STEM Schools (listed on website) are eligible for EXPO exhibit spaces during the 2014 USA Science & Engineering Festival April 26-27, 2014.  Normal exhibitor rates are $1,000 for a 10'X10' booth (including 1 table & 2 chairs), but our Certified X-STEM School Ambassador Teams are able to participate at the EXPO for ONLY $150!  This reduced rate will allow maximum participation for our X-STEM Schools. To register your X-STEM School for an exhibit space , use this form and list X-STEM School in organization/company name. 

 

X-STEM Schools Get Priority Registration for 
Nifty Fifty Program! 

The Nifty Fifty Speakers, the high-profile group of researchers and professionals in science and engineering who wowed students during the last year's Festival with their inspirational school visits and talks, are returning for the 2014 USA Science & Engineering Festival! Featuring some of the most inspiring role models in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (or STEM), the Nifty Fifty is a signature program of the USA Science and Engineering Festival. We are dedicated to presenting students hands-on information on some of the most exciting fields and careers in STEM, including: green technology, robotics, human health and medicine, astronomy and space exploration, nanotechnology, computer science, and science related to business startups, law, public policy, and more! 

Nifty Fifty Image We're tripling the number of participating Nifty Fifty speakers to 150 so that more schools and classrooms can experience these fascinating renowned experts during the 2013-2014 school year! The "Nifty Fifty (times 3)", as these noted science and engineering professionals are called, will soon be preparing to fan out across the Washington, DC area to speak about their work and careers at various middle and high schools.

Schools in the greater Washington D.C. area with interest in having a Nifty Fifty speaker come to your school, please fill out this brief interest form so that we can notify you when we begin accepting applications for the program. Priority Nifty Fifty registration will be given to X-STEM Certified Schools. (see above for details)

Here is just a "sneak peek" of Nifty Fifty Speakers that we have selected so far:

Tyler DeWitt - This high school teacher and Ph.D. student in Microbiology at MIT is fast becoming known as a innovator in science education as he implements exciting new approaches to classroom instruction and curricula that foster critical thinking and problem solving.    

Sylvester James Gates, Ph.D. - Learn how the desire to pursue physics began at eight years old for this renowned scientist, leading him later to groundbreaking research in such cutting-edge areas as superstring theory, supersymmetry and supergravity.


Margaret Hamburg, M.D.
-  As the top official of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), this physician and neuroscience researcher is responsible for making and enforcing policies that protect the public health of us all -- from the food we eat to the medicines we use. Discover the challenges she faces in this high-profile position.

 

Diandra Leslie-Pelecky,Ph.D.- Buckle up as this noted physicist (who penned the book The Physics of NASCAR) takes you on full-throttle journey through the science of race car driving and other aspects of speed!   

 

Geoffrey Ling, M.D., Ph.D. - Discover how this renowned specialist in brain and spinal cord injury is leading a national effort to develop the first fully-functioning bionic arm and other highly functional prosthetic limbs for returning wounded soldiers and others through his work at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

 

Visit this link for more information on the Nifty Fifty Program and the biographies of this impressive list of speakers.

FACEBOOK & Twitter  - "Like" and Tweet US

 Twitter bird

Volunteers --- Please  take a few minutes to "LIKE" us on Facebook

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/USA-Science-Engineering-Festival/133949023335104 

and Follow us on Twitter

@USAScienceFest 

 

Visit us online at

http://www.usasciencefestival.org/

  

Science Spark is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization responsible for creating the USA Science & Engineering Festival and several regional Festivals including the San Diego Science & Engineering Festival, Bay Area Science & Engineering Festival, Boston Science & Engineering Festival, Los Angeles Science & Engineering Festival, Chicago Science & Engineering Festival, Houston Science & Engineering Festival, Miami Science & Engineering Festival and the Philadelphia Science & Engineering Festival.