Google Announces Computer Science Custom Search
Today Google announces the launch of Computer Science Custom Search, a customized search engine for finding K-12 computer science education (CS) resources. Developed using a collection of over 550 CS education websites, such as Khan Academy, Google CS First, Girl Develop It, Bootstrap, ScratchEd, Code.org and Made with Code to name a few, CS Custom Search connects you to computer science education materials and programs. By focusing on a list of websites that provide primarily free and open K-12 CS education resources, the customized search engine ensures that you will find materials that can be readily adopted for your class, after school program, or enrichment for your child. Start searching today!

Hands-On Learning and Mentorship Are Encouraging More Women in the STEM Pipeline
It's just after 3:30 p.m. on Monday at Oakland Tech. Many of the large public high school's 2,100 students, eager to be done with the first school day of the week early in the year, have already streamed out into a perfect 74-degree Northern California afternoon. Inside, 25 girls are now seated around tables in pairs or clusters of four. A few strip and cut wires. Others tinker with tiny Light bulbs, coin cell batteries and conductive tape. Slowly, the LED-equipped wind chimes that the teams designed themselves are taking shape, some working a bit better than others at lighting up when the breeze blows. By the end of the year, the girls who graduate from the Techbridge after-school program will have experimented with Arduino electronics platforms, breadboards, 3-D printers, soldering irons and other tools that any electrical engineer or maker would know. Read more in The Atlantic!

Google's LTE-enabled Balloons Take 5 Minutes to Inflate, Can Last 100 Days
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... Google. The search giant shared some new details on Project Loon, the company's network of LTE-enabled balloons that deliver Internet access to connect people in rural and remote areas. The balloons, which travel through the stratosphere and can raise or lower into the wind, have traveled 1.86 million miles since the start of the project in June 2013. The company equates that to almost four trips to the moon and back. Google has refined its balloon manufacturing process to increase the life of the balloons, an average of about 100 days - which is 10 times longer than they lasted a year ago. Read more on Mashable!

   

Check out the TxGCP website for details about forums, Role Models Matter and SciGirls. 

 

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.

Submit information or events to be included in future TxGCP eNewsletters. Remember TxGCP eNewsletters are typically sent at the beginning of each month. Send news and information to STEM@TxGCP.org.

 

We are part of the Million Women Mentors movement and with the Texas Girls Collaborative Project, we have made a 

20,000 mentor and role model pledge 

for Texas. Help us meet our 20,000 mentors and role models goal by sharing your story on FabFems or pledging to mentor with Million Women Mentors! 

 

Science in the Movies is and Austin-based company that is all about getting students excited about science! Their Science in the Movies show helps kids to learn science and the students who see the show score up to 33% higher on their physical science scores than students at neighboring schools that don't get the program. It is a fun and interactive way to show kids science!

• Central Texas
• DFW
• East Texas
• El Paso
• Houston
• Laredo
• Rio Grande Valley
• San Antonio
• West Texas

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.