Things are Heating Up for Indy Women in Tech

Things are heating up for advocacy group Indy Women in Tech. This week it announced that its inaugural Indy Women in Tech Summit Sept. 5 will feature keynote speaker Mae Jemison, the first African-American women in space and founder and president of the Jemison Group and BioSentient Corp. She’ll speak to more than 350 local and national tech leaders on her “experiences and obstacles in the science and technology” sectors, the group said, “as well as what needs to be done today to redefine Indy’s tech community.” Also this week Ivy Tech Community College announced that its IvyWorks program, aimed at helping adults earn tech-sector credentials, will start classes Aug. 21. Indy Women in Tech provided a grant to support women in the program. And on Aug. 17, the inaugural “Ignite Your Superpower” STEM day, which targets middle-school girls, will take place at the University of Indianapolis. Indy Women in Tech partnered with Conner Prairie and Women & Hi Tech to put on the program.

EVSC Hosts STEM Camp

More than 200 students converged on Vogel Elementary School this week for the EVSC’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Camp. The camp is for students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade and is presented in partnership with the University of Southern Indiana, Butler University and I-STEM at Purdue University.

While the camp runs all week, tomorrow media is invited to see the work students are doing. They will be working on projects related to STEM that engages them in the work of scientists, technology specialists, engineers, and/or mathematicians. For instance, third graders will be digging for dinosaur fossils. In the past, groups have created roller coasters, made bouncy balls from Borax, built solar ovens and much more.

Fourth Annual Congressional App Challenge

The 2017 Congressional App Challenge is a 15-week challenge that encourages students to create a mobile app of their choosing and submit it for a chance to be honored by Congresswoman Susan Brooks, and also have their mobile app on display at the U.S. Capitol.  If you live or attend school in the Indiana 5th Congressional District represented by Congresswoman Brooks, please considering entering.

Students may compete as individuals or in teams of up to four. The Congressional App Challenge is open from July 26, 2017 at 12:00pm EST through November 1, 2017 at  2:00pm EST. Students should submit their apps and provide a one to three minute video demonstration (via Vimeo or YouTube) explaining their app and what they learned throughout the competition. Source code is not necessary, but students may submit it if they choose. Students can register here: http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/2017-student-signup/.

When registering, students will be given a Submission ID Number that they will need to use when they submit their final app. All final app submissions should be made on the Congressional App Challenge website.

For additional details, please visit www.congressionalappchallenge.us

Fall 2017 Regional IDOE Meetings

The Indiana Department of Education has announced dates for fall regional meetings starting August 31 in Region 9 (southeastern Indiana).

The complete list and map are here.  Dates and times are set; locations are TBD still.

Registration in advance may be required once locations are set.

This information will be updated.

Gov. Holcomb Announces First STEM Team Award Winners

Governor Eric J. Holcomb, Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick and Treasurer Kelly Mitchell today announced the winners of the 2017 Governor’s STEM Team awards.

The awards highlight Indiana’s elite high school students for their work in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Each winner received a $1,000 college scholarship through Indiana’s CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan, letter jackets identifying them as members of the Governor’s STEM Team, and tickets to Gen Con Indy, the longest-running gaming convention in the world.

The awardees are:
Science – Ujwala Pamidimukkala (Columbus North High School)
Technology – Samantha Fassnacht (Westfield High School)
Engineering – Miranda Shook (Greenfield-Central High School)
Math – Truman Bennet (Marion High School)

“These four students have demonstrated excellence in subjects that are fueling the innovation and entrepreneurship to build our economic future,” Gov. Holcomb said. “It’s a pleasure to recognize their hard work on a statewide level and elevate Indiana’s academic superstars. I can’t wait to see where the future takes these bright young Hoosiers.”

“Success in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math drives our students and our state forward,” said Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. “I am excited to see the passion for STEM exhibited by Ujwala, Samantha, Miranda and Truman, and I am honored to be a part of the 2017 Governor’s STEM Team award ceremony.”

For more details go to https://goo.gl/XO4da5.

 

American Chemical Society Seeking Programming Inputs

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is seeking input on programming from teachers as well as out-of-school educators in the ACS central region.  The purpose of this survey is to gain information about educator-focused programming that would benefit educators attending the ACS CERM in Midland, MI, 4-8 June 2019. All educators are welcome to participate in ACS CERM 2019 activities, including those who provide out-of-school or home school STEM programming.  The mission of ACS is to communicate the power and benefit of chemistry and other natural sciences; ACS CERM 2019 can offer integrated activities as well.

This survey applies to educators in the ACS Central Region (including local sections in IN, KY, MI, OH, PA, and WV).  In most instances, the survey will take no more than 10 minutes to complete.  Small gifts will be awarded at random to participating respondents that provide their email address.  The survey can be accessed at:

https://goo.gl/forms/UgjwHPj1ubgqy9YE3

Please direct questions about the survey, or about education programs at ACS CERM 2019, to Gina Malczewski at <reginamalczewski@gmail.com>.

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 12 to the International Space Station

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education announces Mission 12 to the International Space Station. This opportunity gives students across a community the ability to design and propose microgravity experiments to fly in low-Earth orbit on the International Space Station (ISS). One experiment in each community will be selected to fly to ISS. Mission 12 is open to school districts serving grades 5-12, informal education organizations and 2- and 4-year colleges. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than June 15, 2017.

An important consideration:  the expectation is that a team of educators in a participating community will engage typically 300 students, for a pre-college initiative, or 30-40 students for an undergraduate initiative, over 9 weeks of experiment design and proposal writing spanning September through November 2017.

Students across the community are separated into teams of 3-5 students, each team designing and proposing a microgravity experiment, and making the case for why their experiment should be selected for flight to ISS. The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) provides a fully authentic research competition as a STEM Project Based Learning experience.

Launch of the Mission 12 flight experiments is currently projected for Spring 2018.

For more information click here.

May 2017 Issue of STEM-IN’ News

The May 2017 issue of STEM-IN’ News is available here.

Included in this issue:

  • Coming Events
  • Grant Opportunities
  • Resources for STEM Educators
  • STEM Opportunities