STEAM Ahead

~ Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) ~

Check out the following information for ...

• Events & Activities
• Contests
• Resources for Families & Educators
• Volunteer Opportunities

Click on pictures and/or links for more information!

A 3rd grader at Midnight Sun Elementary, North Pole, AK, engineered a working Candy Corn Catapult!

With a few trials and errors, but after lots of modifications, it works like a champ. We have no idea how far it actually shoots, as it shoots from one end of our living room to the other side.

The main items used were a wooden tray and wooden frame. The springy part is a set of chopsticks, held together by rubber bands. Another set of chopsticks is stuck in the middle, and the two sets held together by rubber bands. The spoon is attached to the second set of chopsticks. The chopsticks and spoon are held upright leaning on the frame, by more rubber bands. You have to pull the spoon down and release, in order for it to shoot!

We had lots of fun creating together, and have already been through two bags of eating and shooting the candy corn with the candy corn catapult!

⭐️ Anderson Crawford Elementary Ashley Fitzgerald, ashley.fitzgerald@k12northstar.org

Pop Up STEAM activity (Math) at ACES PTO Halloween event! “We did math after school was out”, exclaimed an ACES student. Students and families worked hard to escape the candy factory!

Ben Eielson Junior High students from 6th, 7th, and 8th grade had the opportunity to visit the 354th Eielson AFB Medical Clinic as part of a DoDEA Stealth Sciences grant, which provides a STEAM club with a focus on health sciences.

The students were welcomed by Chief Master Sergeant Arthur and the awesome medical staff, who gave them a tour of the clinic and introduced them to different aspects of patient care, from bioenvironmental engineering to food protection and sanitation. Ben Eielson Jr. High student Nicolette Payne “liked learning about the different jobs and going from station to station”. They also provided a brief introduction to CPR with mannequins and mental health using Hope mantras, as well as a hands-on look at white blood cells in the laboratory. Ben Eielson Jr. High student Remington Robertson, “liked seeing the behind the scenes of the clinic. I also liked learning that there are more jobs than just what I see when going to doctor appointments. More to the medicine world, then just doctors."

The students were engaged throughout the experience, asking questions, and eagerly participating in the activities. It was an incredible educational opportunity.

Send your name to Jupiter's moon Europa by signing a poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón that will travel aboard NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft. Your name will be engraved on the spacecraft before it travels 1.8 billion miles to explore Europa, an ocean world, to see if it has conditions to support life.

Click here to add your name to the poem and create your own customizable souvenir artwork.

Calling all science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) enthusiasts! It's time to give them the recognition they deserve by nominating them for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

Winners of this prestigious award get a certificate signed by the President and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation. Plus, it's a fantastic chance for educators to make connections with fellow STEM superstars across the country.

Don't wait another second, nominate that brilliant K-6 STEM teacher today! Head over to https://bit.ly/3LYjgvM to make your nomination.

Deadline: February 6, 2024

Come Walk with a Doc!

We are walking every Thursday, 7 pm at the Big Dipper Indoor Track.

The U.S. Department of Education is seeking student performing artists (such as bands, choirs, color guards, dancers, drumlines, poets/spoken word artists, soloists, theatrical performers) currently enrolled in elementary, middle, or high schools, who exemplify resilience, diversity, and excellence and are interested in showcasing their talent. No formal training or experience is necessary.

Regeneron Science Talent Search: Seeking Future Leaders in STEM

Regeneron STS is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science competition for high school seniors, providing an important forum for original research that is recognized and reviewed by a national jury of professional scientists.

Deadline: November 8, 2023
For more information, click here!

Calling all Army Military Family Artists!

Show off your creativity by creating the poster for the 2024 Month of the Military Child!

This year’s theme is Military Children: Brave, Fearless and Resilient. The winning design will be used to create all advertising materials for the 2024 Month of the Military Child.

Deadline: November 11, 2023

For more information, click here!

Welcome to the 2024 National STEM Challenge - Your chance to unleash your creativity and innovative thinking!

Your mission: Design a project that promotes environmental stewardship and responsible use of natural resources. This could include conserving water and energy, preserving habitats and ecosystems, or mitigating the impact of climate change.

Craft a STEM project that tackles a real-world challenge. Use the scientific method or engineering design process.

Deadline: November 12, 2023, 7:59 pm (AK Time)

For more information, click here!

CREATE A 3D MODEL OF A WEARABLE PIN THAT THANKS VETERANS

Entries Due: December 15, 2023 | 7:59 PM (AK time)

For more information, click here!

Space Foundation International Student Art Contest is an annual art contest created by Space Foundation with the purpose of encouraging students' interest in art and in space.

Deadline: January 15, 2024

To learn more about the Space Foundation, click here.

Your challenge is to research past and future impacts of climate-related hazards in your community, including drought, wildfire, flooding, and extreme heat, then develop a proposed action to help build a more resilient community.

Deadline: January 19, 2024 | 7:59 PM (AK time)

For more information, click here.

Each year, the Alaska Society for Technology Education (ASTE) celebrates excellence in digital media by showcasing the most outstanding photos, movies, documentaries, podcasts, music, books, and more.Teachers and students are encouraged to participate either individually or as part of a classroom project.

The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2024.

For more details and to participate, please visit the ASTE iDidaContest website.

Join us in celebrating Alaskan innovation and creativity at its peak!

The ExploraVision competition for K-12 students engages the next generation in real world problem solving with a strong emphasis on STEM. ExploraVision challenges students envision and communicate new technology 10 or more years in the future through collaborative brainstorming and research of current science and technology.

Deadline: January 31, 2024

For more information, click here!

There are many steps in the process of transforming things from raw materials into consumer products. Many of the processes are represented by whole industries, and that means lots of people are involved every step of the way. Your submission will focus on the engineers present in this lifecycle.

Deadline: February 1, 2024

For more information, click here!

Future Creatures Challenge
Get ready to get wild and creative! This STEAM challenge invites students to draw a rainforest animal, learn about adaptations, and then visually explain how their animal may look in the future.

Entries Due: February 9, 2024

For more information, click Future Creatures Challenge .

Select a problem in the community to investigate with science or solve with engineering.

eCYBERMISSION aligns with NGSS, CC, and state science standards and teaching resources are available for free at www.ecybermission.com/AdvisorHelpCenter.

Deadline for student/team registrations is February 28, 2024

For more information, visit www.ecybermission.com or contact us at missioncontrol@ecybermission.com.

The 2024 Alaska Science and Engineering Fair theme is “Don’t Need Gravity to Explore”.

The Alaska State Science and Engineering Fair is an incredible opportunity for students to showcase their scientific prowess and innovative ideas. Whether you are a budding scientist, an aspiring engineer, or simply have a passion for discovery, this event is the perfect platform to share your knowledge and engage with like-minded individuals.

For more information, click here!

Let's learn about our environment, and the things we can do to protect our earth.

- Learn about how we can protect the extraordinary Earth through tackling global environmental issues like climate change. We provide the lessons, content guides and other website resources.

- Create art out of recycled materials that helps deepen connections with the following environmental themes: Repurposing Waste, Deforestation, Clean Air and Ecosystems.

- For each artwork you submit, the Bezos Family Foundation will make a $5 donation to organizations tackling environmental issues responding to the climate crisis across the world.

Deadline: June 2024

For more information, click here!

Think about climate issues and solutions and consider how they have affected you or your community. Find something that resonates deeply with your experiences - perhaps a climate impact you witnessed, an initiative that you've participated in, or a source of strength and inspiration when thinking about the climate crisis. Share your personal climate story through art, writing, performance, film, or multimedia. What is the story that you'd like to tell?

• Open to students worldwide between the ages of 11-18
• Submit by June 10, 2024
• Learn more at bowseat.org/contest

Spotlite Design Challenge

A 90 to 120 second videos that is written, filmed, edited, and produced by students using the engineering design process. Each video targets a science misconception.

For more information, click here!

FNSBSD Educators!

Check out the Stealth Science Student Engagements (Guest Speakers) Resource List!

In honor of National STEM Day coming up on Nov. 8, we would like to take this time to thank you for making STEM education possible.

More than 80% of jobs are predicted to require STEM skills over the next decade, so your dedication will continue to have a profound impact for years to come.

Check out some of our favorite STEM activities below to celebrate and read more about the value of STEM education here!

According to the STEAM Interest Survey, completed by 3rd - 7th graders, students want to do hands on activities. Check out a blog on 3 Easy Ways to interest Kids in Engineering here!

The American Meteorological Society is now accepting applications from K-12 teachers to participate in its summer 2024 Project Ice teacher professional development course, offered as part of the NSF/Oregon State University-led Center for Oldest Ice Exploration (COLDEX). Teachers will be selected competitively from across the country with focus on those impacting underserved students. Participants will engage in a graduate-level, multi-week hybrid course in paleoclimatology and ice core science that includes a workshop at Oregon State in Corvallis, OR, where they will engage with COLDEX scientists and visit the ice core lab and Marine Geology Repository.

Travel, lodging, meals, and tuition will be provided for about 22 selected teachers. The online portion of the course runs from May 28 - June 22, 2024, with the on-site residence experience from June 23-29.

Deadline: November 30, 2023; Course dates: May 28 - June 29, 2024

Learn more and apply here.

STEM to Space is a program designed to facilitate engagement with school classrooms led by our military and civilian US Space Force Guardians.

The goal is to raise awareness and highlight the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), as well as our service’s contributions to national security and daily life.

When: Dec 1 - Dec 21st

What: One Guardian paired with one classroom for a 25 – 35-minute discussion

Where: Virtual (with option for in-person as distance allows)

Who: K-12 groups - classrooms, clubs, homeschool, JROTC, Civil Air Patrol, etc.

Educator and Guardian will decide topics of discussion based on curriculum and Guardian position/role.

Register here: https://airtable.com/appdskeJJbFe6kL8m/shrZ5ExTi2pAmvNOt

Email: georgia.sandgren@k12northstar.org
Website: k12northstar.org/military
Location: 520 5th Avenue, Fairbanks, AK, USA
Phone: (907) 452-2000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/militarystudentsupport