STEAM Newsletter – A Summer of STEM
July 20, 2021
Welcome to CAN’s monthly STEAM newsletter!
This month, the Million Girls Moonshot will continue to focus on tools and resources for Networks, programs, and partners as they implement STEM in summer programming. As programs across the country slowly head back to hybrid and in person programming, this is an opportunity to reintroduce the four transformative programming areas: equity and inclusion, engineering mindsets, role models, mentors and families, and STEM pathways and transitions to the field and families.
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In This Newsletter:
Equity & Inclusion
Check out these transformative programming practices that Million Girls Moonshot is sharing this month with a focus on equity and inclusion:
Poster: This Is What A Scientist Looks Like poster featuring Dr. Monica Rho who is the head Physician for the US Women’s National Soccer Team. This poster can be used in your physical paces to highlight an inspiring role model in Sports and STEM.
Book: Social Justice Reading For Kids : NPR – Looking for summer reading for youth in afterschool? Check out these recommendations from writer Ibram X. Kendi
Black Girls Create: Developing a Culturally Responsive Maker Program for Black Girls
Equity & Inclusion
In her article “Black Girls Create”, author LaShawnda Lindsay, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Wellesley Centers for Women, describes the development and pilot implementation of a culturally responsive maker afterschool program for Black girls. Black Girls Create uses social history, culturally responsive pedagogy, and mentoring to engage Black girls in maker-based activities as they learned about Black women who made significant impacts in STEM.
Engineering Mindsets
Explore these resources about the second transformative programming area, engineering mindsets, that Million Girls Moonshot is highlighting this month:
Poster: Engineering Mindset Graphic – This printable graphic presents the 10 critical engineering practices and shows how they all contribute to the development of an engineering mindset.
Article: What STEM Mindset Is … and Why Everyone Should Have One – This article describes how 21st century skills, growth mindset, and habits of mind all contribute to a STEM mindset
Incorporating Role Models
Summer Olympics (July 23, 2021 – August 8, 2021)
The below assets are free profile videos of IF/THEN® curated Olympics resources featuring NBC Learn videos that highlight women in STEM who work with top U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
Role Model Profile Videos and Photos
The below assets are free profile videos of IF/THEN Ambassadors.
Educational Justice Starts with Equitable Family Engagement
Foundry10’s article Educational Justice Starts with Equitable Family Engagement explores designing surveys and sharing data with a wide range of stakeholders results in a deeper understanding of the data from multiple perspectives.
‘I’m not just a mom’: Parents as creators, collaborators, and learners in creative computing
Jennifer Pavlick’s article “‘I’m not just a mom’: Parents as creators, collaborators, and learners in creative computing” explores how social support from parents can play an important role in engaging and sustaining young people’s participation in computing. Pavlick identified many supportive roles for parents, including collaborating with their children on projects, providing resources and finding new opportunities.
Webinar Recording: Listen, Learn, Lead webinar
Listen to Flamboyan Foundation’s recording of their Listen, Learn, Lead webinar. Speakers discuss what they are hearing through their ongoing work with families, particularly their Black and Brown families facing the intersecting crises of racism and COVID-19. We hope this webinar will help spark concrete ideas to engage your most important stakeholders – students, families, and educators – in an ongoing way.
Mission to Mars Student Challenge for Summer Camps
July 14, 19, 27; 10:00 AM PST
Join NASA this summer for their series of trainings for afterschool/summer learning leaders on their Mission to Mars Student Challenge! They are sharing a multitude of hands-on activities that allow youth to learn about Mars, planning a mission, launch and landing, and exploring the surface – all while following the Perseverance Rover’s current exploration of Mars!
STEMtivities: Activities for Programs
Student Design Activity: NASA’s Favorite House Plants for Space Stations and You – The Grow Network : The Grow Network – Select a plant to grow and keep a record of its change over time. Design a flowerpot for space—what shape works best? How deep does it need to be? What do scientists need to consider to grow plants in space?
Student Design Activity: Design A Crew Module – Use materials that are easy to find at home to build a crew capsule for spaceflight. Practice engineering design process to improve on the original design. Grades 4-8.
Virtual Professional Development
Take a look at the following training opportunities to build your understanding of engineering, equity and inclusion, and STEM.
Webinar Recording: Representation Matters! Highlighting the IF/THEN Collection – Join IF/THEN Ambassadors in a conversation about representation and why it is important for girls to see role models in STEM. In this webinar, learn why representation matters and how to use the IF/THEN Collection to increase representation of women in STEM.
Mizzen by Mott
Mizzen By Mott inspires, engages and sparks learning in young people. Supported by the Mott Foundation, Mizzen is available at no cost to afterschool professionals! Please be sure to download the Mizzen By Mott app to access the activities below.
- Mizzen – Design a Crew Module
- Mizzen – Build An Extension Arm
- Mizzen – Build Your Own Roller Coaster
Check Out CAN’s Other Newsletters!
Access the CAN newsletter archives to view past newsletters today! You may be interested in some of our other newsletters as well: