Idaho STEM Action Center

Hands-On Science Experiments for Kids About Animal Adaptations -

[email protected] with CBS2 Live on Facebook Today!

Brrrr! It is cold outside! Have you ever wondered how polar bears stay warm in their extremely cold climate? Tune in this morning to learn from #CBS2 weatherman #NateLarsen and his kiddos how polar bears are able to stay warm in the coldest of weather! This experiment is a really easy way to help show children how animals adapt to their environment.

To do this activity at home you will need:
Shortening / Lard (Room Temperature)
Plastic Baggies
Strong, Thick, Waterproof Tape
Large Bucket with Water
Ice

https://teachingideas.ca/2018/05/07/science-experiments-for-kids-2/

Did your mitt keep your kiddos hands warm? How long could they keep their mitts in the ice cold water?

Stay warm and as always Stay STEM-spired!

#STEMAtHome #CBS2

Hands-On Science Experiments for Kids About Animal Adaptations - How do animals stay warm during the winter? Hands-on science experiments for kids are a great way to teach children about animal adaptions.

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
February 24, 2022
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day helps focus a growing movement to inspire girls’ futures so they learn they have a place in engineering a better world. In just one day you can make a difference by sharing your knowledge, experience, and some fun! Give girls the chance to think like an engineer and you’ll be amazed at what you learn!

iDrone Program Idaho | The Official iDrone Program Website

iDrone 2022 Spring Hands-on Workshop

Attention 6th - 12th Grade Students! Register now to pilot drones for fun and research. This event is 100% online. The iDrone development kit will be shipped to individual homes 2 weeks in advance. Students must register by the end of this month (2/28/2022) and they can keep the drone after the iDrone ONLINE 2022. With a special CODE for Idaho Public School Districts the cost is only $80. To get the CODE contact your STEM teachers or email at: [email protected]

Registration closes February 28th.

https://www.idroneprogram.org/

iDrone Program Idaho | The Official iDrone Program Website The iDrone program will fill the anticipated STEM workforce gaps by improving the attitude toward science and its related career pathways.

Intermountain Technology and Leadership Conference

Join our Executive Director, Dr. Kaitlin Maguire and our STEM and Computer Science Program Director, Katie Bosch-Wilson discuss STEM in Idaho. The Intermountain Leadership and Technology Conference is April 21, 2022. Register now!

Intermountain Technology and Leadership Conference

STEM-tastic PD opportunity in North Idaho from our partners at GIZMO!

Two lively Professional Development (PD) sessions on Maker Mindsets start this Monday, February 28th! 1 hour initial meeting via Zoom, a 3 hour assignment & a 1 hour follow-up. Thanks to the Idaho STEM Action Center, costs for this PD are only $10 for Idaho educators! http://ow.ly/sUja50I2FkA

i-STEM Summer Institutes: Discussion and Demos

Join us at the next EcosySTEM webinar on Feb. 25th at 12 pm MST where we will discuss the upcoming summer i-STEM institutes. i-STEM is a professional development opportunity for formal and informal Idaho educators (PK-12). We will also explore some of the materials from past i-STEM strands that are now available for check out from the i-STEM Lending Libraries, located across the state. Register to receive the zoom link for the webinar. It will also be recorded and archived on the website for later viewing.

You can use the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/i-stem-summer-institutes-discussion-and-demos-tickets-252175492687

i-STEM Summer Institutes: Discussion and Demos February Idaho EcosySTEM Webinar: i-STEM Summer Institutes - Discussion and Demos

Mark Dean

Celebrating Black History Month!

Mark E. Dean is one of the top engineering minds at the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation. He made his first mark in the industry in the early 1980s, when he and a colleague developed a system that allowed computers to communicate with printers and other devices. Every time you print something, you can thank Dean.

In all, Dean holds 20 patents, and was honored as one of the "50 Most Important African Americans in Technology" by the California African-American Museum in 2000. Dean wants to help increase awareness of the contributions of Black engineers to both the engineering industry and the African-American community.

https://www.biography.com/inventor/mark-dean

Mark Dean Computer scientist and engineer Mark Dean is credited with helping develop a number of landmark technologies, including the color PC monitor, the Industry Standard Architecture system bus and the first gigahertz chip.

STEM Briefing Series: Rural STEM Education

Rural STEM Education Webinar

Thu, February 24, 2022
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM MST

The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture invite you to join us on Thursday February 24th to learn more about the beauty and diversity of rural communities. Hear from programs and partnerships that are working together to support rural STEM learning.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stem-briefing-series-rural-stem-education-registration-258285989347?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

STEM Briefing Series: Rural STEM Education STEM Briefing Series: Rural STEM Education

Madam C. J. Walker

Celebrating Black History Month!

Sarah Breedlove Walker was an inventor and businesswoman, and became one of the largest employers of African-American women of her time.

Often know as Madame C.J. Walker, she manufactured beauty products for other African-American women using formulas she developed after working for a pharmacist who taught her chemistry. Her popular hair-softening cream and shampoo helped heal dry skin and other itchy annoyances that were common in the early 1900s because indoor plumbing wasn’t widely available.

Walker’s company hired and trained thousands of Black women to sell her hair-care products in shops, by mail, and door-to-door. This helped many become more independent during a time when job opportunities for women were limited.

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/madame-c-j-walker

Madam C. J. Walker Madam C. J. Walker (1867-1919) was “the first Black woman millionaire in America” and made her fortune thanks to her homemade line of hair care products for

i-STEM Summer Institutes: Discussion and Demos

Join us at the next EcosySTEM webinar on Feb. 25th at 12 pm MST where we will discuss the upcoming summer i-STEM institutes. i-STEM is a professional development opportunity for formal and informal Idaho educators (PK-12). We will also explore some of the materials from past i-STEM strands that are now available for check out from the i-STEM Lending Libraries, located across the state. Register to receive the zoom link for the webinar. It will also be recorded and archived on the website for later viewing.

You can use the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/i-stem-summer-institutes-discussion-and-demos-tickets-252175492687

i-STEM Summer Institutes: Discussion and Demos February Idaho EcosySTEM Webinar: i-STEM Summer Institutes - Discussion and Demos

Celebrating STEM during Black History Month | STEMHub

Celebrating Black History Month!

Check out this blog from our Ecosystem partners in Nevada celebrating African Americans who have made many amazing contributions to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

https://www.stemhub.nv.gov/blogs/celebrating-stem-during-black-history-month

Celebrating STEM during Black History Month | STEMHub February is Black History Month and we are taking a look at a few outstanding African American STEM leaders!

Snow Storm In a Jar - Little Bins for Little Hands

[email protected] with CBS2 Live

THINK SNOW! Idaho is in desperate need of snow so let's try making snow in a jar! Watch Nate and Jaxton call on Ullr the snow god to bring snow to the mountains by making it snow in a jar!

YOU WILL NEED:
Oil (vegetable oil or baby oil)
White (or light blue) Washable School Paint (and/or food coloring)
Alka Seltzer Tablets
Cup, Jar, or Bottle

https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/winter-snow-storm-in-a-jar-science/

#STEMAtHome #CBS2

Snow Storm In a Jar - Little Bins for Little Hands When the weather's too cold outside, create a winter snow storm in a jar science experiment inside! Fun and easy winter science activities for kids to try!

Congratulations to Idaho's PAEMST Winners Courtney Greene and Leigh Wilson!

Congratulations Courtney Greene and Leigh Wilson, Idaho's recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence
in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the nation's highest honor for STEM teachers!

“This honor is reserved for instructors who have truly gone above and beyond in inspiring their students to engage with the world of STEM,” Superintendent Sherri Ybarra said. “Deeply investing in our students means giving them the tools to succeed, and we’re grateful to these talented and dedicated instructors for preparing young minds for the next steps in their education. Idaho is certainly proud to have such amazing teaching talent.”

Courtney Greene, the PAEMST awardee for science, teaches 5th grade at Fernan STEM Academy (CDA Schools) and Leigh Wilson, the PAEMST awardee for math, teaches 6th grade at Potlatch Elementary (Potlatch School District #285 Official)! As PAEMST recipients, Greene and Wilson receive a certificate signed by the president, professional development opportunities and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.

Congratulations again to Courtney Greene and Leigh Wilson!

Read our full press release here:https://sde.idaho.gov/communications/files/news-releases/02-17-2022-Idaho-teachers-take-top-honors-in-STEM-instruction-at-the-PAEMST-awards.pdf

Percy Lavon Julian

Celebrating Black History Month!

Percy L. Julian is known as the "soybean chemist," for his extraordinary success in developing innovative drugs and industrial chemicals from natural soya products. The firefighting solution he devised, known as “bean soup,” helped save the lives of thousands of sailors and naval airmen during World War II. His discoveries earned him more than 130 chemical patents and many professional awards.

His spirit lives on in dozens of lifesaving discoveries, as well as in the halls of Percy L. Julian Junior High School in Oak Park, Illinois. Julian was quoted as saying, "I have had one goal in my life, that of playing some role in making life a little easier for the persons who come after me."

https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/percy-lavon-julian

Percy Lavon Julian A steroid chemist and an entrepreneur, Percy Julian ingeniously figured out how to synthesize important medicinal compounds from abundant plant sources, making them more affordable to mass-produce. In the 1930s chemists recognized the structural similarity of a large group of natural substances—th...

The Science of the Olympic Winter Games | Scholastic

Celebrating the 2022 Olympics

Have you been enjoying the Olympic games? As you watch the skaters jump and spin or the aerial skiers flip and twist have you considered the science behind the winter sports?
Click the link below to watch some videos explaining the physics behind the winter games.

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/science-olympic-winter-games/

The Science of the Olympic Winter Games | Scholastic Olympic-caliber short videos make key concepts like inertia, velocity, and momentum meaningful and exciting for your students.

AlgaePrize Competition

AlgaePrize Inaugural Student Competition

Launched in January 2022, the AlgaePrize is a new competition from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) that encourages students to pursue innovative ideas for the development, design, and invention of technologies within the commercial algae value chain.

Intrigued? Have questions about this new STEM-azing competition? Find your answers at the AlgaePrize office hours event on tomorrow at 1pm ET. To register go to:
https://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/algaeprize-competition

AlgaePrize Competition Launched in January 2022, the AlgaePrize is a new competition from the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) that encourages students to pursue innovative ideas for the development, design, and invention of technologies within...

Do you have a superstar educator in your childrens' lives? Nominate the now!

Friendly reminder to nominate a special teacher for our state's top teaching honor, Idaho Teacher of the Year! ANYONE is welcome to make a nomination - just take a moment to fill out the nomination form on our website: sde.idaho.gov/toy

The Idaho Teacher of the Year receives a cash award and travels across Idaho talking with other teachers, legislators and policymakers about education in our state. They will also serve as Idaho’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year. Nominations are open through March 14!

Tracy Drain: Systems Engineer

Celebrating Black History Month

Meet Tracy Drain....going where no one has gone before!

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/tracy-drain-systems-engineer

Tracy Drain: Systems Engineer Tracy Drain, with one of her childhood inspirations … Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek’s Lt. Uhura

Thank you to our partners at KIVI Idaho News 6 for promoting STEM education in Idaho!

In an increasingly technological world, educating students in the field of drones helps them gain practical knowledge related to computational thinking and digital literacy – and helps prepare them for the workforce! That’s why STEM Action Center and PCS Edventures! brought the Drone Designers program to Idaho. The workshops trained educators from thirty schools and provided resources and supplies to integrate this knowledge into their existing programs and provide students with hands-on drone training and education.

To learn more about the program and how STEM Action Center is supporting Idaho students, click here: https://stem.idaho.gov/our-impact/brightspots
#6OnYourSideSponsor | KIVI

i-STEM Summer Institutes: Discussion and Demos

Join us at the next EcosySTEM webinar on Feb. 25th at 12 pm MST where we will discuss the upcoming summer i-STEM institutes. i-STEM is a professional development opportunity for formal and informal Idaho educators (PK-12). We will also explore some of the materials from past i-STEM strands that are now available for check out from the i-STEM Lending Libraries, located across the state. Register to receive the zoom link for the webinar. It will also be recorded and archived on the website for later viewing.

You can use the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/i-stem-summer-institutes-discussion-and-demos-tickets-252175492687

i-STEM Summer Institutes: Discussion and Demos February Idaho EcosySTEM Webinar: i-STEM Summer Institutes - Discussion and Demos

National Defense Education Program (NDEP) Funding Opportunity

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) NDEP is seeking to strategically fund STEM education at 2-year institutions and Community Colleges (2YI/CCs) through a consortium approach. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aims to enhance the STEM workforce through regional consortia which will develop and encourage STEM ecosystems between 2YI/CCs and 4-Year Institutions (4YIs), industry, local education agencies, and others in STEM education.
Activities should support the DoD STEM strategic plan and align to the 2018 Federal STEM Strategic Plan. The Department intends to award multiple cooperative agreements, subject to the availability of funds. The deadline for Letters of Intent and questions regarding this opportunity is February 22, 2022, to [email protected], and the deadline for full applications is March 29, 2022, through grants.gov.

How Erin Jackson became first Black woman to win individual gold at Winter Olympics

Celebrating Black History Month with an Historic Win!

Congratulations to Erin Jackson the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual event at the Winter Games!

Jackson won the 500 meters Sunday with a time of 37.04 seconds, giving the American speedskating program its first speedskating medal of the Beijing Games and first individual medal since 2010. She did not start ice skating until 2018.

“Hopefully it has an effect,” Jackson said, “and we can see more minorities, especially in the USA, getting out and trying some of these winter sports. And I just always hope to be a good example, especially with helping kids see they don’t have to just choose one between schools and sport.”

In addition Erin has studied Material Science Engineering with Associate Degrees in Computer Science and Kinesiology and working to combine those disciplines in a degree in Bio-Mechanics. As she says, "My hobby is going to school".

For more on this historic win and to watch her interview about her love of learning go to: https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/erin-jackson-speed-skating-first-black-woman-individual-olympic-gold-medal#:~:text=BEIJING%20%2D%2D%20Erin%20Jackson%20wasn,flying%20blind%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20said.

How Erin Jackson became first Black woman to win individual gold at Winter Olympics Erin Jackson hadn't stepped on ice until 2017, but that didn't stop the engineer from making Olympic history.