Cestem UNCW

Individualized Virtual Learning Opportunities with the Ed Lab
👉 Enroll here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/jqSzWA7u37
💳 Pay enrollment fee: https://ebill.uncw.edu/C20231_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=41&SINGLESTORE=true

𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗮 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝘅 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆! 🚌🔬💡

After touring the CESTEM storeroom, educators browsed the shelves, pulled out items that caught their interest, and got hands-on learning how to use them! They also explored ways to connect CESTEM’s Technology Loan Program resources to their curriculum and classrooms.

Sandbox Sessions are a fun way for groups of educators to explore what CESTEM has available and discover new technology and resources that are 𝙵𝚁𝙴𝙴 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚠!

Want to explore CESTEM for yourself? Contact us to schedule a 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀 Sandbox Session for you and/or your team!

𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠! 🔬📝⚙️

On Tuesday, educators joined us for 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, where they put the design process into action through hands-on challenges using KEVA Planks and the Chomp Saw.

On Thursday, Manley Midgett joined us to lead 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. Educators explored strategies for using science notebooks to encourage student writing, provide meaningful feedback, assess understanding, and support science content knowledge.

And we’re not done yet! Today, Michelle Hafey is welcoming educators from Alpha Academy for a 𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝘅 session to explore our resources and possibilities for hands-on STEM learning. Contact us to schedule your own 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 session!

We love having educators in our space learning, collaborating, creating, and exploring! 💙

📸 Check out a few highlights from this week’s workshops!

𝐵𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑠.

Join guest instructor 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 for 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁: 𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝟲-𝟭𝟮 and and discover how tools like algebra tiles and geoboards can strengthen conceptual understanding in 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔.

Participate in hands-on activities, reflect on implementation challenges, and leave with practical strategies for your classroom.

📅 August 11, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
👥 Grades 6-12
🎓 0.3 CEUs
💲 $15
🔗 Register by August 9: bit.ly/cestem008-27

Additional PD Opportunities: bit.ly/cestemprofdev

𝑀𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒

Join guest instructor 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁 for 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 and discover practical strategies for using science notebooks to encourage student thinking, reflection, and scientific communication. Explore classroom-ready ideas that support inquiry-based science instruction.

📅 August 6, 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM
🎓 0.5 CEUs
💲 $20
🔗 Register by August 4: bit.ly/cestem007-27

Additional PD Opportunities: bit.ly/cestemprofdev

What happens when students are challenged to design, build, test, and improve?

Join us for 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and explore hands-on engineering design challenges using KEVA Planks and the Chomp Saw. Discover practical strategies for bringing the Engineering Design Process into your elementary classroom while fostering creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.

📅 August 5, 1-4 PM
👥 Grades K–5
🎓 0.3 CEUs
💲 $15
🔗 Register by August 3: bit.ly/cestem006-27

Additional PD Opportunities: bit.ly/cestemprofdev

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲!✨

Students at Junior Seahawk Academy kicked off the morning exploring with Foldscopes during Michelle's hands-on STEM lesson. They discovered how a simple paper microscope can reveal an entirely new perspective on the world around them.

Interested in bringing Foldscopes into your own classroom? CESTEM offers professional learning opportunities to help educators confidently incorporate Foldscopes and other hands-on STEM resources into their instruction. Contact us to schedule a free Sandbox Session or Design Your Own PD!

https://bit.ly/cestemprofdev

UNCW Watson College of Education Foldscope

𝗞𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠!

Registration is still open for these upcoming workshops:

🌟 July 8 – CESTEM Tour (FREE)

⚙️ July 14 – Simple Machines with guest instructor Pepper Hill

🤖 July 16 – Creating Code to Learn Activities (FREE)

💻 July 30 – Micro:bits & Beyond!

Whether you're looking for classroom resources, engineering design challenges, or coding activities, there's something for every educator this month.

🔗 Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/4fmLvDD

𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨:𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬 & 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝!

Join CESTEM for a hands-on workshop exploring micro:bit, a pocket-sized microcontroller that makes coding and STEM learning engaging and accessible.

Participants will learn coding through MakeCode blocks and program the micro:bit using technologies such as the Finch 2.0 robot and Forward Education's Climate Action Kit. Leave with practical ideas and classroom-ready activities to bring coding into your classroom.

📅 July 30, 2026
⏰ 1 - 4 PM
👩‍🏫 Grades K-12
🎓 0.3 CEUs
💲 $15

Register by July 28: bit.ly/cestem005-27