West Sound STEM News
OESD 114 receives $450,000 NASA grant
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OESD 114, in partnership with Washington Space Grant at the University of Washington, North Central Educational Service District 171, Pacific Science Center, Central Washington University, Museum of Flight, Museum of the Rockies, Oregon State University (OSU), Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and Montana State University (MSU) was recently notified of our selection for the grant, “Northwest Earth and Space Science Pipeline (NESSP).
OESD 114 is the lead K12 educational agency and will receive $450,000 over five years. Goal are to expand the existing OSPP K-12-higher education partnership, ensure alignment with state learning standards and cohesion with OESD 114 Teaching and Learning initiatives, develop a Network that also serves as a regional model, create and strengthen the P-20 STEM pipeline, and broaden stakeholder participation. Click here to read more! |
Recap: 2016 STEM Showcase
Anyone setting foot in Kitsap Mall on Saturday, April 30, was bound to feel the buzz of energy fueled by a couple thousand kids experiencing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in new and exciting ways. The 4th annual STEM Showcase, organized by the West Sound STEM Network, was designed to get students and the public excited about STEM. An estimated 2,000 children and their families attended the 5-hour long event.
Nearly seventy groups whose core activity revolves around these academic subjects (STEM) offered free, hands-on learning experiences for anyone with a few minutes to spare. Kids flocked around activity booths, experimenting with orthopedic surgery simulations, robotics, solar energy, and electrical circuitry. In one place, visitors could try their hands at structural engineering, using stir sticks and gum drops to build the tallest towers. At another, local high school students invited passersby to experience ‘green screen’ technology—the same technology used by television and cinema to create digital backdrops for weather broadcasts and special effects. At virtually every turn, booth hosts beckoned to curious onlookers, inviting them to explore. Even adults joined in the fun, testing their skills at 3D printing, logic puzzles, and virtual reality games designed by the local technical college.
Every year the STEM Showcase offers a challenge to students in advance. Guidelines are distributed in the spring, and students can create structures for entry into a friendly competition the day of the Showcase. In 2014, catapults dominated, flinging marshmallows for distance, impact and accuracy. This year, the challenge focused on construction of weight-bearing bridges. Three build categories allowed children of varying ages to test their engineering skills. Parents and students alike watched as carefully constructed bridges and trestles resisted and then finally succumbed to gently added weights, simulating stability and resistance to collapse from heavy loads.
Next year’s STEM Showcase is slated for the end of April, with the date yet to be determined. Community groups and businesses interested in hosting a booth at the event are encouraged to contact Corinne Beach at corinne.beach@navy.mil or West Sound STEM Director, Dr. Kareen Borders, at kborders@oesd.wednet.edu.
Nearly seventy groups whose core activity revolves around these academic subjects (STEM) offered free, hands-on learning experiences for anyone with a few minutes to spare. Kids flocked around activity booths, experimenting with orthopedic surgery simulations, robotics, solar energy, and electrical circuitry. In one place, visitors could try their hands at structural engineering, using stir sticks and gum drops to build the tallest towers. At another, local high school students invited passersby to experience ‘green screen’ technology—the same technology used by television and cinema to create digital backdrops for weather broadcasts and special effects. At virtually every turn, booth hosts beckoned to curious onlookers, inviting them to explore. Even adults joined in the fun, testing their skills at 3D printing, logic puzzles, and virtual reality games designed by the local technical college.
Every year the STEM Showcase offers a challenge to students in advance. Guidelines are distributed in the spring, and students can create structures for entry into a friendly competition the day of the Showcase. In 2014, catapults dominated, flinging marshmallows for distance, impact and accuracy. This year, the challenge focused on construction of weight-bearing bridges. Three build categories allowed children of varying ages to test their engineering skills. Parents and students alike watched as carefully constructed bridges and trestles resisted and then finally succumbed to gently added weights, simulating stability and resistance to collapse from heavy loads.
Next year’s STEM Showcase is slated for the end of April, with the date yet to be determined. Community groups and businesses interested in hosting a booth at the event are encouraged to contact Corinne Beach at corinne.beach@navy.mil or West Sound STEM Director, Dr. Kareen Borders, at kborders@oesd.wednet.edu.
2016 STEM Showcase:
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April 30, 2016 - Area elementary, middle school and high school students participated in a bridge challenge at the 2016 STEM Showcase at Kitsap Mall in Silverdale.
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May 2016 STEM Cafe:
Astronomy and Aerospace
STEM in Action
Common Core + Next Gen Pioneers: Desiree Hall
December 2014
Three years ago a historically low-performing school in Bremerton re-designed itself, emerging as Washington's first STEM-focused elementary school. Now, the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards for Mathematics are pushing students to think more deeply. Educator Desiree Hall is right there alongside her students, using real-life scenarios to teach the value of math, and challenging students to do things they've never had to do before. Read more...
Three years ago a historically low-performing school in Bremerton re-designed itself, emerging as Washington's first STEM-focused elementary school. Now, the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards for Mathematics are pushing students to think more deeply. Educator Desiree Hall is right there alongside her students, using real-life scenarios to teach the value of math, and challenging students to do things they've never had to do before. Read more...
West Sound STEM Network: What's New?!
July 2014
The past school year was a busy one for the West Sound STEM Network. With the support of Washington STEM, the Network focused on building a sustainable infrastructure and developing a business plan to provide guidance for the next three years. We are happy to announce that as a result of this planning process, the West Sound STEM Network was granted $200,000 in ongoing funding to partially support operations through 2017.
An important aspect of the new infrastructure included changes in governance, and the development of the Senior Leadership Team: representatives from the six targeted school districts, Olympic College, Kitsap County, and various industry and business partners. These key team members bring to the table the authority, knowledge and leadership to ensure that the Network’s activities benefit each of their organizations.
The planning process also enabled the various partners to identify common objectives, aligning resources to boost our reach in the areas of education, partnerships and communication. The business plan was produced using a collaborative, highly inclusive process - a great accomplishment, symbolic of things to come. The final product--a 98-page business plan that represents months of collaboration--was branded and polished to a shine by marketing and communications partner Rebecca Graham of Impact Writing & Design (www.createimpact.com). Through her, the Network also redesigned and branded the publicity materials for the STEM Showcase, and redeveloped our website.
Since effective communication and PR tools are critical to the growth of the network, our business plan includes continued emphasis on developing a rich and user-relevant online portal, as well as high quality promotional materials that bolster the image of the Network and effectively communicate key messages to partners and participants alike.
Outreach continues to be a priority for the West Sound STEM Network. Three Science Cafés took place, designed to share STEM topics with the public. Plans include more to come. The first Café, presented by Ken Austin of NAVCO, focused on earthquake detection and imaging systems. The second featured the Pacific Planetarium in Bremerton. In May, Michael Steele from The University of Washington Climate Group presented current developments on the impact of global warming in the Arctic region.
In addition, the West Sound STEM Network hosted a STEM Open House at the Washington State University Mechanical Engineering Lab on the Olympic College Campus. The lab is a feature of the 4-year Mechanical Engineering program offered by WSU in our region.
Our largest outreach event was the second annual West Sound STEM Showcase, held this year at the Kitsap Mall. The event grew significantly, proudly hosting 68 booths and at least three times as many participants as the previous year. We incorporated a STEM Catapult Challenge to encourage student involvement, and provided support for teacher stipends and buses. Team member Corinne Beach was awarded a LASER Science Education Advocate Award. Various dignitaries attended the event. West Hills STEM Academy students conducted an audience survey, expanding our email mailing list and resulting in data showing that 98.4% of the respondents would like to attend again. The Kitsap Sun article and a short video from the event can be seen here.
The past school year was a busy one for the West Sound STEM Network. With the support of Washington STEM, the Network focused on building a sustainable infrastructure and developing a business plan to provide guidance for the next three years. We are happy to announce that as a result of this planning process, the West Sound STEM Network was granted $200,000 in ongoing funding to partially support operations through 2017.
An important aspect of the new infrastructure included changes in governance, and the development of the Senior Leadership Team: representatives from the six targeted school districts, Olympic College, Kitsap County, and various industry and business partners. These key team members bring to the table the authority, knowledge and leadership to ensure that the Network’s activities benefit each of their organizations.
The planning process also enabled the various partners to identify common objectives, aligning resources to boost our reach in the areas of education, partnerships and communication. The business plan was produced using a collaborative, highly inclusive process - a great accomplishment, symbolic of things to come. The final product--a 98-page business plan that represents months of collaboration--was branded and polished to a shine by marketing and communications partner Rebecca Graham of Impact Writing & Design (www.createimpact.com). Through her, the Network also redesigned and branded the publicity materials for the STEM Showcase, and redeveloped our website.
Since effective communication and PR tools are critical to the growth of the network, our business plan includes continued emphasis on developing a rich and user-relevant online portal, as well as high quality promotional materials that bolster the image of the Network and effectively communicate key messages to partners and participants alike.
Outreach continues to be a priority for the West Sound STEM Network. Three Science Cafés took place, designed to share STEM topics with the public. Plans include more to come. The first Café, presented by Ken Austin of NAVCO, focused on earthquake detection and imaging systems. The second featured the Pacific Planetarium in Bremerton. In May, Michael Steele from The University of Washington Climate Group presented current developments on the impact of global warming in the Arctic region.
In addition, the West Sound STEM Network hosted a STEM Open House at the Washington State University Mechanical Engineering Lab on the Olympic College Campus. The lab is a feature of the 4-year Mechanical Engineering program offered by WSU in our region.
Our largest outreach event was the second annual West Sound STEM Showcase, held this year at the Kitsap Mall. The event grew significantly, proudly hosting 68 booths and at least three times as many participants as the previous year. We incorporated a STEM Catapult Challenge to encourage student involvement, and provided support for teacher stipends and buses. Team member Corinne Beach was awarded a LASER Science Education Advocate Award. Various dignitaries attended the event. West Hills STEM Academy students conducted an audience survey, expanding our email mailing list and resulting in data showing that 98.4% of the respondents would like to attend again. The Kitsap Sun article and a short video from the event can be seen here.
MEDIA LINKS
SCIENCE MATTERS: Science Updates from Around the State and Region
A monthly newsletter with a round-up of the latest information related to science education reform efforts.
A monthly newsletter with a round-up of the latest information related to science education reform efforts.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
STEM Event Got Kids Excited to Learn
Read this Kitsap Sun letter to the editor from Rep. Drew Hansen, Bainbridge Island, regarding the 2014 STEM Showcase.
STEM Event Got Kids Excited to Learn
Read this Kitsap Sun letter to the editor from Rep. Drew Hansen, Bainbridge Island, regarding the 2014 STEM Showcase.
Educators Take Scientific Exploration to the Mall
Click here to read the Kitsap Sun article about the 2014 STEM Showcase. Or view the video, below:
Click here to read the Kitsap Sun article about the 2014 STEM Showcase. Or view the video, below:
Hands-On Science Extravaganza
Follow this link to a Kitsap Sun article by Chris Henry on Bremerton's West Hills STEM Academy science and technology fair.
Follow this link to a Kitsap Sun article by Chris Henry on Bremerton's West Hills STEM Academy science and technology fair.
