Whether as part of a classroom project, a school team, or an independent after school activity, STEM competitions for students provide opportunities and incentives to grow critical skills. I look back fondly on the days when my boys were involved in Science Olympiad. Not only did they learn a lot, but they got to spend time with like-minded peers and had a lot of fun. Keep an eye on this post for updates about STEM competitions for students in ... [ Read More ]
Contest for Creative, Active Kids from Clif Kid
If my kids were younger, I'd enter a Moon Ball game.I was disappointed that my boys are too old to enter this contest, but then I realized that I can enter vicariously through you, dear readers. Indeed, I was psyched when a friend told me she garnered a spot at an upcoming NASA social media event that she'd learned about through my Facebook page. I'm a connector at heart, so stuff like that makes me happy. Put on your thinking caps (are these ... [ Read More ]
Engineers Week is Coming to a Close: (Not Just) STEM Girl Friday
It's time to close our EWeek, I'm also celebrating the close of a fantastic multifaceted campaign for DiscoverE. In addition to arranging a blog tour, I helped organize a blogger meet-up at the Future City Finals in Washington, DC as well as reported from the event via social media. And, of course, #STEMchat was a hit. Look for the summary next week. I wanted to highlight the bloggers who took part in the blog tour. They created sponsored ... [ Read More ]
Reporting Live from the Future City Competition
I spent the morning watching teams set up their Future City models and prep for the competition. As I mentioned, I'm here in Washington, DC, with my client DiscoverE. They are one of the sponsors of the Future City middle school engineering competition. The Future City Engineering Competition Each team is associated with a teacher and an engineer mentor. I had the chance to talk with several and it's clear they are quite fond of this ... [ Read More ]
Cardboard Costume Contest
No not my contest, I'm scrambling to stay afloat among family, the puppy, work, Science Olympiad and Vex Robotics, not to mention prepping for another TV segment on great STEM gifts for kids this holiday season. Still, this looks cool and I hope some of you participate. The Cardboard Collective, a cool site devoted to crafty things made of corrugated board, is hosting a cardboard costume challenge.Looking for inspiration? Check out their ... [ Read More ]
A Note to Illinois State Senator Daniel Biss
Food Science in action: a study of carageenan.Dear State Senator Daniel Biss,What a fun surprise to see you, my state senator, at the Regional Science Olympiad event! Do you realize how many middle and high schools from your district will be going down to the state competition? We rock. And no doubt several of those teams will earn spots in our state's top 10. I mean several teams in addition to New Trier and their feeder schools, because, well, ... [ Read More ]
The Unexpected Lesson from a Science Olympiad Tourney
Last weekend my Food Science Team, along with most of the other event teams from my son's school, participated in a Science Olympiad Invitational. It was a small gathering, involving less than ten schools. Two of the top five teams in the state participated, so even though it felt casual, it was a challenge.Our team approaches invitationals as an opportunity, a chance to get a feel for an SO competition and the flow of the day, to generally ... [ Read More ]