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Recursos de Million Girls Moonshot

El trabajo de la Iowa Active Learning Community Partnership es posible gracias a la financiación de STEM Next y la subvención Million Girls Moonshot Innovator. La misión de MGM es ampliar las oportunidades STEM, específicamente en el campo de la ingeniería, para las niñas en los Estados Unidos, lo que es posible gracias a estas asociaciones estatales individuales. Esta página tiene un enlace directo al sitio web Million Girls Moonshot, así como recursos a los que puede acceder para compartir con su personal.

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Resources

Click the buttons below to view each month's resources. 

All 2022
December 2022
January 2023
February 2023
Million Girl Moonshot Minute Past Newsletters

September 2023

Special Opportunities 

Techbridge Girls Curriculum Program with Training and Kits

Join us at an upcoming Techbridge Girls Information Session to learn more about our program offering for this Fall! Each of our services equips educators with gender- and culturally-responsive teaching tools and full program kitting materials to support youth persistence in STEM and expose girls to BIPOC peers and role models from STEM fields. Participation includes educator training, all materials and a stipend. 

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE by September 6th!

First Woman Camp Guide and Set of Hands on Activities

As NASA prepares to put the first woman on the Moon in the next few years through the Artemis Missions, join us in an opportunity to imagine the possibilities of future lunar exploration with your upper elementary and middle school students. This set of hands-on activities accompanies NASA’s “First Woman” graphic novel series, which tells the story of Callie Rodriguez, the first woman to explore the Moon. While Callie is a fictional character, the first female astronaut and person of color will soon set foot on the Moon. Intended for uses in afterschool and summer settings, this First Woman Camp Experience Guide will bring the excitement of NASA’s science and technology. Read the fictional story of Callie, the first woman and person of color on the Moon. Download the interactive graphic novel and mobile apps.

  1. Access the Guide and Graphic Novel

  2. Register for Live Professional Development Webinar:

    1. September 19th 3:00pm ET

    2. October 17 5:00pm ET

  3. Use the Materials with Your Students

  4. Register for a Live Q&A with Scientists and
    Engineers working on the Artemis Mission

    1. November 9 at 3:30pm ET

    2. December 7 at 6pm ET

    3. Jan 24 at 4pm ET

Surprisingly STEM Video Series

Surprisingly STEM is a video series that highlights exciting and unexpected careers at NASA. This series is designed to inform students about the broad range of career opportunities at NASA – outside of the typical associations of rocket scientists and astronauts – and to break down perceived barriers for working at the agency.

  • Monthly Release of new prerecorded 5-minute career episode

  • Associated STEAM Activities

  • Monthly Live Session with NASA expert to answer Student Questions

October 2023 - Thermal Blanket Technician

You’ll surely get wrapped up in this episode of Surprisingly STEM featuring Paula Cain, a thermal blanket technician at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. She covers why things sent into space need to be protected by a thermal blanket and shares how two of her passions – fashion design and Star Trek – were interwoven into an exciting career at NASA!

 

Click to register for a live Q&A on October 26 at 4pm ET

November 2023 - Wind Tunnel Engineers

We’re big fans of Sam Zauber and Frank Quinto – two wind tunnel test engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center! You’ll be blown away as you learn how NASA uses its 14-foot by 22- foot subsonic wind tunnel. See some of the fascinating things Frank and Sam have tested there and learn what propelled them into their exciting STEM careers.

 

Click to register for the live Q&A on November 15 at 5pm ET

December 2023 - Marine Biologists

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is known for its launch pads, rocket launches and cutting-edge technology -- it’s also a national wildlife refuge! NASA has a team of biologists whose mission is to protect and preserve threatened and endangered species living near launch sites. Biologists Eric Reyier, PhD, and Bonnie Ahr share how their ecological work contributes to the agency’s larger mission and how they personally ended up on a boat in the Florida wetlands doing exciting work for NASA.

 

Click to register for the live Q&A on December 6 at 5pm ET

 

2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipse

Are you ready for the 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipses that will be visible across the US on October 14, 2023, and April 8, 2024. Connect with NASA to engage students and families:

  • Find local viewing events using this listing or
    creating your own opportunity.

  • Ensure Safe viewing

Everyone MUST wear solar eclipse glasses or use an
alternate viewing method to look at any eclipse.
Read more about eye safety during an annular eclipse
on our web page and on this safety flier.

NGCP is looking for girl-serving organizations located along
the path of totality for the 2024 total solar eclipse to participate
in Einstein's Incredible Universe. This new project includes a
citizen science program aiming to capture and broadcast
solar images during the eclipse. ☀️ 🕶️ Organizations that cater
to high school or college girls in select cities are encouraged to apply.
Visit https://ngcproject.org/einsteins-incredible-universe to learn more.
Applications are due by September 20, 2023. 

Professional Development 

WEBINARS

ACRES Coaching: Facilitating Science Practices

Wednesdays: 09/13/2023, 09/27/2023 10:30 am - 12:30 pm EST/ 7:30 - 9:30 am PST

How can we make sure that our ‘hands-on’ science experiences for youth are also ‘minds on?’ In this module, participants learn how to support youth as they engage in science practices to learn science ideas, including planning and conducting investigations around testable questions. They’ll talk about the similarities and differences between questioning in science versus questioning in engineering contexts. 
*The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort.  Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend.  Completion of the Asking Purposeful Questions module is a prerequisite for this module. REGISTER HERE Code: AC251VC

 

ACRES Coaching: Nurturing STEM Identity and Making Career Connections
Wednesdays: 09/20/2023, 10/04/2023, 10/18/2023 11:00 am - 1:00 pm EST/ 8:00 - 10:00 am PST

How do you help youth recognize their role in STEM? How do you help youth learn about STEM careers? Participants experience several easy-to-implement strategies, including a photo-elicitation activity that can help youth form STEM identities, and then learn how to conduct related activities with youth.

*The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort.  Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend.  Completion of the Asking Purposeful Questions module is a prerequisite for this module. REGISTER HERE Code: AC360ID

ACRES Coaching: Asking Purposeful Questions

Wednesdays: 10/4/2023, 10/18/2023, 11/1/2023 6:00 - 8:00 pm EST / 3:00 - 5:00 pm PST
Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend.

*The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort.
REGISTER HERE Code: AC321PQ

ACRES Coaching: Make Math Engaging

Mondays: 11/13/2023, 11/27/2023, 12/11/2023 2:00 - 4:00 pm EST / 11:00 am - 1:00 pm PST

Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense
and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when
it is integrated into daily routines in our afterschool programs.
In this module, afterschool educators will explore and practice
strategies for making math engaging and accessible.

 

*The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and
an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not
available if you are unable to attend. Completion of the
Asking Purposeful Questions module is a prerequisite for this module.
REGISTER HERE Code: AC343MP

ACRES Coaching: Nurturing STEM Identity and Making Career Connections Mondays: 11/6/2023, 11/20/2023, 12/4/2023 3 - 5PM EST / 11:00 am - 1:00 pm PST

How do you help youth recognize their role in STEM? How do you help youth learn about STEM careers? Participants experience several easy-to-implement strategies, including a photo-elicitation activity that can help youth form STEM identities, and then learn how to conduct related activities with youth.

 

*The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort.  Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend.  Completion of the Asking Purposeful Questions module is a prerequisite for this module. REGISTER HERE Code: AC323ID

 

You’re a Computational Thinker Wednesday September 20th 12:00-1:00 PM EST / 9:00 - 10:00 AM

REGISTER HERE

Learn what computational thinking means and
reflect on the ways in which you are already a
computational thinker. Learn how you can help

youth develop as computational thinkers and
leave with strategies you put into use right away.

Click2Engineering: Engineering Mindset Fall Community of Practice
Thursdays September 14, September 28, October 12, and October 26 2:30 - 3:30 EST / 11:30 AM - 12:30PM PST

REGISTER HERE

 

The Click2Engineering community of practice (CoP) introduces out-of-school time educators to the basics of engineering and leading engineering activities with youth. The CoP is organized around the 10 Practices for an Engineering Mindset, and includes hands-on engineering activities, developing engineering experiences for youth, and learning skills to facilitate engineering practices.  The CoP is 4 meetings over 6 weeks.

Afterschool Math Plus Curriculum Training
Tuesdays: September 19, October 17, and November 28, 2023, 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST

REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

September 19th 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST

  • MusicMath: Unexpected Math, Creating Rhythms, and Making Rhythm Patterns
    Create musical patterns, then repeat the patterns and think about how to represent the patterns using words, pictures, and symbols.

October 17th 1:00-2:00pm EST

  • MusicMath: Composing Music (with Math!)
    Experiment with repeating patterns and create new arrangements using similar sounds in different sequences.

November 14th 1:00-2:00pm EST

  • MusicMath: Discovering Music Fractions
    Identify and represent parts of fractions using music and explore combinations and permutations, or ways of creating variety while still using the same elements.

December 12th 1:00-2:00pm EST

  • MusicMath: Orchestration
    Use fractions to create musical compositions, then perform the compositions using found instruments (pans, boxes, pencils, whistles). Create new combinations and permutations for the music fractions.

Note: Each webinar will include strategies to support a positive Math Identity (e.g., role models, career connections, family connections, literacy connections).

Previous Training Recordings: April, May, June, July, and August

Scientific Adventures for Girls Math Curriculum Training

October 3, 10, and 17th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST

 

Harnessing the Magic of Math

Join us for a dynamic three-part virtual training series designed to breathe life into math through games, through meaningful, kid-friendly data analysis, and nature exploration. Our sessions focus on strategies that accommodate multiple grade levels and ability levels, helping you meet each student where they are. Prepare to turn your after-school program into a vibrant and engaging mathematical journey!

 

  • Session 1: Let’s Play

October 3rd 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST

Delve into the world where play meets mathematics. In this session, we'll explore how common game pieces, such as dominoes and dice, can be transformed into effective math teaching and exploration tools. You'll learn strategies for presenting math concepts in a playful, engaging manner, catering to different grade levels and ability levels. We'll discuss how games can enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and cooperative learning among students.

  • Session 2: Data Detectives

October 10th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST

In our second session, we'll focus on strategies to collect and analyze data in fun and meaningful ways. From measuring the bounce of different balls and exploring exponential decay by eating M&M’s, we'll demonstrate how students can become active participants in the world of gathering and interpreting data.

  • Session 3: Nature’s Numbers: Exploring Shapes & Patterns

October 17th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00 AM PST

In our final session, we will explore the geometric patterns and three-dimensional shapes that exist in the natural world, demonstrating how these can be used to enrich math learning. This session will equip you with strategies to engage all students, from the youngest to the oldest, and from beginner to advanced levels.

 

About Scientific Adventure for Girls: Scientific Adventures for Girls is a non-profit based in the Bay Area that’s

working to change the face of science by introducing girls in elementary school to hands-on STEM learning and removing systematic barriers.

STEM Flights

 

STEM Flights is a national nonprofit organization that combines STEM education with a free flight experience for middle and high school students.  They pair students with Pilot Mentors in their geographic area to receive a flight experience, learn about aviation and STEM careers, and connect with local aviation enthusiasts. Students complete the STEM Flights application, study online aviation and STEM curriculum, and submit a letter of recommendation before they are matched with a pilot.  Student applications are accepted year-round and in all 50 states. 

Our mission is to create positive experiences in aviation and inspire America’s youth to pursue STEM and aviation careers.  If you know a 6th-12th grade student who is interested in the world of STEM or aviation, encourage them to apply today!  To learn more, please visit our website or reach out to stemedu@stemflights.org for additional information.

 

STUDENTS APPLY HERE!  Student Application

VISIT OUR WEBSITE:  www.stemflights.org

No Cost Activities

Activity Playlist

Looking for activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset.

  • Build a Pizza Box Solar Oven - Use easily found materials to create an oven where students can cook s’mores.  The activity answers the question “What has engineering got to do with me?” in a way that is fun.

  • Hands-On Math: Fraction Math Trees - This fun hands-on, kinesthetic and visual approach to learning about fractions produces “math art”.

  • Welcome to Space Math @ NASA - A collection of math videos, books, and activities that are sorted by grade level, science topic, NASA missions, and engineering topics. All activities are based on NASA Mission and projects.

  • STEM Lessons From Space: Mathematics - A collection of math and engineering activities, videos, and resources with a focus on the International Space Station.

  • The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - A collection of fun and easy activities for ages 4-18 that cover a broad spectrum of activities—everything from designing devices to address climate change to coding.

MIZZEN BY MOTT

Supported by the Mott Foundation, Mizzen is available at no cost to afterschool professionals! Download the Mizzen By Mott app to access STEM activities at your finger-touch!  You’ll find it in Mizzen here.

 

Featured Activities & Playlists

  • Playlist: STEAM Activities for Middle School at Home

  • Playlist: STEM Activities for K-5th Grade

  • Balloon Rockets Challenge

RECRUIT STEM EXPERTS AS VOLUNTEERS


 

Less than 50% of high school girls know a woman in a STEM career. Let’s change that - recruit STEM professionals to support the youth you serve today! 

The Moonshot helps to connect STEM experts with OST programs! Share your program’s volunteer opportunities for STEM experts to work with your youth today! Register here to find role models and mentors in STEM.

 

 

 

 

 

Transformative Practices

  • Equity and Inclusion: NGCP Webinar - Breaking Stereotypes through Children's Books - Children benefit greatly from seeing themselves represented in the stories they read. Children's books have the power to counter stereotypes, challenge gender norms, and open minds to new perspectives and ideas. But it can be challenging for educators and caregivers to find quality children’s books that are diverse and representative, especially when it comes to STEM. This webinar recording features Dr. Dieuwertje “DJ” Kast, Ed.D. from the University of Southern California who will talk about her work diversifying STEAM picture books by collaborating with Room to Read on the STEAM-Powered Careers Book Collection, a 10-book series on a variety of groundbreaking and diverse careers in STEAM. This webinar also features Katherine Locke, author of the picture book What Are Your Words?: A Book About Pronouns. What Are Your Words? is a simple and poignant story about finding yourself and serves as a perfect introduction to gender-inclusive pronouns.

  • Engineering Mindset and Math: Elementary & Middle School Math Club Ideas And Activities: From Set Up To Running It If you have always wanted to set up a math club but aren’t quite sure how to do it or what kind of math club activities you could use, then this blog should set you on the right path. Packed with math club ideas, tips and tricks from a teacher with over 20 years experience, after reading this post you will be in good shape to start your own club in no time at all.

  • Role and Models Resource: Hispanic Scientists and Engineers - This site lists the biographies several scientists who are Hispanic with bonus information including career connections and hands-on, minds-on activities for youth

  • Role Models and Mentor Resource: 10 Amazing Latina Women In STEM - To celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, Raising Smart Girls has listed 10 Amazing Latina Women In STEM.

  • STEM Handoffs and Transitions: Brokering Youth Pathways: A Toolkit for Connecting Youth to Future Opportunity from the Hive Research Network shares ways in which various out-of-school educators and professionals have approached the challenge of brokering. We provide a framework, practice briefs and reports that focus on a particular issue or challenge and provide concrete examples, as well as illustrate how our partners worked through designing new brokering routines in partnership with our research team.

ASSETS FROM THE IF/THEN® COLLECTION

These assets feature IF/THEN Ambassador and Spaceflight Engineer, Dana Bolles, and can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, and for conferences presentations.

 

August 2023

Special Opportunities 

Techbridge Girls STEM Equity Learning Community- September - December 2023 
 

Techbridge Girls is excited to announce that applications are
being accepted to All out-of-school time (OST) supervisors and
administrators for programs that serve Black, Indigenous, and
Latina girls and gender-expansive youth are encouraged to apply. 
Participation in the CoP includes 4-5 sessions and stipends.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE.

Techbridge Girls Curriculum Program with Training and Kits

Join us at an upcoming Techbridge Girls Information Session to learn more about our program offering for this Fall! Each of our services equips educators with gender- and culturally-responsive teaching tools and full program kitting materials to support youth persistence in STEM and expose girls to BIPOC peers and role models from STEM fields. Participation includes educator training, all materials and a stipend.

Information Sessions: August 8th at 3pm ET/ noon PST. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE

Teen Science Cafe Moonshot Fellows

Become a Teen Science Café Fellow! Teen Science Cafes are a free, fun way for teens to engage in lively conversations with STEM experts that explore the advances in science and technology that affect their lives. In these events, teens socialize over teen-friendly food and drink and have a lively conversation with local scientists and engineers about current cutting-edge developments in their fields, all in a relaxed and informal out-of-school setting. Teen Science Cafés are for teens, by teens. Teen Science Cafés are not just for the science geeks; they are for all curious teens. Along the way, teen organizers gain a host of leadership skills. Cafés are typically run about an hour and a half once per month during the school year. A $2,500 stipend is provided to selected participants to support the implementation of Teen Science Cafes. APPLY TO BE A TEEN SCIENCE CAFE MOONSHOT FELLOW HERE

Professional Development 

WEBINARS

ACRES Coaching: Elevating Youth Voice and Choice: Mondays: 08/07/2023, 08/21/2023, 09/11/2023
3:00 - 5:00 pm EST/12:00 - 2:00 pm PST

How often do youth in your program get to choose what they’re investigating or designing, the materials they might use, and/or how they engage with the work? In this module, participants try out strategies for elevating youth voice and choice and apply the ideas as they redesign a STEM activity to incorporate a greater variety of youth input. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort.  Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend.  Completion of the Asking Purposeful Questions module is a prerequisite for this module. REGISTER HERE Code: AC251VC

 

Facilitating Science PracticesWednesdays: 08/30/2023, 09/13/2023, 09/27/2023 10:30 am - 12:30 pm EST/ 7:30 - 9:30 am PST

How can we make sure that our ‘hands-on’ science
experiences for youth are also ‘minds on?’ In this
module, participants learn how to support youth as
they engage in science practices to learn science
ideas, including planning and conducting
investigations around testable questions. They’ll talk
about the similarities and differences between
questioning in science versus questioning in
engineering contexts.

 

*The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort.  Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend.  Completion of the Asking Purposeful Questions module is a prerequisite for this module. REGISTER HERE Code: AC251VC

Nurturing STEM Identity and Making Career Connections Wednesdays: 09/20/2023, 10/04/2023, 10/18/2023 11:00 am - 1:00 pm EST/ 8:00 - 10:00 am PST

How do you help youth recognize their role in STEM?
How do you help youth learn about STEM careers?
Participants experience several easy-to-implement
strategies, including a photo-elicitation activity that
can help youth form STEM identities, and then learn
how to conduct related activities with youth.

*The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort.  Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend.  Completion of the Asking Purposeful Questions module is a prerequisite for this module. REGISTER HERE Code: AC360ID

Click2Engineering: Engineering Mindset Fall Community of Practice Thursdays September 14, September 28, October 12, and October 26 2:30 - 3:30 EST / 11:30 AM - 12:30PM PST

REGISTER HERE

 

The Click2Engineering community of practice (CoP) introduces out-of-school time educators to the basics of engineering and leading engineering activities with youth. The CoP is organized around the 10 Practices for an Engineering Mindset, and includes hands-on engineering activities, developing engineering experiences for youth, and learning skills to facilitate engineering practices.  The CoP is 4 meetings over 6 weeks.

 

 

 

You’re a Computational Thinker Wednesday September 20th 12:00-1:00 PM EST / 9:00 - 10:00 AM

REGISTER HERE

Learn what computational thinking means and
reflect on the ways in which you are already a
computational thinker. Learn how you can help

youth develop as computational thinkers and
leave with strategies you put into use right away.

 

Hiring Interns or Teen Leaders for the Summer? Asynchronous Course

Click2ComputerScience’s new course, Teens Learning to Lead, is a great way to help new interns get prepared for working with youth.  It is a leadership course for high school and college-aged people designed for participants to complete on their own, or with a team.  We recommend that teams who will be teaching together over the summer complete the course together. Participants will need a computer and a journal for reflecting on their learning.  The reflection points can be the basis for discussions with a supervisor. mentor or coach that will help participants learn and grow as leaders.

This is a self-directed online learning experience offered at no cost by Click2ComputerScience.  The course is divided into four units with a culminating experience that lets participants apply what they have learned.
See Teens Learning to Lead for yourself.

Afterschool Math Plus Curriculum Training Tuesdays: August 15, September 19, October 17, and November 28, 2023 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST

REGISTER FOR EACH
INDIVIDUAL TRAINING
SESSION HERE

 

Note: Each webinar will include strategies to support a positive Math Identity (e.g., role models, career connections, family connections, literacy connections). Previous Training Recordings: April, May, June

Scientific Adventures for Girls Math Curriculum Training

October 3, 10, and 17th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST

Harnessing the Magic of Math

Join us for a dynamic three-part virtual training series designed to breathe life into math through games, through meaningful, kid-friendly data analysis, and nature exploration. Our sessions focus on strategies that accommodate multiple grade levels and ability levels, helping you meet each student where they are. Prepare to turn your after-school program into a vibrant and engaging mathematical journey!

 

  • Session 1: Let’s Play

October 3rd 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST

Delve into the world where play meets mathematics. In this session, we'll explore how common game pieces, such as dominoes and dice, can be transformed into effective math teaching and exploration tools. You'll learn strategies for presenting math concepts in a playful, engaging manner, catering to different grade levels and ability levels. We'll discuss how games can enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and cooperative learning among students.

  • Session 2: Data Detectives

October 10th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST

In our second session, we'll focus on strategies to collect and analyze data in fun and meaningful ways. From measuring the bounce of different balls and exploring exponential decay by eating M&M’s, we'll demonstrate how students can become active participants in the world of gathering and interpreting data.

  • Session 3: Nature’s Numbers: Exploring Shapes & Patterns

October 17th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00 AM PST

In our final session, we will explore the geometric patterns and three-dimensional shapes that exist in the natural world, demonstrating how these can be used to enrich math learning. This session will equip you with strategies to engage all students, from the youngest to the oldest, and from beginner to advanced levels.

 

About Scientific Adventure for Girls: Scientific Adventures for Girls is a non-profit based in the Bay Area that’s

working to change the face of science by introducing girls in elementary school to hands-on STEM learning and removing systematic barriers.

Scientific Adventures for Girls Math Curriculum Training
October 3, 10, and 17th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST

REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL SESSION HERE

Harnessing the Magic of Math

Join us for a dynamic three-part virtual training series designed to breathe life into math through games, through meaningful, kid-friendly data analysis, and nature exploration. Our sessions focus on strategies that accommodate multiple grade levels and ability levels, helping you meet each student where they are. Prepare to turn your after-school program into a vibrant and engaging mathematical journey!

  • Session 1: Let’s Play

October 3rd 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST 

Delve into the world where play meets mathematics. In this session, we'll explore how common game pieces, such as dominoes and dice, can be transformed into effective math teaching and exploration tools. You'll learn strategies for presenting math concepts in a playful, engaging manner, catering to different grade levels and ability levels. We'll discuss how games can enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and cooperative learning among students.

  • Session 2: Data Detectives

October 10th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST 

In our second session, we'll focus on strategies to collect and analyze data in fun and meaningful ways. From measuring the bounce of different balls and exploring exponential decay by eating M&M’s, we'll demonstrate how students can become active participants in the world of gathering and interpreting data.

  • Session 3: Nature’s Numbers: Exploring Shapes & Patterns

October 17th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST 

In our final session, we will explore the geometric patterns and three-dimensional shapes that exist in the natural world, demonstrating how these can be used to enrich math learning. This session will equip you with strategies to engage all students, from the youngest to the oldest, and from beginner to advanced levels.

 

About Scientific Adventure for Girls: Scientific Adventures for Girls is a non-profit based in the Bay Area that’s 

working to change the face of science by introducing girls in elementary school to hands-on STEM learning and removing systematic barriers.

STEM Flights

 

STEM Flights is a national nonprofit organization that combines STEM education with a free flight experience for middle and high school students.  They pair students with Pilot Mentors in their geographic area to receive a flight experience, learn about aviation and STEM careers, and connect with local aviation enthusiasts. Students complete the STEM Flights application, study online aviation and STEM curriculum, and submit a letter of recommendation before they are matched with a pilot.  Student applications are accepted year-round and in all 50 states. 

Our mission is to create positive experiences in aviation and inspire America’s youth to pursue STEM and aviation careers.  If you know a 6th-12th grade student who is interested in the world of STEM or aviation, encourage them to apply today!  To learn more, please visit our website or reach out to stemedu@stemflights.org for additional information.

 

STUDENTS APPLY HERE!  Student Application

VISIT OUR WEBSITE:  www.stemflights.org

No Cost Activities

Activity Playlist

Looking for activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset.

MIZZEN BY MOTT

Supported by the Mott Foundation, Mizzen is available at no cost to afterschool professionals! Download the Mizzen By Mott app to access STEM activities at your finger-touch!  You’ll find it in Mizzen here.

 

Featured Activities & Playlists

  • Playlist: STEAM Activities for Middle School at Home

  • Playlist: STEM Activities for K-5th Grade

  • Balloon Rockets Challenge

RECRUIT STEM EXPERTS AS VOLUNTEERS


 

Less than 50% of high school girls know a woman in a STEM career. Let’s change that - recruit STEM professionals to support the youth you serve today! 

The Moonshot helps to connect STEM experts with OST programs! Share your program’s volunteer opportunities for STEM experts to work with your youth today! Register here to find role models and mentors in STEM.

 

 

 

 

 

Transformative Practices

  • Equity and Inclusion: Build the capacity of program providers using the “Access to STEM” Framework as a guide to your webinars, professional development, community of practices, or one-on-one conversations. The Framework is packed with strategies and tactics to create inclusive programs and activities for all learners.

  • Equity and Inclusion: Teaching Math to Students with Disabilities can be a rewarding challenge. Many of your students will have struggled with math for several years and will be delighted if math suddenly clicks for them. Here are a few strategies to help you successfully teach this population.

  • Engineering Mindset: National Aviation Day is August 13th! Use the following resources to highlight the connection between Engineering to aviation, flight, and all the STEM involved:

  • Engineering Mindset and Math: Elementary & Middle School Math Club Ideas And Activities: From Set Up To Running It If you have always wanted to set up a math club but aren’t quite sure how to do it or what kind of math club activities you could use, then this blog should set you on the right path. Packed with math club ideas, tips and tricks from a teacher with over 20 years experience, after reading this post you will be in good shape to start your own club in no time at all.

  • Role and Models Resource: Math and Science Mavens highlights some of the most influential women in STEM who have been integral to transforming these ideas into world-changing discoveries and inventions. Check out the seven rock star women from STEM fields, plus classroom activities you can use to help inspire your female students to follow in their footsteps.

  • Role Models and Mentor Resource: National Mentoring Resource Center is a collection of mentoring resources including handbooks, curricula, manuals, and other resources that practitioners can use to implement and further develop program practices.

  • STEM Handoffs and Transitions: Brokering Youth Pathways: A Toolkit for Connecting Youth to Future Opportunity from the Hive Research Network shares ways in which various out-of-school educators and professionals have approached the challenge of brokering. We provide a framework, practice briefs and reports that focus on a particular issue or challenge and provide concrete examples, as well as illustrate how our partners worked through designing new brokering routines in partnership with our research team.

ASSETS FROM THE IF/THEN® COLLECTION

These assets feature IF/THEN Ambassador and Spaceflight Engineer, Dana Bolles, and can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, and for conferences presentations.

 

July 2023

Special Opportunities 

Techbridge Girls Equity and Inclusion Community of Practice: August 10th, September 14, October 12th, November 9th and December 14th

Techbridge Girls is excited to announce that applications are being accepted to join the Fall 2023 STEM Equity Learning Community. All out-of-school time (OST) supervisors and administrators for programs that serve Black, Indigenous, and Latina girls and gender-expansive youth are encouraged to apply. Participation in the CoP includes 5 sessions and stipends. Attend the information session on July 6th at 1pm ET/ 10am PT. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE.

Techbridge Girls Curriculum Program with Training and Kits

Join us at an upcoming Techbridge Girls Information Session to learn more about our program offering for this Fall! Each of our services equips educators with gender- and culturally-responsive teaching tools and full program kitting materials to support youth persistence in STEM and expose girls to BIPOC peers and role models from STEM fields. Participation includes educator training, all materials and a stipend. 

Information Sessions: July 13th at 7pm EST/ 4pm PST and August 8th at 3pm ET/ noon PST. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE

Teen Science Cafe Moonshot Fellows

Become a Teen Science Café Fellow! Teen Science Cafes are a free, fun way for teens to engage in lively conversations with STEM experts that explore the advances in science and technology that affect their lives. In these events, teens socialize over teen-friendly food and drink and have a lively conversation with local scientists and engineers about current cutting-edge developments in their fields, all in a relaxed and informal out-of-school setting. Teen Science Cafés are for teens, by teens. Teen Science Cafés are not just for the science geeks; they are for all curious teens. Along the way, teen organizers gain a host of leadership skills. Cafés are typically run about an hour and a half once per month during the school year. A $2,500 stipend is provided to selected participants to support the implementation of Teen Science Cafes. APPLY TO BE A TEEN SCIENCE CAFE MOONSHOT FELLOW HERE

ACRES Moonshot Virtual STEM Coach
Are you an afterschool leader and looking to build capacity for STEM engagement in your afterschool program? Would you like to train your staff through a live, nationally recognized coaching program? In partnership with the Million Girls Moonshot, the ACRES team is looking for job-secure afterschool program leaders (i.e. Site Directors, Site Coordinators, STEM Specialists, Professional Development and Training staff) who work directly with frontline staff to be trained to become an ACRES Virtual STEM Coach. As an ACRES Virtual STEM Coach, you will build your organization's capacity by training 3 to 6 members of your staff in at least 2 ACRES modules. This is your chance to be part of an educational change on how we train and support educators to facilitate high-quality, engaging STEM that reaches all youth. A $500 stipend is provided for selected participants to attend the training plus $1000 for each of the two cohorts you facilitate. Space is limited.  Applications due July 10th

Professional Development 

WEBINARS

ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions:
Fridays: 07/07/2023, 07/212023, 08/04/2023 1:00 - 3:00 pm EST/10:00 - 12:00 pm PST

Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration.
How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop
their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way
to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators
also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators
across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice. 
This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities.
*The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member
of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend.
REGISTER HERE Code: AC250PQ

ACRES Training Cohort: Elevating Youth Voice and Choice: Mondays: 08/07/2023, 08/21/2023, 09/11/2023
3:00 - 5:00 pm EST/12:00 - 2:00 pm PST

How often do youth in your program get to choose what they’re investigating or designing, the materials they might use, and/or how they engage with the work? In this module, participants try out strategies for elevating youth voice and choice and apply the ideas as they redesign a STEM activity to incorporate a greater variety of youth input. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort.  Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend.  Completion of the Asking Purposeful Questions module is a prerequisite for this module. REGISTER HERE Code: AC251VC

 

ACRES STEM Mico-Credential Workshop:

Thursday, July 20th at 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM EST / 4:30-5:30 PM PST

Wednesday, September 6th at 12:00 PM-1:00 PM EST / 9-10 AM PST

Wednesday, November 8th at 8 PM - 9 PM EST / 5-6 PM PST

ACRES (Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM) is excited to offer workshops about STEM micro-credentials, which are competency-based, digital badges for afterschool and out-of-school professionals offered through the National Afterschool Association. These sessions are free, live, interactive, and one hour in length. REGISTER HERE

Hiring Interns or Teen Leaders for the Summer? Asynchronous Course

Click2ComputerScience’s new course, Teens Learning to Lead, is a great way to help new interns get prepared for working with youth.  It is a leadership course for high school and college-aged people designed for participants to complete on their own, or with a team.  We recommend that teams who will be teaching together over the summer complete the course together. Participants will need a computer and a journal for reflecting on their learning.  The reflection points can be the basis for discussions with a supervisor. mentor or coach that will help participants learn and grow as leaders.

This is a self-directed online learning experience offered at no cost by Click2ComputerScience.  The course is divided into four units with a culminating experience that lets participants apply what they have learned. See Teens Learning to Lead for yourself.

Afterschool Math Plus Curriculum Training
Tuesdays: July 18, August 15, September 19, October 17,
and November 28, 2023 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST

REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

 

 

 

Note: Each webinar will include strategies to support a positive Math Identity (e.g., role models, career connections, family connections, literacy connections). 

Previous Training Recordings: April, May, June
REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

PEAR Program Planning Tool Training 

Tuesday, August 1st and Thursday August 3rd 2:00-3:30 PM ET/ 11:00 AM-12:30 PM PT

The DoS-PPT is a free resource for facilitators of out-of-school and in-school STEM learning programs. The planning tool provides a brief introduction to each dimension of the DoS framework, sample videos, and examples to guide the use of DoS when preparing activity plans for youth. During this training, participants will:

  1. Develop high-level understanding of the DoS Framework, dimensions of quality

  2. Working with the PPT learn how to plan high quality STEM learning experiences using the DoS Program Planning Tool

  3. Work with the newly revised DoS Program Planning Tool to identify and plan for high-quality program and activity planning practices.

REGISTER FOR THE FIRST SESSION HERE

Scientific Adventures for Girls Math Curriculum Training
October 3, 10, and 17th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST

REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL SESSION HERE

Harnessing the Magic of Math

Join us for a dynamic three-part virtual training series designed to breathe life into math through games, through meaningful, kid-friendly data analysis, and nature exploration. Our sessions focus on strategies that accommodate multiple grade levels and ability levels, helping you meet each student where they are. Prepare to turn your after-school program into a vibrant and engaging mathematical journey!

  • Session 1: Let’s Play

October 3rd 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST 

Delve into the world where play meets mathematics. In this session, we'll explore how common game pieces, such as dominoes and dice, can be transformed into effective math teaching and exploration tools. You'll learn strategies for presenting math concepts in a playful, engaging manner, catering to different grade levels and ability levels. We'll discuss how games can enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and cooperative learning among students.

  • Session 2: Data Detectives

October 10th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST 

In our second session, we'll focus on strategies to collect and analyze data in fun and meaningful ways. From measuring the bounce of different balls and exploring exponential decay by eating M&M’s, we'll demonstrate how students can become active participants in the world of gathering and interpreting data.

  • Session 3: Nature’s Numbers: Exploring Shapes & Patterns

October 17th 12:00-1:00PM EST / 9:00-10:00AM PST 

In our final session, we will explore the geometric patterns and three-dimensional shapes that exist in the natural world, demonstrating how these can be used to enrich math learning. This session will equip you with strategies to engage all students, from the youngest to the oldest, and from beginner to advanced levels.

 

About Scientific Adventure for Girls: Scientific Adventures for Girls is a non-profit based in the Bay Area that’s 

working to change the face of science by introducing girls in elementary school to hands-on STEM learning and removing systematic barriers.

No Cost Activities

Activity Playlist

Looking for activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset.

MIZZEN BY MOTT

Are you on the Mizzen by Mott app? Check out the STEM Activities for K-5th in Small Groups playlist, a mix of engineering + science activities! Download the app today: https://app.mizzenapp.org/

Featured Activities & Playlists

  • Mizzen Playlist: STEM Activities for K-5th Grade in Small Groups - This playlist is a great mix of engineering and science activities that are easy and fun for small groups of students.

  • Mizzen Playlist: Science Notebooks for 3rd - 12th Grade - Keeping a notebook can help your students think and act like scientists and engineers. Sample these easy-to-implement strategies and lessons to bring science notebooking into your program.

  • Mizzen Module: S.INQ Up Earth and Space for 6-8th Grade - Earth and Space is an inquiry and exploration-based curriculum that uses hands-on activities focused on the relationships between the earth, the solar system, and human impacts on our global environment.

RECRUIT STEM EXPERTS AS VOLUNTEERS
Less than 50% of high school girls know a woman in a STEM career. Let’s change that - recruit STEM professionals to support the youth you serve today! 

The Moonshot helps to connect STEM experts with OST programs! Share your program’s volunteer opportunities for STEM experts to work with your youth today! Register here to find role models and mentors in STEM.

Transformative Practices

  • Role and Models Resource: Career Girls is a comprehensive video-based career exploration tool for girls featuring diverse women STEM role models. It's free to use and contains 16,000 videos, as well as career quizzes and resources.

  • Role Models and Mentor Resource: National Mentoring Resource Center is a collection of mentoring resources including handbooks, curricula, manuals, and other resources that practitioners can use to implement and further develop program practices.

  • Role Models and Mentors Training Webinar: NGCP celebrated National Mentoring Month in January by highlighting the importance of mentors in empowering girls and young women to actively pursue STEM education and careers. Learn from a panel of speakers including dynamic professionals in STEM who currently serve as mentors and the female students they are mentoring.

  • STEM Pathways and Transitions Toolkit: Brokering Youth Pathways: A Toolkit for Connecting Youth to Future Opportunity from the Hive Research Network shares ways in which various out-of-school educators and professionals have approached the challenge of brokering. We provide a framework, practice briefs and reports that focus on a particular issue or challenge and provide concrete examples, as well as illustrate how our partners worked through designing new brokering routines in partnership with our research team.

ASSETS FROM THE IF/THEN® COLLECTION

These assets feature IF/THEN Ambassador and Spaceflight Engineer, Dana Bolles, and can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, and for conferences presentations.

 

June 2023

Special Opportunities 

National Summer Learning Association’s (NSLA) DiscoverSummer.org offers a nation-wide summer learning registry to help families of all socioeconomic backgrounds find local summer programs for their kids.
Powered by InPlay, program providers across the country are invited to add their program details to the DiscoverSummer.org database. Submit your program details here.

 

This form will permanently close on June 30th, no new submissions will be accepted after that date.

Professional Development 

WEBINARS

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Science Practices:
Wednesdays: 05/31/2023, 06/14/2023, 06/28/2023 3:30 pm-5:30 pm EST/ 12:30-2:30 pm PST

 

How can we make sure that our ‘hands on’ science experiences for youth are also ‘minds on?’ In this module, participants learn how to support youth as they engage in science practices to learn science ideas, including planning and conducting investigations around testable questions. They’ll talk about the similarities and differences between questioning in science versus questioning in engineering contexts. REGISTER HERE Code: AC225SP

 

ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions:
Fridays: 07/072023, 07/212023, 08/04/2023 1:00 - 3:00 pm EST/10:00 - 12:00 pm PST

Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. REGISTER HERE Code: AC250PQ

Training Cohort: Elevating Youth Voice and Choice: Mondays: 08/07/2023, 08/21/2023, 09/11/2023
3:00 - 5:00 pm EST/12:00 - 2:00 pm PST

The Click2Engineering community of practice (CoP)
introduces out-of-school time educators to the basics
of engineering and leading engineering activities with youth.
The CoP is organized around the 10 Practices for an
Engineering Mindset, and includes hands-on
engineering activities, developing engineering experiences
for youth, and learning skills to facilitate engineering practices.
The CoP is four meetings over 8 weeks. REGISTER HERE

 

ACRES STEM Mico-Credential Workshop:

Thursday, July 20th at 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM EST / 4:30-5:30 PM PST

Wednesday, September 6th at 12:00 PM-1:00 PM EST / 9-10 AM PST

Wednesday, November 8th at 8 PM - 9 PM EST / 5-6 PM PST

ACRES (Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM) is excited to offer workshops about STEM micro-credentials, which are competency-based, digital badges for afterschool and out-of-school professionals offered through the National Afterschool Association. These sessions are free, live, interactive, and one hour in length.
REGISTER HERE

Click2Engineering Summer Gathering: Tuesday 6/20/23 2:00-3:00 EST/ 11:00-noon PST

Don’t miss a relaxed opportunity to connect or reconnect with colleagues who are interested in engineering education in out-of-school time programs.  You’ll hear from a national leader in engineering education, find out what is coming up with Click2Engineering community of practice and network with colleagues all with a laid-back summer break atmosphere. REGISTER HERE

Hiring Interns or Teen Leaders for the Summer? Asynchronous Course

Click2ComputerScience’s new course, Teens Learning to Lead, is a great way to help new interns get prepared for working with youth.  It is a leadership course for high school and college-aged people designed for participants to complete on their own, or with a team.  We recommend that teams who will be teaching together over the summer complete the course together. Participants will need a computer and a journal for reflecting on their learning.  The reflection points can be the basis for discussions with a supervisor. mentor or coach that will help participants learn and grow as leaders.

This is a self-directed online learning experience offered at no cost by Click2ComputerScience.  The course is divided into four units with a culminating experience that lets participants apply what they have learned. See Teens Learning to Lead for yourself.

Afterschool Math Plus Curriculum Training
Thursdays: April 18, May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15,
September 19, October 17, and November 28, 2023
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST 

 

Previous Training Recordings: April HERE

REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

 

 

 

Note: Each webinar will include strategies to support a positive Math Identity (e.g., role models, career connections, family connections, literacy connections). 


REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

No Cost Activities

Activity Playlist

Looking for a sequence of activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset. 

  • Celebrating Pride Month in STEM: To celebrate Pride month, we’ve rounded up resources, networks, blogs and more from the Science Council membership.

  • LGBTQ in STEM: A guide that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and more (LGBTQ+) people, organizations, and history in the fields of STEM. The guide includes resources, articles, podcasts, and events.

  • Historical legacy of Juneteenth: Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day and Liberation Day, is an American holiday celebrated annually on June 19. It is the oldest, national commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the U.S. Celebrate with your youth with these resources from the National Museum of African American History.

  • Activities: Celebrate spring with 26 free science and engineering lessons, projects, and activities for enriching hands-on STEM related to spring weather, flowers, plants, and more!

Looking for EVEN More Activities at NASA?!
Activity Toolkit: Engineering is Elementary's NASA Partnership free units - A suite of free NASA-funded STEM resources for students in grades 3-8. All resources are research-based and classroom-tested. They are designed to support students’ understanding of space, while helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.

Recruit STEM Experts as Volunteers!

Less than 50% of high school girls know a woman in a STEM career. Let’s change that - recruit STEM professionals to support the youth you serve today! 

The Moonshot helps to connect STEM experts with OST programs! Share your program’s volunteer opportunities for STEM experts to work with your youth today! Register here to find role models and mentors in STEM.

 

Transformative Practices

  • Website: Three Ways Educators Can Shift the Way They Talk About Science - Blog post with simple suggestions for educators based on research conducted by Amanda Cardarelli at NYU.

  • Website: International Women in Engineering Day - Organized by Women's Engineering Society, the day (June 23, 2023) is an international awareness campaign to raise women's profile in engineering and focus attention on the career opportunities available to girls in engineering.

  • Website: Room to Read STEAM Powered Careers Collection - Room to Read’s STEAM-Powered Careers collection presents 10 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics-themed books to inspire first through third graders about the wide variety of groundbreaking and exciting STEAM careers that they can start exploring right now. Created in collaboration with scientists, staff and faculty from the University of Southern California (USC), the collection explores topics ranging from polar science to gastroenterology to nanotechnology and more.

  • Article: Building a Community for Indigenous Mathematicians - Easy to read article on identifying as an indigenous mathematician and how to become part of a community of mathematicians.

  • Website: June is National Zoo and Aquarium Month - Association of Zoos and Aquariums provides a collection of links including Educator Resources. Many of the websites have educational resources such as videos, wildlife facts, lesson plans, and activities.

  • Toolkit: Brokering Youth Pathways: A Toolkit for Connecting Youth to Future Opportunity 
    from the Hive Research Network - This toolkit shares ways in which various out-of-school educators and professionals have approached the challenge of brokering. We provide a framework, practice briefs and reports that focus on a particular issue or challenge and provide concrete examples, as well as illustrate how our partners worked through designing new brokering routines in partnership with our research team.

ASSETS FROM THE IF/THEN® COLLECTION

These assets feature IF/THEN® Ambassadors Beata Mierzwa, Molecular Biologist and Artist, and Yamilée Toussaint Beach,
Dance Technologist, and can be used in marketing, 
presentations, social media, and conference presentations.

 

May 2023

Professional Development 

WEBINARS

ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions: Wednesdays:  

05/03/2023, 05/17/2023, 05/31/2023 12:00 pm-2:00 pm EST/ 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST

Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. REGISTER HERE Code: AC288PQ

 

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Science Practices:
Wednesdays: 05/31/2023, 06/14/2023, 06/28/2023 3:30 pm-5:30 pm EST/ 12:30-2:30 pm PST

How can we make sure that our ‘hands on’ science experiences for youth are also ‘minds on?’ In this module, participants learn how to support youth as they engage in science practices to learn science ideas, including planning and conducting investigations around testable questions. They’ll talk about the similarities and differences between questioning in science versus questioning in engineering contexts. REGISTER HERE Code: AC225SP

Click2Engineering Spring Community of Practice: May 3, and 17 2023 2:30 pm EST/ 11:30 am PST

The Click2Engineering community of practice (CoP) introduces out-of-school time educators to the basics of engineering and leading engineering activities with youth. The CoP is organized around the 10 Practices for an Engineering Mindset, and includes hands-on engineering activities, developing engineering experiences for youth, and learning skills to facilitate engineering practices.  The CoP is four meetings over 8 weeks. REGISTER HERE

 

Click2ComputerScience Virtual Workshop Hacker Series: May 23, 2023, 1:30-3pm EST/ 10:30-noon PST

How can we make sure that our ‘hands on’ science experiences for youth are also ‘minds on?’ In this module, participants learn how to support youth as they engage in science practices to learn science ideas, including planning and conducting investigations around testable questions. They’ll talk about the similarities and differences between questioning in science versus questioning in engineering contexts. REGISTER HERE Code: AC225SP

 

 

Afterschool Math Plus Curriculum Training
Thursdays: April 18, May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15,
September 19, October 17, and November 28, 2023
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST 

 

 

REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

 

 

 

Note: Each webinar will include strategies to support a positive Math Identity (e.g., role models, career connections, family connections, literacy connections). 


REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

No Cost Activities

Activity Playlist

Looking for a sequence of activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset. 

  • Environmental Science Playlist

    • Activities: A list of dozens of activities on climate change with descriptions, age level, everything you need to know.

    • Role Models: List of 13 inspirng examples of young environmentalist making a difference

    • Activities: Free hands-on activities for families and educators on environmental advocacy, role models, and environmental friendly strategies. 

  • Environmental Science and Engineering: These  20+ free STEM lessons, projects, and activities have been grouped thematically to highlight environmental science challenges and potential STEM-based solutions: Energy, Ecological Footprint, Water, STEM Solutions

  • Activities: Celebrate spring with 26 free science and engineering lessons, projects, and activities for enriching hands-on STEM related to spring weather, flowers, plants, and more!

Looking for EVEN More Activities at NASA?!
Activity Toolkit: Engineering is Elementary's NASA Partnership free units - A suite of free NASA-funded STEM resources for students in grades 3-8. All resources are research-based and classroom-tested. They are designed to support students’ understanding of space, while helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.

Recruit STEM Experts as Volunteers!

 

Less than 50% of high school girls know a woman in a STEM career. Let’s change that - recruit STEM professionals to support the youth you serve today! 

The Moonshot helps to connect STEM experts with OST programs! Share your program’s volunteer opportunities for STEM experts to work with your youth today! Register here to find role models and mentors in STEM.

 

Special Opportunities 

Applications open for Project EDGE Social-Emotional Curriculum Testers!

Project EDGE (Engagement and Development for Girls through Engineering)
is testing and evaluating an OST curriculum that integrates engineering
activities and social-emotional development for youth with
the goal of developing STEM identity and an Engineering Mindset.  
Read about the benefits to educators and youth,
and requirements for participation here.
$1,000 Stipend for program participation.

Applications due May 31, 2023.

Transformative Practices

  • Website: State of Girls and Women in STEM - This updated NGCP resource presents a high-level summary of the most compelling statistics and research on the state of girls and women in STEM, focused on K-12 Education, Higher Education, and the STEM Workforce. The report highlights the impacts of intersectional inequalities, as Latina, Black, and Indigenous women represent less than 10% of the STEM workforce. A toolkit with graphics of these statistics and research is available to use in social media and presentations.

  • Webinar Series: NCWIT Webinar Series: Advising for Future-Ready Careers - NCWIT Counselors for Computing in partnership with Department of Defense STEM is hosting a webinar series for educators, parents/caregivers, and students focused on preparing youth for diverse careers in computing. Participants will gain resources and strategies for engaging youth in computer science experiences and topics, such as machine learning. The next webinar entitled “Support and Strengthen Pre-college STEM Programs” is May 11.

  • Website: Exploring Paleontology to Spark Science Engagement from a Young Age - Learn how to nurture your students’ interest in dinosaurs and increase science engagement beginning in elementary school in this webinar recording. Hear from Dr. Holly Woodward Ballard, an Associate Professor of Anatomy and Paleontology at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, and PK-5th grade teacher Alyssa Barr who shares tips on how to use a book like Lily and Maia to fuel an integrated learning experience. This webinar also featured Audrey O’Connell, co-founder of HSG, who shared the process of developing the Lily and Maia characters and working with the young artist, Grace Hattrup, to ensure scientific accuracy of the paleo elements.

  • Website: Smithsonian Science for Makerspaces - This series of free engineering design challenges engage youth in emerging technologies through hands-on learning. Inspired by Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, these activities bridge formal science education and the makerspace movement by helping educators and teachers engage with digital and physical technologies within the context of STEAM by asking them to make something new.

  • Toolkit: Brokering Youth Pathways: A Toolkit for Connecting Youth to Future Opportunity 
    from the Hive Research Network - This toolkit shares ways in which various out-of-school educators and professionals have approached the challenge of brokering. We provide a framework, practice briefs and reports that focus on a particular issue or challenge and provide concrete examples, as well as illustrate how our partners worked through designing new brokering routines in partnership with our research team.

ASSETS FROM THE IF/THEN® COLLECTION

These assets feature IF/THEN® Ambassadors Beata Mierzwa, Molecular Biologist and Artist, and Yamilée Toussaint Beach,
Dance Technologist, and can be used in marketing, 
presentations, social media, and conference presentations.

 

mgm purposeful questions.png

April 2023

Professional Development 

WEBINARS

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Math Practices Wednesdays: 4/12/2023, 4/26/2023, and 5/10/2023 11:00 AM-1:00 PM EST / 8:00-10:00 am PST

Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when it is integrated into daily routines in our afterschool programs. In this module, afterschool educators will explore and practice strategies for making math engaging and accessible. Asking Purposeful Questions is a prerequisite to this skill. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. REGISTER HERE Code: AC228PQ

 

ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions: Wednesdays:  

05/03/2023, 05/17/2023, 05/31/2023 12:00 pm-2:00 pm EST/ 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST

Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. REGISTER HERE Code: AC288PQ

ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions Mondays: 3/14/2023, 3/28/2023, 4/11/2023 10:00 am-12:00 pm EST/ 7:00-9:00 am PST

Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. REGISTER HERE Code: AC288PQ

 

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Science Practices: Wednesdays: 05/31/2023, 06/14/2023, 06/28/2023 3:30 pm-5:30 pm EST/ 12:30-2:30 pm PST

How can we make sure that our ‘hands on’ science experiences for youth are also ‘minds on?’ In this module, participants learn how to support youth as they engage in science practices to learn science ideas, including planning and conducting investigations around testable questions. They’ll talk about the similarities and differences between questioning in science versus questioning in engineering contexts. REGISTER HERE Code: AC225SP

 

PEAR DIMENSIONS OF SUCCESS (DoS) Training & Certification
April 20, 2023 10:00am-4:00pm EST/ 7:00 am-1:00 pm PST
(Registration deadline is April 6th)
 

Developed by PEAR, the Dimensions of Success (DoS),
is a research-based observation tool that measures
the quality of students’ STEM learning experiences.
The DoS training and certification process involves
a two-day live webinar training, completion of video
calibration exercises, a one-hour live calibration session,
and successful completion of two practice observations
in the field. Certification is provided at no cost Network and program leads affiliated with the Moonshot. REGISTER HERE

Click2Engineering Spring Community of Practice April 5, April 19, May 3, and 17 2023

The Click2Engineering community of practice (CoP) introduces out-of-school time educators to the basics of engineering and leading engineering activities with youth. The CoP is organized around the 10 Practices for an Engineering Mindset, and includes hands-on engineering activities, developing engineering experiences for youth, and learning skills to facilitate engineering practices.  The CoP is four meetings over 8 weeks. REGISTER HERE

Click2CS Virtual Workshop: Supporting Productive Failure April 26, 2023 3:00-4:00 pm EST/ 12:00-1:00 pm PST

Knowing how to help youth see how failure can be productive is critical for developing an engineering mindset. Join this virtual workshop to learn how you can create learning experiences that support youth and help them persist through their frustration and learn from failures. By engaging in authentic engineering work, youth develop engineering identities and the mindset to solve problems and change the world. REGISTER HERE

Afterschool Math Plus Curriculum Training Thursdays: April 18, May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19, October 17, and November 28, 2023 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST 

REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

Note: Each webinar will include strategies to support a positive Math Identity (e.g., role models, career connections, family connections, literacy connections). 


REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

No Cost Activities

Activity Playlist

Looking for a sequence of activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset. 

  • Activity: Make a Candy DNA Model - Each human has a unique DNA sequence and the DNA in all of us is about 99.9% identical! In this activity, youth use pieces of candy to make a model for a short section of DNA—enough to get a sense of what DNA is like and how it encodes life.

  • Activity: As a part of Illumina’s The Future is Bright Campaign celebrating DNA Day, Million Girls Moonshot is partnering to provide a number of resources for programs to celebrate DNA day! Featured opportunities include a Virtual Lab Simulation; a Virtual Field trip; and DNA Decoded, ready to go, lessons and activities for educators!

  • Activity: Investigate Alien Genetics - This activity uses an alien model to demonstrate how genes or physical traits are passed on from parents to their offspring. How similar will alien siblings look? OR Check out Baby Lab and use probability to predict genetic traits.

  • Activity: Effects of Genetic Engineering - Farmers have been using “genetic engineering” for hundreds (maybe thousands!) of years.  They use the seeds of the biggest, tastiest, etc. fruit to plant the next generation of that particular plant.  Have a discussion about the advantages.

  • Activity: Make String from Algae - The seaweed in the ocean (or even eaten as a snack) is inspiring innovators to imagine new materials. Large brown algae, like kelp, contains polymers—long chains of molecules—that are more environmentally friendly than the ones in most plastics. These natural polymers (alginates) could eventually be used to create sustainable everyday objects. Try your hand at using a bit of chemistry to turn biodegradable polymers from algae into custom string!

Looking for EVEN More Activities at NASA?!
Activity Toolkit: Engineering is Elementary's NASA Partnership free units - A suite of free NASA-funded STEM resources for students in grades 3-8. All resources are research-based and classroom-tested. They are designed to support students’ understanding of space, while helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.

Recruit STEM Experts as Volunteers!

Less than 50% of high school girls know a woman in a STEM career. Let’s change that - recruit STEM professionals to support the youth you serve today! 

The Moonshot helps to connect STEM experts with OST programs! Share your program’s volunteer opportunities for STEM experts to work with your youth today! Register here to find role models and mentors in STEM.

 

DNA DAY  

  • Resource Library: 23 and Me Educator Resources - Find a list of picture books on DNA and more information about the 23andMe Education Program, which is designed to support and advanced genetics education. By joining the community, educators and students will receive important updates from the 23andMe Education team about new educational resources, events, programs, and opportunities to engage with 23andMe.

  • Lesson Plan: Teach Engineering Lesson Plan: DNA - In this lesson for grades 5-7 students work through an example showing how DNA provides the "recipe" for making human body proteins. They see how the pattern of nucleotide bases (adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine) forms the double helix ladder shape of DNA and serves as the code for the steps required to make genes. Students extend their knowledge by conducting the associated activities to learn ways that engineers and scientists are applying their understanding of DNA in our world.

  • Coding Resources: Boston College Bioengineering Curriculum Resources - CRISPEE is a tangible tool for young children ages 5-8 to explore the metaphor of a coding language for living organisms. Through developmentally appropriate tools and curriculum resources, children can explore concepts from bioengineering and gene editing. Access free resources from the NSF-funded CRISPEE project on this page.

Special Opportunities 

Applications open for NASA SPARX Educator Beta Testers!

NASA SPARX (Sparking Participation and Real-world eXperiences in STEM), from NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement’s Next Gen STEM project, utilizes engineering design activities to connect students to STEM in a way only NASA can! SPARX provides educators with a collection of hands-on activities based on national standards, related training resources, and live virtual connections with NASA scientists and engineers to help improve student STEM literacy and identity. We invite educators to apply to beta test these exciting resources during summer 2023! Read about the benefits to educators and youth, and requirements for participation here. $200 Stipend for program participation.

Applications due April 7, 2023

Transformative Practices

  • Resource Library: Earth Day Education - Browse resources to guide your environmental education lessons and stewardship activities on Earth Day and throughout the year. These resources can be adapted to a variety of ages and settings.

  • Toolkit: Math Equity Toolkit - This toolkit layers professional development into “Strides” that educators can take along a path to equitable education. Topics include Dismantling Racism in Mathematics Instruction and Creating Conditions to Thrive.

  • Toolkit: Brokering Youth Pathways: A Toolkit for Connecting Youth to Future Opportunity from the Hive Research Network - This toolkit shares ways in which various out-of-school educators and professionals have approached the challenge of brokering. We provide a framework, practice briefs and reports that focus on a particular issue or challenge and provide concrete examples, as well as illustrate how our partners worked through designing new brokering routines in partnership with our research team.

ASSETS FROM THE IF/THEN® COLLECTION

These assets feature IF/THEN® Ambassadors Beata Mierzwa, Molecular Biologist and Artist, and Yamilée Toussaint Beach,
Dance Technologist, and can be used in marketing, 
presentations, social media, and conference presentations.

 

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March 2023

Professional Development 

WEBINARS

Exploring Engineering as a Career with Jobs for the Future March 13th 11:00-12:15 pm PST / 2:00-3:15 pm EST

Join Jobs for the Future (JFF) as they unpack Possible Futures, a no cost career exploration curriculum for learners in grades 6 through 10, consisting of six units that help learners: develop essential employability skills, explore STEM occupations, and better understand themselves and the world of work. In this webinar, participants will dive into the Engineering unit — a series of twelve lessons that help youth explore the role of engineering professionals as they tackle engineering challenges based on relevant, real-world problems. Participants will leave with everything you need to implement the lessons with youth: digital copy of the 12 lessons, facilitator guide, lesson materials, and youth worksheets. REGISTER HERE.

 

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Math Practices Wednesdays: 4/12/2023, 4/26/2023, and 5/10/2023 11:00 AM-1:00 PM EST / 8:00-10:00 am PST

Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when it is integrated into daily routines in our afterschool programs. In this module, afterschool educators will explore and practice strategies for making math engaging and accessible. Asking Purposeful Questions is a prerequisite to this skill. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. REGISTER HERE Code: AC228PQ

ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions Mondays: 3/14/2023, 3/28/2023, 4/11/2023 10:00 am-12:00 pm EST/ 7:00-9:00 am PST

Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. REGISTER HERE Code: AC288PQ

 

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Engineering Practices Thursdays: 3/16/2023, 3/30/2023, and 4/13/2023 10:00 AM-12:00 PM EST

Engineering has become a staple of STEM programming for youth. How can we confidently bring engineering into our programming and support youth as they engage in problem-solving? In this module, you’ll gain first-hand experience with engineering by solving a design problem. As a participant, you’ll examine the components of the engineering design process and discuss ways to model the process with youth. Asking Purposeful Questions is a prerequisite to this skill. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. REGISTER HERE. Code: AC289EP

 

PEAR DIMENSIONS OF SUCCESS (DoS) Training & Certification
April 20, 2023 10:00am-4:00pm EST/ 7:00 am-1:00 pm PST
(Registration deadline is April 6th)
 

Developed by PEAR, the Dimensions of Success (DoS),
is a research-based observation tool that measures
the quality of students’ STEM learning experiences.
The DoS training and certification process involves
a two-day live webinar training, completion of video
calibration exercises, a one-hour live calibration session,
and successful completion of two practice observations
in the field. Certification is provided at no cost Network and
program leads affiliated with the Moonshot. REGISTER HERE

PEAR DIMENSIONS OF SUCCESS (DoS) Recertification March 28, 2023 1:00-2:30 pm EST/ 10:00-11:30 am PST 

Please note that observers that have been certified for two or more years need to complete recertification to make sure they are continuing to use the tool reliably. REGISTER HERE

Click2Engineering Spring Community of Practice April 5, April 19, May 3, and 17 2023

The Click2Engineering community of practice (CoP) introduces out-of-school time educators to the basics of engineering and leading engineering activities with youth. The CoP is organized around the 10 Practices for an Engineering Mindset, and includes hands-on engineering activities, developing engineering experiences for youth, and learning skills to facilitate engineering practices.  The CoP is four meetings over 8 weeks. REGISTER HERE

Click2CS Virtual Workshop: Supporting Productive Failure April 26, 2023 3:00-4:00 pm EST/ 12:00-1:00 pm PST

Knowing how to help youth see how failure can be productive is critical for developing an engineering mindset. Join this virtual workshop to learn how you can create learning experiences that support youth and help them persist through their frustration and learn from failures. By engaging in authentic engineering work, youth develop engineering identities and the mindset to solve problems and change the world. REGISTER HERE

Afterschool Math Plus Curriculum Training Thursdays: April 18, May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19, October 17, and November 28, 2023 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST 

REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

Note: Each webinar will include strategies to support a positive Math Identity (e.g., role models, career connections, family connections, literacy connections). 


REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

No Cost Activities

Activity Playlist

Looking for a sequence of activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset. 

Civil Engineering: Civil Engineers manage, design, develop, create, and maintain projects.  design roads, bridges, airports and structures that improve daily life.

  • Activity: Build the Best Paper Bridge - Bridges come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  Use this simple activity to demonstrate civil engineering design. 

  • Role Model Example: Alecia Boler Davis - Mrs. Davis is a civil engineer who is known for her skills in Operations and Engineering.  In 2016 she became Executive Vice President of global manufacturing. 

 

Biomedical Engineering: Biomedical engineers combine engineering principles with medical and biological sciences to design and create equipment, devices, computer systems, and software used in healthcare.

  • Activity: My Mechanical Ear Can Hear! - Worn by young and old, hearing aids are electronic devices that amplify sound at different levels for different pitches. Students are introduced to the types of biomedical devices that engineers have designed to aid people with this physical disability. 

  • Role Model Example: Lisa Goel - Mrs. Goel is a Vice President, Technology Operations & Business Innovations

at Nanobiosym.

 

Electrical Engineering: Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. 

  • Activity: Measure Static Electricity With An Electroscope! - Youth explore how well materials around the house produce static electricity by making a simple, homemade electroscope (an instrument that detects electric charges) and testing it out.

  • Role Model Example: Carlotta A. Berry, PhD - Dr Berry is an electrical engineer who also works in robotics at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. She specializes in human-robot interaction, human-robot interfaces, robotics education, mobile robotics, diversity in STEM.  She is part of the Black in Robotics Speakers Bureau 

Looking for EVEN More Activities at NASA?!
Activity Toolkit: Engineering is Elementary's NASA Partnership free units - A suite of free NASA-funded STEM resources for students in grades 3-8. All resources are research-based and classroom-tested. They are designed to support students’ understanding of space, while helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.

Recruit STEM Experts as Volunteers!

Less than 50% of high school girls know a woman in a STEM career. Let’s change that - recruit STEM professionals to support the youth you serve today! 

VolunteerMatch attracts more than 1M site visits each month, and is easily one of the best ways to find strong role models for the youth you serve.

The Moonshot has partnered with VolunteerMatch to connect STEM experts with OST programs! Create a free VolunteerMatch account and post volunteer opportunities to work with your youth today! Register here to find role models and mentors in STEM.

Women's History Month  

  • A Mighty Girl "16 Women Scientists You Should Know" - In this blog post, we're sharing the stories of 16 historic female scientists who have blazed new trails in their disciplines. From determining the size of the universe to unlocking the secrets of the genetic code, these women have forever changed the way we see our world. 

  • National Women's History Museum Digital Classroom Resources - Explore classroom-ready resources created by the Museum and through the "For Educators, by Educators" initiative.  There are lesson plans, biographies, posters, primary sources, and more. You can search by topic, theme, or resource type. Select "STEM" from the topic menu for STEM-relevant resources.

  • Not the Science Type Docuseries - Not The Science Type gets to the heart of access and gender inequity in STEM education and STEM fields. This four-part docu-series features four female scientists who are challenging stereotypes and confronting gender, racial, and age discrimination as they rise to prominence.

Special Opportunities 

Early Access to Free DNA Kits to Celebrate DNA Day!

Afterschool programs connected with the Moonshot get EARLY ACCESS to Illumina’s DNA kits! Every year, Illumina celebrates DNA Day throughout the month of April. Together with schools, districts and nonprofit partners, they provide educational programs and activities for all grade levels.

Illumina is providing “Moonshot educators” the materials and support to guide meaningful learning experiences for youth to discover the power of genomics. Visit their DNA Day site to receive illumina’s genomics learning materials/DNA Kits and learn more about available resources. 

 

     Early Access Code: Million Girls Moonshot

Transformative Practices

  • Toolkit: Math Equity Toolkit - This toolkit layers professional development into “Strides” that educators can take along a path to equitable education. Topics include Dismantling Racism in Mathematics Instruction and Creating Conditions to Thrive.

  • Website: Math Communities – Students, parents, and educators coming together to play with math!  Math Communities creates a virtual community that provides free access to joyful collaborative activities designed by professional mathematicians and math educators  for K-12 students, educators, and families. There are lots of ways to communicate with other folks interested in math.

  • Toolkit: Brokering Youth Pathways: A Toolkit for Connecting Youth to Future Opportunity  from the Hive Research Network - This toolkit shares ways in which various out-of-school educators and professionals have approached the challenge of brokering. We provide a framework, practice briefs and reports that focus on a particular issue or challenge and provide concrete examples, as well as illustrate how our partners worked through designing new brokering routines in partnership with our research team.

ASSETS FROM THE IF/THEN® COLLECTION

These assets feature IF/THEN® Ambassadors Beata Mierzwa, Molecular Biologist and Artist, and Yamilée Toussaint Beach,
Dance Technologist, and can be used in marketing, 
presentations, social media, and conference presentations.

 

  • Ambassador Profile, Beata Mierzwa 

  • Ambassador Profile, Yamilée Toussaint Beach

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February 2023

Professional Development 

WEBINARS

ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions Mondays: 2/13/2023, 2/27/2023 & 3/13/2023 10:00 AM-12:00 PM EST

Questions begin a path towards discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. REGISTER HERE: Use the code AC227PQ

 

Click2Engineering Winter Community of Practice February 1st, 15th, March 1st and 15th 4:00-5:30 PM ET

The Click2Engineering community of practice (CoP) introduces out-of-school time educators to the basics of engineering and leading engineering activities with youth. The CoP is organized around the 10 Practices for an Engineering Mindset, and includes hands-on engineering activities, developing engineering experiences for youth, and learning skills to facilitate engineering practices.  The CoP sessions are as follows: 1) Using a Systematic Engineering Design Process; 2) Work in Teams; 3) Identify as Engineers; 4) Equity. REGISTER HERE.

 

Click2Engineering Virtual Workshop:
Connecting Computational Thinking and the Engineering Mindset

February 21st 11:30 AM-12:30 PM ET 

Out-of-school programs have the capacity to encourage youth
to engage in computational thinking and practices that support
an engineering mindset.  This virtual workshop explores how the
practices that support computational thinking intersect and support
the practices for developing and engineering mindset,
and how both provide problem-solving strategies that help
prepare youth for their future. REGISTER HERE

Girls in STEM: A (Data-based) Tale of Confidence & Satisfaction
with National Girls Collaborative Project February 21st 9:00-10:30 am PST / 12:00-1:30 pm EST.  

What attracts female-identifying students to STEM fields, particularly those that use digital technologies, and what distances them from these fields? Join NGCP in collaboration with Gender Scan on 2/21/23 as we explore what data tells us about the importance of educators, parents, and peers in order to engage, retain, and fulfill women and girls in technology fields, and STEM in general. REGISTER HERE.

ENGAGING GIRLS IN HANDS ON ENGINEERING with Scientific Adventures for Girls February 21st 9:00-10:15 am PST / 12:00-1:15 pm EST

Join Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAfG) in a three part curriculum training series focused on their no cost, open-sourced curriculum aimed to engage and excite more girls in engineering and design.

 

In this first session, participants will learn strategies to: 

  1. Build a high quality afterschool STEM
    program specifically for girls in K-6th grades

  2. Plan for inquiry and components of the
    engineering design process — hands-on planning,
    creating, testing, redesigning, and reflection

  3. Design a youth centered environment
    with a strong SEL - STEM component

 

Participants will leave the series with four engineering design projects and a materials list that they can implement with youth immediately. Participants will also be given access to additional engineering and design projects through SAfG. REGISTER FOR THE FIRST SESSION HERE.

February 28th 9:00-10:15 am PST / 12:00-1:15 pm EST

Join Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAfG) in a three part curriculum training series focused on their no cost, open-sourced curriculum aimed to engage and excite more girls in engineering and design.

 

In this second session, participants will walk through two specific, no cost, hands on Product Design Lessons. In the first lesson, “Light Up Your Art”, students will learn about circuits and use that knowledge to design a piece of light up art or greeting card. In the second lesson, “Your Cookies Have Shipped”, students will gain understanding of product packaging & design and work to create packaging for cookies that will pass three stress tests. They will also learn about constraints during the design process having limited “money” for materials and limited materials supply - incorporating math concepts into the lesson. Participants will leave this session with two specific Product Design Lessons with a materials list that can be implemented immediately with youth. First session recording here. ZOOM LOGIN INFORMATION GIVEN AFTER ATTENDING FIRST SESSION.

March 7 9:00-10:15 am PST / 12:00-1:15 pm EST

Join Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAfG) in a three part curriculum training series focused on their no cost, open-sourced curriculum aimed to engage and excite more girls in engineering and design.


In this third session, participants will walk through two specific, no cost, on Product Design Lessons. In the first lesson, the “Toy Design Challenge,” students will have to design and prototype a toy that can effectively pass through a “maze” and ring a bell. This lesson will focus on redesign and testing. For the second lesson, “Bionic Hand”, students will be supported by the teacher to understand the basic design of a bionic finger and use that experience to create their own bionic hand that can function during testing at the end of the lesson. Participants will leave this session with two more specific Product Design Lessons with a materials list that can be implemented immediately with youth. First session recording here, second session recording here. ZOOM LOGIN INFORMATION GIVEN AFTER ATTENDING FIRST SESSION.

Exploring Engineering as a Career with Jobs for the Future March 13th 11:00-12:15 pm PST / 2:00-3:15 pm ESTT

Join Jobs for the Future (JFF) as they unpack Possible Futures, a no cost career exploration curriculum for learners in grades 6 through 10, consisting of six units that help learners: develop essential employability skills, explore STEM occupations, and better understand themselves and the world of work. In this webinar, participants will dive into the Engineering unit — a series of twelve lessons that help youth explore the role of engineering professionals as they tackle engineering challenges based on relevant, real-world problems. Participants will leave with everything you need to implement the lessons with youth: digital copy of the 12 lessons, facilitator guide, lesson materials, and youth worksheets. REGISTER HERE.

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Engineering Practices Thursdays: 3/16/2023, 3/30/2023, and 4/13/2023 10:00 AM-12:00 PM EST
Engineering has become a staple of STEM programming for youth.

How can we confidently bring engineering into our programming
and support youth as they engage in problem-solving? In this module,
you’ll gain first-hand experience with engineering by solving a design problem.
As a participant, you’ll examine the components of the engineering
design process and discuss ways to model the process with youth.
Asking Purposeful Questions is a prerequisite to this skill.
*
The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. REGISTER HERE.

No Cost Activities

Activity Playlist

Looking for a sequence of activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset. Note: The following two sets of activities last 5-8 sessions. The first requires hardware and the second does not in case your program does not have access.

  • Lesson 1-3: Educator Guide: Explore Mars With Scratch | NASA/JPL Edu Grades 3-8, requires hardware, multiple sessions - This activity is divided into multiple sections. The first section is an introduction to setting up a Mars rover game using the Scratch programming language. It can be completed as a stand-alone lesson, or in conjunction with several other sections, depending on student and teacher familiarity with Scratch and block-based programming languages. 

  • Lesson 4-6: Educator Guide: Mars Rover Driver Board Game | NASA/JPL Edu 
    Grades 3-8 No hardware required, multiple sessions. In this board-game lesson,
    students play the roles of a Mars rover, scientist, and engineer to make
    exploration decisions and accomplish science goals. Students learn to write
    basic command sequences, which lay the groundwork for developing computer
    programming skills.  Includes a variety of videos and other resources to learn about computing and Mars.

Looking for EVEN More Activities at NASA?! Activity Toolkit: Engineering is Elementary's NASA Partnership free units - A suite of free NASA-funded STEM resources for students in grades 3-8. All resources are research-based and classroom-tested. They are designed to support students’ understanding of space, while helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.

Recruit STEM Experts as Volunteers!

Less than 50% of high school girls know a woman in a STEM career. Let’s change that - recruit STEM professionals to support the youth you serve today! 

VolunteerMatch attracts more than 1M site visits each month, and is easily one of the best ways to find strong role models for the youth you serve.

The Moonshot has partnered with VolunteerMatch to connect STEM experts with OST programs! Create a free VolunteerMatch account and post volunteer opportunities to work with your youth today! Register here to find role models and mentors in STEM.

Engineering Week  

  • Discover Engineering Downloadable Resources - A Collection of resources for your Engineers Week and Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day events and activities! Download logos, ads, graphics, certificates, bookmarks, and customizable language you can share.

  • NGCP "10 Ways to Support Girls in STEM in 2023" - A list of 10 simple ways you can support girls in STEM in 2023, along with the necessary resources to help you. Information for addressing stereotypes, introducing role models, exploring coding, and more are included in this helpful NGCP resource that can be used to kickstart your Engineering Week and beyond.

  • National Science Foundation’s  Engineering Classroom Resources - This collection of lessons and web resources curated by the NSF is aimed at classroom teachers, their students, and student's families.

  • The STEAM Playbook - NGCP partnered with The Genius of Play to bring this collection of play ideas and ready-to-use activities to help spark a child’s interest in these critical subjects. Check out the activities specific to Engineering to help plan your Engineering Week

  • PBS Kids Engineering Games - Collection of free engineering-focused games from PBS Kids

Special Opportunites

NASA Inspires Futures for Tomorrow’s Youth (NIFTY) Applications due February 18, 2023

Looking to leverage your STEM programs for youth (ages 9-14) by connecting with NASA STEM Role Models?The NIFTY project is seeking 20 partners to provide NASA-themed STEM programs for underrepresented youth ages 9-14 (with a focus on girls and youth of color). Selected partners will receive $5,000, professional development for two staff, space science STEM activities and materials to support running two programs, one July-December 2023 and the other January-June 2025. The NIFTY project is funded by NASA.

Transformative Practices

  • Professional Development Guide For Staff: The National Center for Quality Afterschool Math in Afterschool - The National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning developed professional development guides for four content areas of the toolkit: literacy, math, technology, and the arts.

  • Activity Toolkit: Growing Math - Provides ready-to-roll-out lessons and games combining math, agricultural science and Indigenous history and culture that can be easily used in classrooms, via hybrid models or through distance learning. The project will provide resources, curriculum, training and tech support to teachers and students in Grades 3-8 at schools in six states: Arizona, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon and South Dakota. For schools in the region, all participation and resources are supported through USDA funds.

  • Toolkit: Engaging Families in Mathematics Education - Families are a child’s first educator and this role does not halt on day one of school. Families lay the foundation for future educational success. Researchers have identified four best practices for engaging families effectively in mathematics education.

  • Educator Guide: STEM Activities for Families - Easy to implement engaging activities for families (as a follow up to after school activities.)

  • Toolkit: Brokering Youth Pathways: A Toolkit for Connecting Youth to Future Opportunity  from the Hive Research Network - This toolkit shares ways in which various out-of-school educators and professionals have approached the challenge of brokering. We provide a framework, practice briefs and reports that focus on a particular issue or challenge and provide concrete examples, as well as illustrate how our partners worked through designing new brokering routines in partnership with our research team.

ASSETS FROM THE IF/THEN® COLLECTION

These assets feature IF/THEN® Ambassadors like J’Tia Hart, Nuclear Engineer, Catie Cuan, Roboticist (Mechanical Engineer) and many more! These ambassadors and can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, and conference presentations. See more media content here.

 

January 2023

Professional Development 

ACRES

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Engineering Practices Dates: 12:00 PM-2:00 PM EST on the following Tuesdays: 1/10/2023, 1/24/2023 & 2/7/2023

Engineering has become a staple of STEM programming for youth. How can we confidently bring engineering into our programming and support youth as they engage in problem-solving? In this module, you’ll  gain first-hand experience with engineering by solving a design problem. As a participant, you’ll examine the components of the engineering design process and discuss ways to model the process with youth. Asking Purposeful Questions is a prerequisite to this skill. Register: Use the code AC285EP

 

ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions Dates: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM EST on the following Mondays: 2/13/2023, 2/27/2023 & 3/13/2023

Questions begin a path towards discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Register: Use the code AC227PQ

 

Click2Computer Science Virtual Workshop: Developing Computational Thinking in Afterschool January 17th 1:30-2:30 PM ET 

Computational thinking builds problem-solving strategies
to help youth prepare for their future.
Computational thinking can be a game changer for young people
when they learn problem solving skills with computers.
This virtual workshop focuses on practice strategies for developing a
computationally rich environment in afterschool – with or without
computers – and resources so you can get started right away.

Quality STEM Webinar: Dimensions of Success Program Planning Tool
January 23rd and 25th 10:30 - 12:00 PM PT 1:30 - 3:00 PM ET
(register by January 5, 2023)  

The DoS-PPT is a free resource for facilitators of out-of-school and in-school STEM learning programs. The planning tool provides a brief introduction to each dimension of the DoS framework, sample videos,
and examples to guide the use of DoS when preparing activity plans for youth.
During this training, participants will:

  1. Develop high-level understanding of the DoS Framework, dimensions of quality

  2. Working with the PPT learn how to plan high quality STEM learning experiences using the DoS Program Planning Tool

  3. Work with the newly revised DoS Program Planning Tool to identify and plan for high-quality program and activity planning practices.

 

Click2Engineering Winter Community of Practice February 1st, 15th and March 1st and 15th 4:00-5:30 PM ET

The Click2Engineering community of practice
CoP) introduces out-of-school time educators
to the basics of engineering and leading engineering
activities with youth. The CoP is organized around the
10 Practices for an Engineering Mindset, and includes
hands-on engineering activities, developing engineering
experiences for youth, and learning skills to facilitate
engineering practices.  The CoP sessions are as follows:
1) Using a Systematic Engineering Design Process; 2) Work in Teams; 3) Identify as Engineers; 4) Equity.

 

Click2Engineering Virtual Workshop: Connecting Computational Thinking and the Engineering Mindset
February 21st 11:30 AM-12:30 PM ET 

Out-of-school programs have the capacity to encourage youth to engage in
computational thinking and practices that support an engineering mindset. 
This virtual workshop explores how the practices that support
computational thinking intersect and support the practices for developing
and engineering mindset, and how both provide problem-solving strategies
that help prepare youth for their future. 

 

No Cost Training on Curriculum

ENGAGING GIRLS IN HANDS ON ENGINEERING with Scientific Adventures for Girls February 21st 9:00-10:15 am PST / 12:00-1:15 pm EST

Join Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAfG) in a three part curriculum training series focused on their no cost, open-sourced curriculum aimed to engage and excite more girls in engineering and design.

 

In this first session, participants will learn strategies to: 

  1. Build a high quality afterschool STEM
    program specifically for girls in K-6th grades

  2. Plan for inquiry and components of the
    engineering design process — hands-on planning,
    creating, testing, redesigning, and reflection

  3. Design a youth centered environment
    with a strong SEL - STEM component

 

Participants will leave the series with four engineering design projects and a materials list that they can implement with youth immediately. Participants will also be given access to additional engineering and design projects through SAfG. REGISTER FOR THE FIRST SESSION HERE.

February 28th 9:00-10:15 am PST / 12:00-1:15 pm EST

Join Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAfG) in a three part curriculum training series focused on their no cost, open-sourced curriculum aimed to engage and excite more girls in engineering and design.

 

In this second session, participants will walk through two specific, no cost, hands on Product Design Lessons. In the first lesson, “Light Up Your Art”, students will learn about circuits and use that knowledge to design a piece of light up art or greeting card. In the second lesson, “Your Cookies Have Shipped”, students will gain understanding of product packaging & design and work to create packaging for cookies that will pass three stress tests. They will also learn about constraints during the design process having limited “money” for materials and limited materials supply - incorporating math concepts into the lesson. Participants will leave this session with two specific Product Design Lessons with a materials list that can be implemented immediately with youth. First session recording here. ZOOM LOGIN INFORMATION GIVEN AFTER ATTENDING FIRST SESSION.

March 7 9:00-10:15 am PST / 12:00-1:15 pm EST

Join Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAfG) in a three part curriculum training series focused on their no cost, open-sourced curriculum aimed to engage and excite more girls in engineering and design.


In this third session, participants will walk through two specific, no cost, on Product Design Lessons. In the first lesson, the “Toy Design Challenge,” students will have to design and prototype a toy that can effectively pass through a “maze” and ring a bell. This lesson will focus on redesign and testing. For the second lesson, “Bionic Hand”, students will be supported by the teacher to understand the basic design of a bionic finger and use that experience to create their own bionic hand that can function during testing at the end of the lesson. Participants will leave this session with two more specific Product Design Lessons with a materials list that can be implemented immediately with youth. First session recording here, second session recording here. ZOOM LOGIN INFORMATION GIVEN AFTER ATTENDING FIRST SESSION.

Possible Futures Possible Selves: Engineering Module March 13th 11:00-12:15 pm PST / 2:00-3:15 pm EST

Join Jobs for the Future (JFF) as they unpack Possible Futures, a no cost career exploration curriculum for learners in grades 6 through 10, consisting of six units that help learners: develop essential employability skills, explore STEM occupations, and better understand themselves and the world of work. In this webinar, participants will dive into the Engineering unit — a series of twelve lessons that help youth explore the role of engineering professionals as they tackle engineering challenges based on relevant, real-world problems. Participants will leave with everything you need to implement the lessons with youth: digital copy of the 12 lessons, facilitator guide, lesson materials, and youth worksheets. REGISTER HERE.

No Cost Activities

Activity Playlist

Looking for a sequence of activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset. Note: The following two sets of activities last 5-8 sessions. The first requires hardware and the second does not in case your program does not have access.

  • Lesson 1-3: Educator Guide: Explore Mars With Scratch | NASA/JPL Edu Grades 3-8, requires hardware, multiple sessions - This activity is divided into multiple sections. The first section is an introduction to setting up a Mars rover game using the Scratch programming language. It can be completed as a stand-alone lesson, or in conjunction with several other sections, depending on student and teacher familiarity with Scratch and block-based programming languages. 

  • Lesson 4-6: Educator Guide: Mars Rover Driver Board Game | NASA/JPL Edu 
    Grades 3-8 No hardware required, multiple sessions. In this board-game lesson,
    students play the roles of a Mars rover, scientist, and engineer to make
    exploration decisions and accomplish science goals. Students learn to write
    basic command sequences, which lay the groundwork for developing computer
    programming skills.  Includes a variety of videos and other resources to learn about computing and Mars.

Looking for EVEN More Activities at NASA?! Activity Toolkit: Engineering is Elementary's NASA Partnership free units - A suite of free NASA-funded STEM resources for students in grades 3-8. All resources are research-based and classroom-tested. They are designed to support students’ understanding of space, while helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.

Recruit STEM Experts as Volunteers!

Less than 50% of high school girls know a woman in a STEM career. Let’s change that - recruit STEM professionals to support the youth you serve today! 

VolunteerMatch attracts more than 1M site visits each month, and is easily one of the best ways to find strong role models for the youth you serve. 

The Moonshot has partnered with VolunteerMatch to connect STEM experts with OST programs! Create a free VolunteerMatch account and post volunteer opportunities to work with your youth today! Register here to find role models and mentors in STEM. 

Supported by the Mott Foundation, Mizzen is available at no cost to afterschool professionals!   
You’ll find it in Mizzen here. 

 

Featured Activities & Playlists

  • Mizzen Activity: Beach Ball Math

  • Mizzen Playlist: STEM Activities for 9-12th Grades - Students engage in science and engineering activities that contain accessible materials.

  • Mizzen Playlist: STEM Activities for K-5th Grade in Small Groups - This playlist is a great mix of engineering and science activities that are easy and fun for small groups of kids K-5th.

No Cost Additional Resources

  • Educator Guide: Educator Guide: STEM Activities for Families | NASA/JPL Edu Easy to implement engaging activities for families (as a follow up to after school activities.)

  • Resources for Mentoring Month
    -Career Girls - A comprehensive video-based career exploration tool for girls featuring diverse women STEM role models. It's free to use and contains 16,000 videos, as well as career quizzes and resources.
    -FabFems - A collection of resources for role models, educators, and parents to inspire and educate girls about science, computer science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses and careers. The website includes Resources for Role Models and Resources for Girls.
    -National Mentoring Resource Center - A collection of mentoring resources including handbooks, curricula, manuals, and other resources that practitioners can use to implement and further develop program practices.
    -Techbridge Role Model Training and Resources - These resources are for adult or near-peer role models to develop skills for engaging girls and historically excluded youth in STEM through guides, videos, and questions.

 

ASSETS FROM THE IF/THEN® COLLECTION

These assets feature IF/THEN® Ambassadors Afua Bruce,
Computer Engineer and Allison Fundis, Ocean Explorer, and can
be used in marketing, presentations, social media, and conference presentations.

 

December 2022

COMPUTER SCIENCE WEEK - HOUR OF CODE

It’s Computer Science Week December 6-12th! The Million Girls Moonshot is excited to partner with Code.org, to expand the Hour of Code into afterschool. During Computer Science Week, tens of thousands of Hour of Code events will happen around the world. Afterschool programs in your state can join this effort by registering as an official event and adding their location to the global map. Access the Hour of Code resources and register here!

 

 

Organized by Code.org, the annual Hour of Code campaign is a global movement in 180+ countries that introduces young people to computer science through fun, age-appropriate learning activities. The Moonshot’s partnership with Code.org aims to expand that reach into afterschool.

 

Learn more about the Hour of Code, download the Afterschool Guide for Hour of Code to explore activities and tutorials, and encourage programs to register as an official Hour of Code site to globally engage and take advantage of the full Hour of Code experience.

Professional Development 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACRES

ACRES Training Cohort: ACRES Taster Workshop Dates: 6:30 PM- 8:00 PM EST on Thursday December 8, 2022

Come together to experience a sampling of ACRES skills. This 1-hour virtual taster session will have you reflecting on when you give youth a voice, and thinking about how you can embed math into your daily routines and will showcase lots of virtual tools. Join this live, free, hands-on, and very engaging session and you'll be sure to leave with lots of strategies to help you facilitate STEM in your afterschool programs. Register: Use the code AC290WS

 

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Engineering Practices Dates: 12:00 PM-2:00 PM EST on the following Tuesdays: 1/10/2023, 1/24/2023 & 2/7/2023

Engineering has become a staple of STEM programming for youth. How can we confidently bring engineering into our programming and support youth as they engage in problem-solving? In this module, you’ll  gain first-hand experience with engineering by solving a design problem. As a participant, you’ll examine the components of the engineering design process and discuss ways to model the process with youth. Asking Purposeful Questions is a prerequisite to this skill. Register: Use the code AC285EP

 

ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions Dates: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM EST on the following Mondays: 2/13/2023, 2/27/2023 & 3/13/2023

Questions begin a path towards discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Register: Use the code AC227PQ

Quality STEM Webinar: Dimensions of Success Program Planning Tool January 23rd and 25th 10:30 - 12:-00 PM PT 1:30 - 3:00 PM ET (register by January 5, 2023) 

The DoS-PPT is a free resource for facilitators of out-of-school and in-school STEM learning programs. The planning tool provides a brief introduction to each dimension of the DoS framework, sample videos, and examples to guide the use of DoS when preparing activity plans for youth. During this training, participants will:

  1. Develop high-level understanding of the DoS Framework, dimensions of quality

  2. Working with the PPT learn how to plan high quality STEM learning experiences using the DoS Program Planning Tool

  3. Work with the newly revised DoS Program Planning Tool to identify and plan for high-quality program and activity planning practices.

 

No Cost Training on Curriculum

Afterschool Math Plus Curriculum Training

After-School Math PLUS is an evidence-based program that provides

fun, real-world mathematics activities for students in grades 3 through 8.

Each unit emphasizes identity development, careers, role models,

strategies for family involvement and inclusion of students with disabilities.

In this workshop series, will be trained on the implementation and activity

guides designed around four thematic units that engage young people.

 

The workshop series is best suited for program front-line staff, site leaders, and staff trainers. It is equally appropriate for those with prior math teaching experience and those who are new to it. Sessions will meet on December 13th 9:30-10:45 PST / 12:30-1:45 EST. Register Here

No Cost Activities

Computational Thinking and Coding Activities

  • Home Activities: Girls Who Code - Code at Home Activities - These activities help girls and youth build computer science skills through interdisciplinary topics with real-world application, each featuring a pioneering woman in technology. Activities include unplugged and online options of varying levels of difficulty.

  • Home or Program Activities: Hour of Code Activities - A collection of one-hour tutorials designed for all ages in over 45 languages. Join millions of students and teachers in over 180 countries starting with an Hour of Code!

  • Program Activities: PBS Kids: Teaching Coding Resources - A collection of PBS Kids support videos and a self-paced educator workshop to explore the why, what, and how of creative coding for children ages 5-8.

  • Program Activities: Common Sense Media's list of Cool Coding Apps and Websites for Kids - This list offers ways to jump-start a coding adventure. It also encourages kids to become creators and not simply consumers of technology. Teaching everything from simple commands to complex programs, Common Sense Media's favorite coding apps and websites come in a range of formats designed for different ages and abilities.

NASA Engineering Playlist 

Looking for a sequence of activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset with NASA activities. 

  1. Lesson 1: How Can the Little Moon Hide the Giant Sun? (Engineering Design Process Activity) - This activity targeted for grades 3-8th offers great hands-on exploration of how distance can affect the way we perceive the size of an object. It makes a good introduction to solar eclipse as well as Sun and Moon's sizes and distances from Earth. The idea behind this activity is very simple and the activity itself is easy to do, making it accessible even for young kids.

  2. Lesson 2: Design a Crew Exploration Vehicle (Engineering Design Process Activity) - Using the engineering design process,  students will design, build, test and improve a crew exploration vehicle capable of carrying two 2-centimeter-tall "passengers" and floating in water for one minute without leaking.

  3. Lesson 3: Hubble Telescope and Careers (Career Connection) -Hubble careers are as diverse as the people who hold the jobs. Members of the Hubble team, both past and present, have come from small towns and big cities, worked in the military and in factories, knew from a young age what they wanted or slowly discovered their calling.  Meet the Hubble scientists and engineers! Great videos and activities on the Hubble site. 

  4. Lesson 4: Women @ NASA (Role Models and Mentor Connection) - Meet Rachel Hsiong, an engineer at NASA. She is designing components of the upcoming Artemis mission to put a woman on the moon. She is proud and happy to be part of a larger team that will accomplish this great feat.

  5. Lesson 5: Women @ NASA (Role Models and Mentor Connection) - Meet Annette Moore,  an engineer at NASA  Meet Annette Moore and hear her inspirational story of success. Watch the video and have a discussion with the students about how they are the same/different from Ms. Moore and how they can use some of her strategies to be successful.

Looking for EVEN More at NASA?! Activity Toolkit: Engineering is Elementary's NASA Partnership free units 

A suite of free NASA-funded STEM resources for students in grades 3-8. All resources are research-based and classroom-tested. They are designed to support students’ understanding of space, while helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.

Recruit STEM Experts as Volunteers!

Less than 50% of high school girls know a woman in a STEM career. Let’s change that - recruit STEM professionals to support the youth you serve today!

VolunteerMatch attracts more than 1M site visits each month, and is easily one of the best ways to find strong role models for the youth you serve.

The Moonshot has partnered with VolunteerMatch to connect STEM experts with OST programs! Create a free VolunteerMatch account and post volunteer opportunities to work with your youth today! Register here to find role models and mentors in STEM.

Supported by the Mott Foundation, Mizzen is available at no cost to afterschool professionals!   
You’ll find it in Mizzen here. 

 

Featured Activities & Playlists

  • Mizzen Activity: Beach Ball Math

  • Mizzen Playlist: STEM Activities for 9-12th Grades - Students engage in science and engineering activities that contain accessible materials.

  • Mizzen Playlist: STEM Activities for K-5th Grade in Small Groups - This playlist is a great mix of engineering and science activities that are easy and fun for small groups of kids K-5th.

No Cost Additional Resources

  • Website: You For Youth // Computer Science for All — Computer Not Required  — This 21CCLC resources covers it all—activities, curricula, fact sheets.  There’s information for practitioners, parents, and families.  The ready-to-use resources for educators have links to everything including a variety of curricula for k-12 students and recommendations for best practice.

  • Framework: K-12 Computer Science Framework — The Association for Computing Machinery, Code.org, Computer Science Teachers Association, Cyber Innovation Center, and National Math and Science Initiative have collaborated with states, districts, and the computer science education community to develop conceptual guidelines for computer science education.

  • Article: ‘I’m not just a mom’: Parents as creators, collaborators, and learners in creative computing by Ricarose Roque - Social support from parents can play an important role in engaging and sustaining young people’s participation in computing. The authors identified many supportive roles for parents, including collaborating with their children on projects, providing resources and finding new opportunities.

  • Coding Websites: Scratch - The world’s largest coding community for children and free coding language designed for children ages 8+. With a simple visual interface, Scratch easily allows young people to create digital stories, games, and animations.

  • Coding Websites: ScratchJr - A free application for young children (ages 5-7) to get their first introduction to coding. With ScratchJr, children code their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer.

 

ASSETS FROM THE IF/THEN® COLLECTION

 

 

 

 

These assets feature IF/THEN® Ambassadors Kim Swennen, Software Engineer and Sarah Wilson, Biomechanical Engineer, and can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, and conference presentations.

 

CODE.png
Lady.jpg
If then.png

November 2022

Professional Development 

 

ACRES

 

ACRES Moonshot Virtual STEM Coach 

Receive a $500 stipend to attend training plus $1000 for every cohort you coach. Applications due November 23rd — Sign up today!

Are you an afterschool leader and looking to build capacity for STEM engagement in your afterschool program? Would you like to train your staff through a live, nationally recognized coaching program? In partnership with the Million Girls Moonshot, the ACRES team is looking for job-secure afterschool program leaders (i.e. Site Directors, Site Coordinators, STEM Specialists, Professional Development and Training staff) who work directly with frontline staff to be trained to become an ACRES Virtual STEM Coach. As an ACRES Virtual STEM Coach, you will build your organization's capacity by training 3 to 6 members of your staff in at least 2 ACRES modules. This is your chance to be part of an educational change on how we train and support educators to facilitate high quality, engaging STEM that reaches all youth.

ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions

Dates: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST on the following Mondays: 11/07/2022, 11/21/2022, 12/05/2022 

Questions begin a path towards discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train new summer staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Register: Use the code AC224PQ

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Science Practices Dates: 6:30 PM- 8:30 PM EST on the following Tuesdays: 11/8/2022, 11/29/2022, 12/13/2022

How can we make sure that ‘hands on’ science experiences for youth are also ‘minds on?’ In this module, participants learn how to support youth as they engage in the science practices to learn science ideas, including planning and conducting investigations around testable questions. They’ll talk about the similarities and differences of questioning in science versus questioning in engineering contexts. Register: Use the code AC283SP

ACRES Training Cohort: ACRES Taster Workshop Dates: 6:30 PM- 8:00 PM EST on Thursday December 8, 2022

Come together to experience a sampling of ACRES skills. This 1-hour virtual taster session will have you reflecting on when you give youth a voice, and thinking about how you can embed math into your daily routines and will showcase lots of virtual tools. Join this live, free, hands-on, and very engaging session and you'll be sure to leave with lots of strategies to help you facilitate STEM in your afterschool programs. Register: Use the code AC290WS 

 

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Engineering Practices Dates: 12:00 PM-2:00 PM EST on the following Tuesdays: 1/10/02023, 1/24/2023 & 2/7/2023

Engineering has become a staple of STEM programming for youth. How can we confidently bring engineering into our programming and support youth as they engage in problem-solving? In this module, you’ll  gain first-hand experience with engineering by solving a design problem. As a participant, you’ll examine the components of the engineering design process and discuss ways to model the process with youth. Asking Purposeful Questions is a prerequisite to this skill. Register: Use the code AC285EP

Techbridge Girls Equity Cohort 

Research tells us that responsive learning environments can make all the difference in girls’ sustained interest in STEM. To that end, we created the STEM Equity Learning Community intensive training to equip OST program managers and site directors so that more equitable learning spaces are available for girls, especially Black, Indigenous, and Latina girls, across the U.S. Through the STEM Equity Learning Community participants will: 

  • Explore how to use asset-based frameworks and practices to create inclusive OST STEM spaces for all youth.

  • Experience culturally relevant and gender-responsive strategies that increase STEM belonging and persistence for all youth.

  • Develop STEM equity action steps for their OST program.

The 2-hour, virtual STEM Equity Learning Community sessions are scheduled from January to May on the second Wednesday of each month at 10am Pacific | 1pm Eastern. Each participant will receive a $1500 stipend to participate. Apply here by December 1st. 

 

Attend an informational webinar November 9th 10 am Pacific | 1pm Eastern. Register here

Quality STEM Webinar: Dimensions of Success Program Planning Tool January 23rd and 25th 10:30 - 12:-00 PM PT1:30 - 3:00 PM ET (register by January 5, 2023)  

The DoS-PPT is a free resource for facilitators of out-of-school and in-school STEM learning programs. The planning tool provides a brief introduction to each dimension of the DoS framework, sample videos, and examples to guide the use of DoS when preparing activity plans for youth. During this training, participants will:

  1. Develop high-level understanding of the DoS Framework, dimensions of quality

  2. Working with the PPT learn how to plan high quality STEM learning experiences using the DoS Program Planning Tool

  3. Work with the newly revised DoS Program Planning Tool to identify and plan for high-quality program and activity planning practices.

 

 

No Cost Training on Curriculum

After-School Math Plus Curriculum Training

November 22 9:30-10:45 PST / 12:30-1:45 EST Register Here Meeting ID: 931 5017 3110

December 13th 9:30-10:45 PST / 12:30-1:45 EST Register Here Meeting ID: 931 5017 3110 

 

Are you a program looking for an engaging math curriculum and resources you can implement in your afterschool program immediately? In this workshop series, participants will be introduced to After-School Math Plus, an evidence-based curriculum to support students in developing a positive math identity by exploring  mathematics in everyday experiences. The highly engaging, hands-on curriculum also builds students’ awareness of the importance  of math skills for future educational choices and career options. The program engages students in grades 3-8 who are attending out-of-school-time programs.

No Cost Activities

NASA Engineering Playlist 

Looking for a sequence of activities you can implement in your afterschool program today? Say goodbye to googling or searching on Pinterest. Use the following activities in sequence to support youth in building an engineering mindset with NASA activities.  

  1. Lesson 1: Build An Airplane (Engineering Design Process Activity) - Build an airplane that has ailerons, elevators and a rudder. 

  2. Lesson 2: Build a Satellite (Engineering Design Process Activity) - This lesson provides students with an understanding of satellites, their use and structure, and power systems. In this potentially multi-day activity, students will use the engineering design process to design, build, test and improve a model satellite. 

  3. Lesson 3: Women@NASA: Role Models (Role Models and Mentors Connection) Watch a video of one of the women who are engineers and work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. After watching a video, have the youth write a paragraph about the engineer, one wondering what they have about the engineer, and one question they would ask the engineer.

  4. Lesson 4: Make a Soda Can Engine (Engineering Design Process) - Students will investigate the action-reaction principle (Newton's third law of motion) by creating a water-propelled engine. By observing the device in action and changing certain variables, students will explore the p