New Opportunities: November 1, 2022

New Opportunities: November 1, 2022

eCybermission

eCYBERMISSION is a free, virtual STEM competition for 6^th-9^th grade students. Students form teams of 2-4, led by an adult Team Advisor, and select a problem in their community to investigate with science or solve with engineering. Team Advisors can be teachers, parents, after-school program leaders, or something else. eCYBERMISSION provides free resources to Team Advisors such as lesson plans and activity sheets, and all students have access to our CyberGuides, who are real STEM professionals, through our online message board. eCYBERMISSION registration is open through January 25 at www.ecybermission.com/register.
The eCYBERMISSION Mini-Grant Program provides funding to teachers implementing eCYBERMISSION in their classrooms and schools. Funding is disseminated in two payments. The first payment goes to the school to cover the cost of project supplies, and the second goes to the Team Advisor as a coaching stipend. The application is open through November 16^th at www.ecybermission.com/MiniGrantProgram.

SAVE THE DATES: Are these on your calendar?

February 25th, 2023—EdCamp STEM West returns!! This free Saturday event will be hosted by NCSSM-Morganton. Put in on your calendar and share this with any teachers who may want to check it out!

April 1st, 2023–STEM Trek 2023, a NC Science Festival event to be hosted by the Catawba Science Center and sponsored by the Greater Hickory International Council. This community event is free, and all families are welcome!

A Landscape Analysis of K-12 Education Outcomes in Western North Carolina

Ten $100 Amazon gift cards will be given away on November 4, 2022

We are investigating ways to improve the OpenSciEd program to ensure learning activities are accessible to all learners. We need feedback from educators who support students on a daily basis. We are especially interested in responses from those that work with students that have special (functional) learning needs. Your participation will help us identify features of the units which support student learning and those features which pose challenges for your students.

There are three sections to the survey, with 3-4 questions each. There are a mix of multiple-choice questions and open questions for you to expand on your experience.

Complete the Survey

Participation in this survey is completely voluntary and anonymous. The results of this survey will be used to improve the design and resources associated with the units. No personal information is required unless users opt-in to the gift card giveaway or a follow-up interview with the OpenSciEd team. Ten $100 Amazon gift cards will be given away on November 4, 2022. Winners will be selected by a random drawing and notified via email.

Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA

Nov. 8 is National STEAM Day, and Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA (GSAWN) is
hosting a professional learning webinar for informal educators at 2 p.m. to both
celebrate and educate! The goal is to strengthen science learning and literacy.
GSAWN is an informal education program through NASA’s Universe of Learning that
aims to empower women’s success in STEM fields.

NASA Explorers Video Series

The “NASA Explorers” video series introduces viewers to the cast and crew of NASA!
These videos provide a behind-the-scenes look at the explorers, scientists and
more who represent NASA, as well as sharing insight to the public about how data is
collected and analyzed to answer the questions science has to offer.

Ask SME: Close-Up with a NASA Subject Matter
Expert
Are you interested in finding a place at NASA? Do you want to be an
astrobiologist, a systems engineer, a program director or
something else entirely? Be sure to check out these videos of these
NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) about their respective fields!
From space biology to education specialists, SMEs can help
students and citizen scientists learn more about careers in science!

FIRST® Tech Challenge Rookie Team Grants

Sponsored by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and the DEKA Foundation

Website:	https://usfirst.submittable.com/submit
Contact:	FIRST 200 Bedford St. Manchester, NH 03101 Phone: 603.666.3906; 800.871.8326 (Toll-free) Email: [email protected] (For questions)
Description:	FIRST® is an inclusive robotics and research community for young people aged 4 through 18 with mentor-based programs that build skills in science, engineering, and technology, along with teamwork, problem solving, and communication. With support from the DEKA Foundation, FIRST is awarding Rookie Team Grants to support new teams participating in the FIRST Tech Challenge 2022-2023 season. This is a needs-based grant for rookie teams, with funding to be used toward season registration and products in the FIRST Tech Challenge Storefront. Limit of one application per team. A mentor with an existing team who is forming a new rookie team may request a grant for the new team; however, the existing team must be registered before the new team can be considered for a grant. If awarded, grant funding is not released until a team’s Lead Coach 1 and Lead Coach 2 are screened. Eligible applicants are FIRST Tech Challenge 2022-2023 season new teams in North America (US and Puerto Rico) and USA military APO. Teams that apply must be planning to participate in the upcoming season, and grant recipients will need to prove their participation. The application link is provided on the website and requires an account and login to access. Complete applications must be submitted online.
Eligibility:	Public, Private, Charter, Other (including homeschool, 501 (c)(3) organizations)
Award(s):	Grants of $750 are awarded.
Deadline(s):	Applications are due November 22, 2022.
Focus:	Engineering, STEM/STEAM/STREAM, Technology Education/Computer Science, Technology Equipment/Devices
Grade Level(s):	PreK, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Content Area(s):	Mathematics, Science
Themes and Skills:	Critical Thinking, Innovation, Problem Solving
State(s):	National