We are excited for another year of our popular SciMatch program, where we connect amazing scientists with middle school teachers to help inspire the next generation of STEM professionals! This program is an initiative of the North Carolina Science Festival and produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.

What is SciMatch?
The SciMatch program accepts applications from middle school teachers in North Carolina who would like to have a scientist visit with their class. NCSciFest staff then works to find STEM professionals passionate about outreach to pair up with teachers. These scientists receive specialized communication training before the visit.

This year, scientists will visit classes in April to speak with students about their backgrounds and research and answer questions about their careers. Like last year, we will maintain the hybrid model of in-person and virtual visits. The goal of each visit is to inspire students to consider science as a career and to understand how science impacts our lives.

2025 Program Timeline (All deadlines 11:59 p.m. Eastern)
·October 2: Applications open
·November 29: Deadline to apply
·December: Applications are reviewed, and teachers/scientists are selected.
·Early January: Scientist and teacher orientation webinars.
·Late January: Pairings are made. Teachers and scientists are notified of their match and begin communicating.
·February and March: Professional development webinars for teachers and scientists.
·April: Classroom visits take place
·Post-visit survey completed within one week of visit

Coding and Mobile App Grants Awarded to Catawba County Schools and Yancey County Schools 

The Coding and Mobile App Development Grant program, launched in 2017 with funding from the North Carolina General Assembly, supports partnerships with local businesses to help schools develop computer science, coding and mobile app development programs for middle and high school students.

The grants, which range in size from $13,000 to $80,000 this year, are used by districts and schools to obtain equipment, purchase digital materials and cover the costs associated with teacher professional development to build capacity in coding, computer science and mobile application development initiatives.

  Catawba County Schools and Yancey County Schools received the grant in partnership with STEM West.

YOUTH LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

The 2024–2025 YLA is scheduled for March 7-9, 2025.

Youth Legislative Assembly (YLA) is a mock legislative session where high school students voice their opinions and vote on issues concerning local, state and national government.

The conference allows high school students an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the workings of local, state, and national government. Active participation in YLA increases the students’ confidence and ability to debate current issues. Any high school student in good standing at a public, private, charter, or home school in North Carolina is eligible to participate in YLA. Just complete the student application; you do not have to have a member of the NC General Assembly to sponsor you to participate in the Youth Legislative Assembly.

For more information contact Erica Gallion at (919) 301-1372 or [email protected]

Math educators are encouraged to browse, reference, download, share, discuss, and adapt resources.

K-12 Math Standards Review

**All survey deadlines have been extended to 8:00am on Monday November 4th!**

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s K-12 Math Standards team is excited to announce
the start of the review process for the current K-12 Math standards. Per the NC State Board of Education’s
Manual for the Review and Revision of Standards, the Math team is seeking feedback and input on the current standards from all stakeholders including educators, administrators, parents, students, institutions of higher education, business/industry representatives from across the state, national organizations, and other education agencies. Updates to the current K-12 Math Standards may include clarifications, additions, deletions, or replacements to the current standards.

To support our stakeholders in this process two surveys are being shared. Everyone is encouraged to fill
out one or both of the surveys.

• The first option is an overview of the K-12 Math standards. This survey asks general questions about the standards as a whole. In addition, it includes a question seeking input on what math skills and concepts every North Carolina graduate should know.

• The second option is more detailed. This survey allows participants to provide specific feedback on each standard for every grade or course.

Links to both surveys are below:

• K-12 Math Overview Survey for All-Stakeholders

• K-12 Math Standard-by-Standard Survey for All-Stakeholders

Again, all stakeholders are encouraged to fill out one or both surveys.

Thank you for your time and input. The feedback is extremely valuable to the K-12 Math standards review
process

Additional information about the math standard course of study and the math team can be found on the
NCDPI Math page.

Helpful K-5 Things to Knowon behalf of Building Engineers (BE)BE is looking forward to continuing to connect NC educators across the state in ways to ensure high-quality STEM is available to ALL students in North Carolina. For more information, please visit k5engineers.org

• FREE Building Engineers Conference (Spring 2025) Hickory, NC: BE is putting the final touches on the date for their conference. Stay tuned this fall for a “save the date” as well as a call for presenters. Check out the photos from last year.

• STEM Teacher Collaborative:  BE is working to connect any/all K-5 STEM Teachers in NC (for this collaborative, STEM teachers are defined as teachers who teach STEM as an elective/specials class- ie, Art, Music, PE, Media, STEM).
  If you know of any, please send them this link to have them sign on to become connected to this support network!  

• Self-Paced Course:  Getting Started with Engineering Design Process for K-5:  Just a reminder about BE’s micro credential course, created BY teachers FOR teachers.  The teachers who completed it last year had nothing but rave reviews, so take it yourself or share with colleagues!  Self-paced and practical- More info available at k5engineers.org/pd.

• NEW Engineering Activities tied to the NEW Science Standards:  HUGE thanks to all the educators that participated in BE’s summer workshops in order to create new engineering activities tied directly to the new NC Science Standards.  The matrix houses these activities as well as all the past activities available on Go Open NC.  These standards-aligned activity links are ready to be copied/pasted into curriculum docs, pacing guides, or PLC notes.  In the coming months, BE will be working on updating all of the other activities with more user-friendly Google Slides formatting!

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest is back!

The 15th annual contest is now open through Thursday, October 24th.

Samsung’s nationwide STEM competition invites public school students in grades 6-12, guided by their teachers, to make a difference in their community using STEM, with a chance to win technology and classroom supplies along the way! Public school teachers in grades 6-12 can apply now to submit their students’ projects to the 2024-2025 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, for a chance at winning their school $100,000 in Samsung tech products and classroom materials.

Five schools from each state will be declared winners and earn at minimum $2,500 in technology!

Over the last 14 years of the Solve for Tomorrow competition, middle and high school students have stepped up and identified significant societal and environmental challenges, designing STEM-based solutions to address food waste, urban decay, social inequality, mental health, climate change, and so much more. The application form only takes a few minutes, and all a teacher needs is one idea!

Find some inspiration from past winners.

ADHD, Depression, Autism Research
the Focus of
Rx for Science Literacy Workshop
at Duke on December 4

Dear K-12 Educators,

NCABR is excited to announce a second workshop in the 2024-25 Rx for Science Literacy series. This workshop will be held in person. Because a limited number of seats is available, we encourage you to register as soon as possible. Registration is completely free.

The Brain – Our Sense of Self

Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Duke University
Durham, N.C.
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Rx for Science Literacy is partnering with Duke University to present The Brain – Our Sense of Self, a one-day workshop at Duke.

About the Workshop: This workshop will feature an overview of the National Institutes of Health’s The Brain our Sense of Self curriculum, which is intended for use with middle school students. Teachers of all grade levels are invited to attend. Duke researchers will discuss current research in neuroscience and psychiatry looking at aspects of autism, ADHD and depression. Attendees will receive a free copy of the curriculum at the workshop.

About the Curriculum: The NIH The Brain our Sense of Self curriculum, developed by the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, explores brain function and the various roles of the brain within the nervous system. Students learn that brain function is not predetermined and that the brain can change with learning throughout life. The lessons in this curriculum help students sharpen their skills in observation, critical thinking, experimental design, and data analysis. The curriculum also conveys to students the purpose of scientific research and that ongoing research affects how the world is understood and gives the foundation for improving choices about personal and community health.

Register Now →

Cell Biology and Cancer 

Friday, November 15, 2024
Duke University
Durham, N.C.
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Rx for Science Literacy is partnering with Duke University to present Cell Biology and Cancer, a one-day workshop at Duke.

About the Workshop: This workshop will feature an overview of the National Institutes of Health’s Cell Biology and Cancer curriculum, which is geared for use with high school and advanced middle school students. The workshop will focus on cell function and the behavior of cells in the body. Duke scientists will discuss their current cancer research, and attendees will receive an electronic copy of the curriculum at the workshop.

About the Curriculum: The NIH Cell Biology and Cancer curriculum supplement addresses the development and impact of cancer and the research that has guided public health policies and medical interventions that are helping prevent, treat and cure the disease. It also focuses on the relationship between biomedical research and the improvement of personal and public health.

Register Now →

At Rx for Science Literacy workshops, educators tour research facilities, hear from scientists about their latest research advances and take home a free printed or electronic curriculum and other bioscience education materials. They also receive:

• 1 unit of certification renewal credit for North Carolina-certified educators (4 hours of additional work required)

• Free supplemental curriculum and other bioscience education materials to use in the classroom.

• Free lunch

• Substitute teacher support (up to $80)