September Newsletter
September 19, 2017
Welcome Back!
The 2017-18 school year has begun and the Mass STEM Hub team is eager to continue to meet and work with Project Lead The Way teachers throughout the state! Over the summer we have planned various opportunities for PLTW teachers and students in Massachusetts. Last year we piloted two student events, a High School PLTW Showcase and a PLTW Middle School Design Challenge and we are looking forward to hosting these events and many others this year!

Project Lead The Way in Massachusetts is growing into a robust network of schools. To date we have 140+ schools represented across the state. With this growing network, Mass STEM Hub, in partnership with PLTW and WPI, hopes to connect schools to one another and offer unique opportunities for both students and teachers to learn from one another as well as connect with industry professionals.

At the upcoming Massachusetts Project Lead The Way Conference, Mass STEM Hub will host a session on the exciting student opportunities that are in the works and provide more details on how schools can get involved. We are looking forward to working with you all!

Please continue to read below for some upcoming opportunities and important announcements.
  Massachusetts Project Lead The Way Conference
Join us for the Massachusetts
Project Lead The Way Conference!

Friday, October 13, 2017
8:00am to 3:00pm
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA

The conference is an opportunity for schools to come together to share best practices and to learn about PLTW’s K-12 pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science.

Features:
  • Opening remarks by Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and WPI President Laurie Leshin
  • Over 30 breakout sessions
  • Hands-on activities
  • Program-specific networking sessions for teachers
  • Professional development and best practice sharing led by standout PLTW teachers
  • Dedicated programming for administrators
  • Sessions for prospective schools to learn about PLTW and grant opportunities
  • Recognition and awards

Who will attend:
  • PLTW K-12 teachers
  • School and district leaders
  • Counselors
  • Corporate partners
  • Foundation representatives
  • Prospective schools looking for strategies to enhance their current STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curricular programs
  Virtual Professional Learning Community
Project Lead The Way teachers, are you looking to connect with other PLTW educators and learn best practices?

Mass STEM Hub is piloting Virtual Professional Learning Communities this year led by veteran PLTW teachers from across the country. Through these weekly virtual PLCs, participating teachers will:
  • Share best practices
  • Learn tips and tricks
  • Prep for key lessons
  • Discuss and plan for common student misconceptions
  • Complete lesson studies
  • Share and review classroom video

If you are interested in joining a virtual PLC group, please fill out a quick interest form below.

Please feel free to email Faith at [email protected] with any questions.

STEM and Tech Grant Opportunity!
There is still time to apply for grants from the Lowe's Small Toolbox for Education grant program. The 2017-2018 funding is geared toward school improvement centered around technology upgrades, tools for STEM programs, facility renovations and safety improvements. Awarded grant sizes are between $2,000 and $5,000. The deadline closes September 29th.

If you and your school teams are interested, apply today! You can learn more here .
Updates and Reminders:
Roster your PLTW students by October 1st!
Why rostering is important
  • Ensures students can access PLTW curriculum and End-of-Course assessments
  • Enables PLTW to provide End-of-Course data to colleges and universities in support of preferential admissions and opportunities for interested students
  • Provides students & teachers access to Mass STEM Hub programming, including:
  • Student events (e.g., STEM College Fair, MS Design Challenge, HS Showcase)
  • Teacher professional development & networking
  • Participation in the Massachusetts PLTW survey

Note: Schools that complete the rostering process will be eligible for student engineering notebooks next year.

When rostering, keep in mind
  • Beginning and end dates are important to help us plan events and simplify survey administration
  • Accuracy matters—students must be rostered for correct courses and matched to the correct teacher
  • Teachers can now roster students (high school courses must be rostered by a site/program coordinator)

To roster students, log into your mypltw.org account and click on "My Sites" to find detailed instructions.
Upcoming Student Events:
STEM College Fair
Mass STEM Hub's STEM College Fair is an opportunity to connect high school PLTW students who have completed rigorous STEM coursework with STEM programs at leading colleges and universities. Students will have an opportunity to meet admissions and STEM representatives for colleges throughout the Massachusetts and New England region.

Date: November 1, 2017
Time: 8:30am-12:00pm
Location: Watertown High School
50 Columbia St, Watertown, MA 02472

If you have additional questions, please email Faith at [email protected]
Engineering Design and Development Project Workshop
In preparation for the High School Showcase this spring, we invite students currently enrolled in Engineering Design & Development for an evening to connect with industry professionals to refine their project questions and design. Students will be able to work in small groups with an industry professional and get feedback on their project designs. This event will be a great way for students to connect with industry professionals and learn from their expertise.

Engineering Design and Development Teachers, if you are interested in this opportunity for your students, contact Faith at [email protected] for more information.
Mass STEM Hub is here for YOU!

Do you have an idea for student or teacher events? Are you an industry professional looking to get involved? Do you have a question about PLTW implementation? Are exciting things happening in your classrooms that should be shared in our newsletter?

Please get in touch by emailing Faith at  [email protected] .
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Have a question for Mass STEM Hub?
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