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Building the Capacity of STEM Practitioners to Develop a Diverse Workforce
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 NGCP Updates
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 SciGirls Season 3!
NGCP partners with Twin City Public Television on SciGirls! Episodes in SciGirls Season 3 will have a life science focus. New episodes will address themes of urban ecology, wildlife conservation, climate change, and animal migration. SciGirls is thrilled to feature girls engaged in real life science projects that viewers anywhere and everywhere can participate.
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Collaborative Network Activities
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Missouri Collaboration Conference: A Celebration of Equity
Kansas City, MO; April 10, 2014; 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
This is a full-day conference celebrating STEM Equity. Sessions will feature national and regional experts in STEM equity, as well as presentations from local mini-grantees. Attendees will learn how to increase opportunities to encourage girls, underrepresented youth, and youth with disabilities to pursue STEM careers.
Mentors Inspire; Role Models Matter
Hartford, CT; April 28, 2014; 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
At this event, learn how to design programs that engage girls in STEM, bring role models to your programs and classrooms, and ways to prepare those role models for meaningful and successful interactions with students and participants. The keynote speaker is FabFem Keshia Ashe, Ph.D Candidate in Chemical Engineering at UConn, and CEO of Many Mentors. Workshops include: Designing Programs that Engage Girls in STEM and Techbridge Role Models Matter.
Montana Girls Collaborative SciGirls and Techbridge Training
Missoula, MT; May 4, 2014; 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Local educators are invited to participate in a hands-on, minds-on professional development training hosted by the spectrUM Discovery Area and Girl Scouts of Montana & Wyoming. Participants will learn the latest research for exciting and engaging girls (and boys) in STEM, experience hands-on STEM activities, learn how to modify activities to engage kids in STEM using the SciGirls Seven, discover additional online resources that enhance teaching and learning experiences, and how to engage STEM role models in effective ways.
NGCP Collaborative Mini-Grants
NGCP mini-grants are designed to enhance access to and build collaboration between programs and resources. Mini-grant application resources, including a sample application, exemplary practices, project ideas, and frequently asked questions are available online. Open and closing dates are listed below and more information is available on the Collaborative website.
Indiana Girls Collaborative Project: March 19, 2014 - April 19,2014.
Colorado Collaborative for Girls in STEM (CoCoSTEM): March 11, 2014 - April 28, 2014.
Montana Girls STEM Collaborative: March 31, 2014 - May 29, 2014.
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FabFems Spotlight
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 Meet Emiko, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Montana. She studies cyanobacteria, which are bacteria that can do photosynthesis. When she is not working in the lab, she enjoys spending time with her dog, exploring her neighborhood, and hiking. Read more.
The FabFems Spotlight highlights women from the FabFems Role Model Directory. FabFems are enthusiastic about the science and technology work they do and want to inspire a future  generation of FabFems. Looking for a FabFem like Emiko to connect with in your area? Search www.fabfems.org! |
Upcoming STEM Events
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April is Math Awareness Month
Humanity continually faces the challenge of how to balance human needs against the world's resources while operating within the constraints imposed by the laws of nature. Mathematics helps us better understand these complex issues and is used in a wide range of fields to seek creative solutions for a sustainable way of life. Society and individuals must make difficult choices; mathematics provides tools to make informed decisions.
National Robotics Week
April 5-13, 2014
Robotics Week is a series of events and activities aimed at increasing public awareness of the growing importance of robotic technology development and the tremendous social and cultural impact that it will have on the future of the United States. Events held throughout the week include panel discussions, robotics competitions, introductory courses on robotics, educational workshops for businesses, demos, and tours of innovative labs.
National Environmental Education Week (EE Week)
April 13-19, 2014
EE Week is a celebration of environmental education held each year and inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students. This year, as part of the multi-year Greening STEM initiative, the theme is "Engineering a Sustainable World". View the Engineering Our World Infographic, which explores how the environment is a compelling context for teaching and engaging students in STEM.
U.S. News STEM Solutions National Conference
 Washington, DC; April 23-25, 2014
Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to initiate the action necessary to improve STEM education and increase employment in STEM fields. Tracks include: Focus on Advanced Manufacturing; Changing the Face of STEM; STEM Change-Makers; and Expert Roundtables.
USA Science & Engineering Festival
Washington, DC; April 26-27, 2014
This event will feature a Girl Zone and over 750 STEM organizations presenting hands-on science and engineering activities for people of all ages.
BOOST (Best of Out-of-School Time) Conference
Palm Springs, CA; April 29 - May 2, 2014
Conference participants will have the opportunity to network, participate in team-building activities, and learn about the latest trends and research in innovative and quality out-of-school time programming.
STEM Smart: Pathways to Middle-Skill Occupations and Beyond
Needham, MA; May 12, 2014
At this National Science Foundation hosted meeting participants will learn about funded research, programs, and resources aimed at improving career and technical education across secondary and post-secondary levels for middle-skill STEM occupations. Topics include: skill development for middle-level occupations, project-based learning, maker movement and informal education, programs for special populations, and student internships and teacher externships.
NSTA STEM Forum and Expo
New Orleans, LA; May 14-17, 2014
The NSTA STEM Forum and Expo brings together informal and formal educators and exhibiting companies who are interested in, and/or who have tools and resources to share that will ensure successful implementation of STEM education into our schools and communities.
Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN) National Conference
Minneapolis, MN; June 9-11, 2014 
This conference will provide a forum for women in engineering leaders, corporate advocates, researchers, academic leaders, and government officers. Practitioners will have access to current research, statistics, and best practices on women in engineering.
2014 Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Annual Conference
St. Charles, IL; July 14-15, 2014
The CSTA annual conference is a professional development opportunity for computer science and information technology teachers who need practical, classroom-focused information to help prepare their students for the future.
Techbridge Summer Institute
Oakland, CA; July 30- August 1, 2014
The Techbridge summer institute focuses on the development of STEM educators and offers strategies and curriculum for engaging girls in science, technology, and engineering. Explore inquiry-based activities and learn how to recruit and engage girls in a STEM program, implement Techbridge's hands-on curriculum for grades 5-12, plan field trips and visits with role models, expand family outreach, and integrate career exploration into your program.
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| Collaborative Leadership Team Member Spotlight | |
This month we feature Lisa Kovalchick, Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems at California University of Pennsylvania. She was nominated for this spotlight because of her desire and willingness to involve the PA STEM Collaborative in activities that engage in a variety of STEM arenas throughout the state and for her flexible leadership approach that makes it easy for Collaborative team members to work together.
 What excites you most about the work you do every day?
Sharing my excitement for and knowledge of computing with students. I get to do this everyday through teaching.
Which NGCP resources do you find most valuable? The e-newsletter; it always provides valuable resources and articles. I especially liked the weekly e-newsletters promoting Women's History month in March.
How has being involved in NGCP impacted your work? It has provided me with numerous resources to help me promote females in STEM. I have become even more involved in STEM initiatives throughout the state; I have made over 30 presentations promoting girls in STEM in the past three years and have presented numerous computing activities to youth. Many of these presentations have been made possible through contacts I met through NGCP.
Who are your role models? I have numerous role models; however, the biggest one is U.S. Navy Admiral Grace Hopper who was a pioneer in the field of computer science and is credited for developing the first compiler and one of the first modern computer programming languages, COBOL. She worked in the field of computing at a time when there were very few women working outside the home and the idea of a woman in computing was absurd.
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STEM Resources
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Celebrate Earth Day in April: Teach the importance of civic responsibility and environmental sustainability this month to celebrate Earth Day and Environmental Education Week.
Advancing Climate Change Environmental Education: Resources and Suggestions
This Climate Change Environmental Education Project-based Online Learning Community Alliance resource includes research findings, standards, and teaching suggestions appropriate for social studies, language arts, science, and interdisciplinary learning.
Earth Day Network
This year's theme is "Green Cities". The Earth Day website offers a collection of resources including reading lists, bookmarks, posters, and educational activities. If you want to organize a local event, check out the toolkits and activity resources.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Educational Resources
The EPA educational resources website for teachers and students includes: homework resources, games and quizzes, lesson plans, a blog, and project ideas.
DigiGirlz High Tech Camp
This camp provides girls with an opportunity to experience, firsthand, what it is like to develop cutting-edge technology. During camp sessions, girls will listen to executive speakers, participate in technology tours and demonstrations, network, and learn through hands-on experience in workshops.
How Do You Introduce Computing in an Engaging Way? Globaloria: Students Designing Educational Games
Globaloria is the country's largest social learning network of schools and community centers using game design curriculum to develop students' digital literacy, computing knowledge, and global citizenship skills. Engage students by solving real-life problems that draw on their existing knowledge and interests that involve collaboration in hands-on projects.
Live STEM Role Model Webcasts
JASON Live's STEM Career Role Model series features a diverse mix of scientists and engineers discussing their career paths. Participants can connect with these role models by submitting questions during the live webcast.
NGCP Program Directory: Search for Collaborating Programs or Register Your Program! The online Program Directory highlights programs that focus on motivating girls to pursue STEM careers. The purpose of the directory is to help organizations and individuals network, share resources, and collaborate on STEM-related projects for girls.
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| Global Resources | |
Women in Science Interactive Tool 
Women in Science is a new interactive tool produced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's Institute for Statistics. The tool allows users to explore and visualize gender gaps in the STEM pipeline leading to a research career, from the decision to get a doctorate degree to the fields of research women pursue and the sectors in which they work.
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Contact Us
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The EdLab Group is a private, non-profit organization with funding from federal and state governments, private foundations, corporations, and individuals. Our mission is to leverage the power of technology and diversity to transform teaching and learning.
Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.ngcproject.org
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