A Message From Our Team

If you care about connecting our youth to quality STEM education and career exploration opportunities, then you are part of the Newton’s Road mission! This newsletter highlights several STEM-related programs and resources for families in our region. We are also available to do inspirational STEM career talks at regional schools and events! You can easily find us in the news, on Facebook and on our new and frequently updated website. Please contact us if you would like to arrange an in-person meeting or phone call. 

What is STEM?

 

We know that most people have heard of “STEM” but have a hard time explaining what it means. S=Science, T=Technology, E=Engineering, M=Math. But the greatest power is how these subjects work together to solve the world’s greatest problems and achieve our greatest dreams. From making cars safer, to designing unmanned vehicles, to taking photos and scientific samples in difficult places, to reducing the amount of water needed to grow food, to saving rhinos from extinction, to sending a rover to explore Mars. STEM-related jobs are in high demand, which also makes them among the highest paid. Many employers hire people directly after graduating from a high school Career Tech Center program, a certificate program or 1-2 years of college. Entry level STEM positions can be a well paid first step on a career ladder that leads to more certifications, advanced degrees and career growth if desired.

Become a NMC Explorer This Spring! - A Co-ed Career Exploration Program

 

As a member of the NMC Explorer Post, middle and high school students get hands-on experience with different types of high-demand careers in our region that NMC supports with its STEM programs such as Healthcare, IT and Engineering Technologies. The Boy Scouts of America supports registration, insurance, and marketing. Newton’s Road has been engaged by NMC and BSA to amplify the visibility of each event and recruit new members. The last three Exploring events of the school year are:

SAT, APR 27 12:00 PM - Freshwater Studies Career Exploration - NMC's Great Lakes Campus, Traverse City  

SAT, MAY 18 12:00 PM- Water Sensors Career Exploration - NMC's Great Lake Campus, Traverse City  

SAT, JUN 1 10:30 AM -Space, Science & Technologies Career Exploration -NMC's Great Lakes Campus, Traverse Cit y



Register here to reserve your spot. Check out the Newton’s Road Facebook page for more details about these and all future NMC Explorer events.

Mark Your Calendar to Attend and/or Volunteer For These Upcoming Events:

We Have Been Busy! Other Recent Past Event Highlights :

➔     We partnered with the International Affairs Forum to host the "3 American Astronauts" event, bringing together 550 students from across the region for a very inspiring presentation by Charles Bolden, Jerry Linenger and of course our own Greg Johnson. Thank you to TC Central High School for hosting and to all the schools that attended for arranging out of class time and transportation for this unique event.

➔     We helped 100 kids ages 2-6 create and test their own pinwheel ‘universe’ during the TADL MakerFest at the Opera House. Over 29 activities were made available by local STEAM Makers. 400 people attended the event. Thank you to Traverse Area District Library for hosting this spectacular event!

➔      Northwest Lower Michigan MiSTEM Network and Newton’s Road co-hosted and organized the 4th annual Gutter Car Derby with 23 teams and 100+ attendees. The teams designed and 3D printed their cars. Prizes went to fastest, furthest and best design entries in each age group (Gr K-5, 6-8, 9-12). Thanks to the Manufacturing Technology Academy for letting us use their new space at the TBAISD CTC to host the competition.

11 Years of FIRST Robotics Competitions (FRC) in Traverse City

So much has changed in the 11 years of FRC District Competitions at TC Central High School. In the beginning there were only 2 FRC teams in NW Lower MI, TC Central and MTA. In the first few years almost all of the 38 other teams that came to compete were from Downstate or the U.P.

Since the beginning, Newton’s Road has been helping the FRC in TC planning committee host VIP lunches, pit tours and a skybooth for viewing during competitions. We have invited 100’s of local and regional school administrators, community leaders and businesses to our VIP activities to encourage them to start and support FRC in their schools. Thanks to a whole lot of generous team sponsors and just as many team mentors and volunteers. See how many teams competed in TC this year that are from our region now ! A very special thanks the John Failor and Marla Gerber for so many years of event coordination!

This year Greg spoke at the kick-off for the Deep Space FIRST Robotics Competition District and visited all 40 pits afterward to personally meet with the teams. Many local teams qualified to compete at the 2019 FIRST in MI State Competition last weekend. Congratulations for your exceptional accomplishments to; Grayling, Ellsworth, Boyne City, TC West Titans, Suttons Bay and Petoskey. Suttons Bay and Petoskey will be moving on to compete at the FIRST World Championship, April 24th to the 27th at Cobo Hall in Detroit, which is expected to host 40,000 attendees, 15,000 students and 640 robots from around the world.

Suttons Bay is urgently seeking donations to help them get to the FIRST Worlds Championship. Please consider their great success and how proudly they represent our region. Donations can be made through the Suttons Bay Pay Schools account or by calling team mentor, Bill Klein at 231-883-5984 .

Volunteers Needed!

If you own or manage a business, we hope that you will consider implementing a policy that encourages your employees to volunteer at regional workforce and STEM skills development events for students.

 

As we visit schools and community organizations with STEM offerings, we hear about a great need for community volunteers. There is an especially great need in the springtime with so many STEM competitions and school program opportunities happening towards the end of the school year. Some needs are only for a few hours at a single event, some are once a week for a season, or others are a 1-3 day event. Volunteers are always greatly appreciated by the organizations that need them and often are provided with meals if they are required to stay for more than a few hours. It is a fun way to meet people with similar interests and make lasting connections!

 

We invite you to fill out our simple contact form and indicate how you might like to volunteer or visit our volunteer opportunity page and see our current partner’s needs. Please share these links with others in your circle.

Northern Michigan Partnership is Seeking Community Experts

This is a unique part time, paid opportunity. Please scroll to the bottom of our volunteer opportunity page to find out more. 

In Closing

We hope you have enjoyed this update from our new Newton’s Road team. There are exciting partnerships and projects in the works that we are looking forward to announcing in upcoming newsletters. We are enthusiastically building on prior Newton’s Road successes and the momentum built over the last 9 years. We are so thankful to be able to stand on the foundation of the work that has been done in the past by the many Newton’s Road volunteers and employees and donors that share our mission to increase access to STEM opportunities for all students in our region!

 

A HUGE thank you to our Sponsors and our Partners! We could not do the vital work of strengthening our regional STEM Ecosystem without you all!

 

Sincerely,

The Newton’s Road Team