February 6, 2 020 | Issue 55
Upcoming Events

January - February Foundation Presentations to Interested Schools, Teachers, Organizations.

February 10 - Sac STEM Fair Project Registration Due! The deadline will not be extended any further.

March 13 - STEM Fair Set up

March 14 - STEM Fair
Final Deadline!
The deadline to register for the 2020 Sacramento Regional STEM Fair is just around the corner. Your absolute last chance to register for, or make changes to, your project for the 2020 Fair is Monday, February 10, 2020.

Come Exhibit at the College & Career Expo!
The NorCal STEM Education Foundation is eager to invite local and regional partners to exhibit at the College & Career Expo held concurrently with the Sacramento Regional STEM Fair. STEM related showcases are encouraged, but all exhibits are welcome.

Expand your horizons with a display that will be visited by students, parents, teachers, and community members from all over the region. Last year’s C&C Expo saw over 1,500 attendees! Come prepared with your best hands-on activities and showcase your passion for STEM.

A 10’ x 10’ open-air space will be provided for all C&C Expo participants, offering plenty of room to interact with students and parents. If necessary, you may even reserve multiple spaces.

Benefits of participating in the C&C Expo include a listing in the program, a spotlight in our newsletter, and recognition our website. Some non-profits and state foundations may be eligible for reduced/waived fees. SPACES ARE LIMITED, RESERVE YOURS TODAY. 

Sign up to exhibit NOW !
We are excited to officially confirm the date, time and location of this year's Fair! The Sacramento Regional STEM Fair will be taking place at American River College (4700 College Oak Dr, Sacramento, CA 95841) on March 14th, set up day March 13th.

Students should plan to attend the MANDATORY student orientation and breakfast on Saturday morning, March 14th, at 8 am. Judging will commence at 9 am. Only students and judges are allowed in the judging hall until judging is over (usually around 2 pm).

Once judging is complete, students are released to the provided lunch and the College & Career Expo. The awards ceremonies commence at 4:30 pm and 6:00 pm respectively, recognizing the students for all their hard work!

We are very excited to see you there!
Have a deep love for STEM? We want YOU to showcase that passion at the 2020 STEM Fair! We are looking for passionate judges and avid volunteers to make this year's STEM Fair a success. Sign up online today to be a judge or a volunteer , you will not regret it! 
Scientific Demonstrations at the College & Career Expo!
A message from one of our sponsors: American River College
Do you have a burning inquiry about Chemistry, Physics, or Biology? Then, please join our amazing STEM faculty at 1 pm after the STEM Fair judging to explore the wonders of science.

Professors will be performing demonstrations in chemistry, physics, and biology. You will have a chance to ask your questions as you witness metal cans crushing without touching, the effects of liquid nitrogen on everyday objects, feel centripetal forces, witness the power of levitating objects, explore the structure of DNA, and see various living cells under the microscope! 

This event will be held in the ARC Science Building 400. Sign up at our desk in the student center and our SAGES will usher you to the demonstration rooms. Tours leave every 30 minutes with the first tour beginning at 1:00 pm and the last tour commencing at 3:00 pm.
Design the 2021 Sac STEM Fair Pin!
Do you consider yourself an artist? If so, we want YOU to help us design our 2021 STEM Fair pin!

Each year, the NorCal STEM Education Foundation provides pins to participants at the Sacramento Regional STEM Fair to commemorate the event. These pins travel with the winners who go on to compete in the International Science & Engineering Fair and are traded among competitors from all over the world! Imagine YOUR design traveling to Europe, Asia, even Australia!  

The contestants for the Pin Design Competition will be featured on‐site at the 2020 Sacramento Regional STEM Fair and the winner will be named at the Awards Ceremony.

Rules to Enter: All designs should be scaleable (submitted in EPS format) and visually appealing when reduced to 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches. Designs will be displayed in color in two sizes for voting. Designs will be shown in a print area of 4 x 6 inches alongside a pin preview thumbnail of 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches. Pin designs should state "2021" and "Sacramento Regional STEM Fair." To learn more, visit our website.  
Doodle 4 Google Scholarship
Doodle 4 Google is an annual program that invites K-12 students in the United States to use their artistic talents to redesign the Google homepage logo for millions to see. The winner’s artwork will be published as an interactive doodle on Google.com in addition to other scholarships and prizes that are available.

Award selection will be based upon artistic skill and technique, creativity and originality, effective representation of the current year's topic, and adherence to all official rules and requirements. Any submissions that contain derogatory, offensive, or copyrighted content will be immediately disqualified.

The national winner of the Doodle 4 Google contest will receive $30,000! Additionally, the winning applicant's school will receive a $50,000 grant dedicated to technology. National finalists will receive $5,000 for educational expenses.

Submissions are due March 13, 2020. Visit the website below to find out more information.

Find out more  here!
SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT
Space Cookies? Astronauts Experiment with Zero-Gravity Oven!
Ever wonder how our food would look and taste if it was made in outer space? Luckily, astronauts are working diligently to answer this question!

A zero-gravity oven was sent to a team of scientists in space so that they could test the oven's efficiency. The insulated, barrel-shaped oven was designed to hold food in place to aid in baking in extreme environments like space!

Gravity levels in space cause difficulties with convection. Because of this, electric heating components, similar to those in a toaster oven, were necessary to obtain proper baking temperatures.

Unfortunately, the space team was unable to taste the cookies as they were sent back to Earth for further analysis. However, they observed that zero-gravity cookies do not look very appetizing! 

The intention of this tasty experiment was to determine the effects of high temperature and zero gravity on the appearance and texture of different foods. This knowledge could not only improve the psychological and physiological health of astronauts, but could also be useful in a future where space travel becomes mainstream!

Learn more about this experiment here !
Bacteria Responsible for Fascinating Floral Art!
How is it that such a simple organism can create such a complex pattern? Scientists are testing the designs that arise when certain strains of bacteria are introduced to a Jell-O-like substance called agar.

E. coli tends to remain still, sticking to the surface of the agar. On the other hand, A . baylyi tends to grow rapidly in a circular pattern along the surface of the agar.

Physicist Lev Tsimring from the University of California explains that the behavior of these two bacteria are rather uninteresting when observed on their own. However, when both bacteria are combined in the presence of the agar, astonishing results emerge!

Physical interactions between the two bacteria are responsible for patterns resembling flowers. The swift movements of the A. baylyi react with the E . coli, causing it to move in such a manner that creates circular petals!

Tsimring and his team applied a list of different equations to explain the math behind the patterns being created. It turns out that many of these equations are derived from other naturally-occurring phenomena such as spots or stripes on an animal!

Learn more about this phenomenon here!
NorCal STEM Education Foundation | www.sacSTEMfair.org