Tag Archives: families

STEM Week Oregon 2021

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STEM Week Oregon to Host Events as Part of Remake Learning Days Across America!

The Nation’s Largest Interactive Learning festival will take place May 8 -16, 2021 in Oregon

Oregon, 2021 – After a most challenging year for education, STEM Week Oregon, in partnership with Remake Learning Days Across America (RLDAA) debuts this spring in 17+ regions, with family-friendly equitable learning events designed to engage caregivers, parents and kids around the country. The activities will tie to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. This integrated approach to learning creates problem-solvers, innovators, critical thinkers and collaborative team players.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, [Art], and Math) Hubs across the state will host dozens of events during this learning festival between May 8-16, 2021. These events are designed for parents and caregivers to learn alongside their kids and offer relevant and engaging educational experiences for youth of all ages (pre-K through high school). The majority of events are free, and many will be virtual. 

STEM Week Oregon is actively recruiting hosts, activity leaders and participants. We are looking for ways to include multigenerational, diverse and underserved groups.

Any organization or individual hosting a public event during STEM Week may apply for Remake Learning Days mini-grant funding, totaling up to $250. Public events must be open to any and all participants (in-person or virtual), but may include event size limits. Public events that qualify for mini-grants include but are not limited to: academic clubs, arts organizations, community centers, early childhood learning centers, libraries, museums, non-government agencies, parks, post-secondary institutions, schools, science centers, etc. Mini-grant funding will be awarded on a rolling basis January 14 through May 1, 2021. Grant priority will be given to applicants that plan to engage underserved populations.

STEM Oregon’s festival of events will capture the theme(s) of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math and include events such as:

  • Make a Nature Suncatcher – Oceanspray Family Center and Toledo Public Library are hosting events for young learners to get outside, explore nature, and make colorful suncatchers.
  • Dive in and Explore at the Charleston Marine Life Center – Come on a virtual tour of the Charleston Marine Life Center! Students will get close-up views of marine animals, ask questions, and learn about the diversity of life off the Oregon coast. https://beav.es/3i3
  • Take a virtual tour of Hatfield Marine Science Center’s Ocean Innovation Lab – High school students will learn about the cutting edge prototyping and fabrication of the tools and instruments that are used to study the ocean. They will also discover the types of occupations available such as marine biologists, oceanographer, and ocean engineer. https://beav.es/3iU
  • Terrific Terrarium Time – Children ages 5-12 are invited to an event at the Siletz Library where they will make their own terrarium using soil, moss, rocks, and plants, and find out what they can do to help their terrarium thrive.

Visit www.stemoregon.org/stemweek2021 to register your family, classroom, school, organization or yourself to host and lead a public or private event and/or to apply for a mini grant.

All entrants are eligible to win prizes donated by generous sponsors. The more activities planned means more chances to win!

Find a complete list of events and registration information here. 

Remake Learning Days Across America is led by Remake Learning (RL), a network that ignites engaging, relevant, and equitable learning practices in support of young people navigating rapid social and technological change. National partners of RLDAA include PBS Kids, Digital Promise, Common Sense Media, Learning Heroes and Noggin. RLDAA is generously supported by The Grable Foundation, The Hewlett Foundation, Schmidt Futures, Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Ford Foundation. Visit remakelearning.org for more information or follow RL on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For more information specifically on Remake Learning Days Across America, visit remakelearningdays.org or follow RLDAA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the hashtag #RemakeDays. 

Family Engineering Events on the Coast

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By Emily Townsend

Warrenton

Warrenton

Bringing families together, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub hosted a Family STEM Night at Warrenton Elementary on November 15. The Hub is one of 11 regional organizations that promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The event was recreated down the coast that week in Toledo on November 16, and Coos Bay on November 17, reaching as many families and educators as possible. These events were a unique effort by the STEM Hub to bring professional development and family engagement into one fun-filled evening.  Educators arrived early to learn the rationale and method of hosting a STEM night in their home school, and then were able to observe and interact firsthand during the subsequent family event. Teachers from kindergarten through high school attended, all with a common goal in mind; student and family engagement in underserved subjects. “As a teacher, we are focused on reading, writing, and math,” explains Astoria teacher Kendal Long. “It leaves so little time for science, so nights like this introduce what there isn’t always enough time to expose students to in the classroom.”

Coos Bay

Coos Bay

The Oregon Coast STEM Hub serves schools from Astoria to Brookings in a partnership with Oregon State University, local community colleges, businesses, and nonprofits. It provides experiences for students and families to get excited and motivated about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.“We focus on educators so they can provide integrated, exciting, and contextual experiences for students,’ said Ruth McDonald of the STEM Hub. “We reach more students by being a resource for pre-K to college level classrooms.”

Warrenton

Warrenton

The speaker and host David Heil, author of Family Engineering, led the Family Engineering events. The goals of his program are to introduce engineering and science at an early age and to increase parents’ interest and ability to be involved in the learning, explaining that “we want to hit the sweet spot and start them early.”

McDonald agrees. “We all know interest starts in elementary; we need to lay a foundation.”

As for parents, David explains to teachers that they might see moms and dads shying away at first, but once they get comfortable, they dive right in. “It’s families together from start to finish” Heil explains. He has a goal for educators too, “…to walk out of here and say, ‘I can do that in my school’.”

Coos Bay

Coos Bay

Application of the pedagogy began once families began to arrive to the Family Engineering Night event. Everyone started with warm-up activities that encouraged 21st century skills like problem solving, collaboration, and critical thinking.  Next, families were given larger STEM tasks to solve together.  “The hallmark of family engineering is teamwork,” said Heil.

The first task was to build the tallest tower out of chenille sticks. Heil explained, “We want everyone talking and designing, doing things they don’t always give themselves permission to do on their own time.”  This task’s difficulty was compounded with interruptions by Heil, with prompts such as “Now there were cutbacks and you lost resources, how does that affect your plan for the tallest tower?” Next came outsourcing which led to a ban on verbal communication, and last the families were told they were “short-handed” and had to finish the task with one hand behind their back.  After the success or failure of the towers, Heil led a discussion breaking down the challenge.

Toledo

Toledo

“Does (the loss of materials) ever happen in real life?” Heil asked the group.

“No!” yell the students to the delight of their parents, who know the reality of setbacks in the workplace.

Overall, the students learned more with the support of their parents and everyone left with a better understanding of engineering and science and how it applies to them.  When asked what they learned about engineering, the families responded, “It happens every day!”

 

 

Emily Townsend is an English Language Development teacher at Astor Elementary School in Astoria, OR. She participated in the November 15, 2016 “Family Engineering” professional development training and family event held at Warrenton Elementary. The Family Engineering series was held in Warrenton, Toledo and Coos Bay, and was made possible by the Oregon Coast STEM Hub.