STEM

A four-week summer program at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, Conn. is hosting professionals in engineering, cybersecurity and other fields to talk to high school-age girls about STEM careers.

Bolstered by emergency federal funding, Chicago Public Schools is set to adopt an annual budget that would upgrade mechanical systems to improve air quality, start new STEM curriculums and pay down the district's debt.

A city community center worked with engineers from Sandia National Laboratories, a research facility, to introduce elementary and middle school-age kids to scientific concepts via toys and crafts projects.

Proponents of HB 1261 say that a buy-one-get-one-free offer for college credits in fields such as IT, engineering and computer sciences would incentivize the creation of a much-needed workforce.

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center has announced $3.4 million in grants that will serve over 93 schools, funding local programs and “maker spaces” with 3D printers, laser-cutting equipment and other supplies.

After a year of alternating between online and in-person learning, thousands of students at St. Vrain Valley, Boulder Valley and other districts are taking a four-week summer program to prepare for school in the fall.

Both to prepare science students and attract top teachers, Hampton City Schools is renovating old science classrooms and adding at least 15 more in a 37,000-square-foot expansion due for completion in 2023.

Our Sisters' School in Massachusetts has invested in a robotics club, a greenhouse, coding programs, extra science instructors and other resources to help girls break into careers in which women are underrepresented.

Through a partnership with Harford Community College and P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School), high school students in Maryland are earning a diploma and associate's degree in four to six years.

The Army Ants youth robotics team, consisting of 35 teens from schools in Missouri, consulted with experts and professional therapists to build a smart compression stocking for people recovering from knee surgery.

Xavier University in New Orleans is one of 10 HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) to receive a $5 million grant from the tech giant for scholarships, hardware and other investments.

Kristen Bell, founder of the nonprofit Black Girls Movement, created a series of dolls with phrases and sound effects to help get young girls interested in coding, astronomy, mathematics and veterinary medicine.

The 15th annual SWeETy (Summer Welding & Electrical Technology) Camp at Calhoun Community College, Alabama, is training high school girls for careers as electricians, welders, engineers and other male-dominated jobs.

The Ohio General Assembly is preparing to vote on the structure and timeline for mandating computer science for K-12 students. A committee will reconcile the House bill with a Senate bill later this month.

The digital textbook company is offering free K-12 digital educational materials focused on STEM subjects, designed for families and educators trying to combat achievement gaps that have widened during the pandemic.

Recent legislation in New Jersey will direct colleges and universities to address barriers of entry to STEM programs for women and people of color, with the goal of connecting underrepresented groups with in-demand jobs.

Long interested in bridging educational gaps for women and people of color, a teacher at Bret Harte Middle School in California has inspired students and recruited them to computer studies with all-girls classes.

Trinity Christian School won a grant from the Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers to build a hydrogen line radio telescope. The school is also launching a summer coding workshop for the public.