2021 Calendar of Events
What's going on during STEM Education Month across out state?
Stay Tuned for the 2022 STEM Education Month Calendar of Events!
2021 Highlights:
WEEK ONE (March 14 - 21): CELEBRATING STEM IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Kick off week with a mission from Learning Blade, reflect on the importance of STEM education in our state and tune into our STEM celebration on March 17th.
MARCH 14
For Educators: Learning Blade 3D Printer Giveaway: Competition Begins! Learning Blade and our partners at FlashForge USA are offering a 3D Printer to the SC school that completes the most online STEM/CS career lessons in Learning Blade between Pi Day, 3/14/21 to 4/11/21. Learning Blade is a system of interactive online lessons and printable at-home activities for 5th to 9th graders, where students learn about STEM and Computer Science careers while reviewing academics. Students can use over 400 online lessons in 12 human-centered "Missions" or stories to explore these exciting careers aligned to all state standards in English, math, science, social studies and technology. This is a free program to any South Carolina school. MARCH 15 For High School Students and Adults: Midlands Technical College: Picture a Scientist movie screening. Picture a Scientist is a feature-length documentary film chronicling the groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists. A biologist, a chemist and a geologist lead viewers on a journey deep into their own experiences in the sciences, overcoming brutal harassment, institutional discrimination, and years of subtle slights to revolutionize the culture of science. From cramped laboratories to spectacular field sites, we also encounter scientific luminaries who provide new perspectives on how to make science itself more diverse, equitable, and open to all. Recommended for high school students and older. MARCH 16 For Students: Midlands Technical College: Why Choose STEM? STEM Week Student & Alumni Panel Panel discussion with a group of current and former STEM pathways students about why they chose their path in STEM, challenges they faced, the benefits of STEM education. MARCH 17 For All: Midlands Technical College Facebook Live Event - Women In STEM Panel Discussion. Participate in a live panel discussion with an exceptional group of female STEM leaders about their personal experiences as women in STEM, how we can provide STEM opportunities to those of any background. MARCH 18 For Students: SC Aquarium: Teen Science Cafe Join wildlife photographer, Vance Solseth, as he shows you how to upgrade your Instagram and Snapchat images with easy tips on lighting, perspective and animal behavior. For Students: SCDNR Shark Research! SCDNR fisheries biologist, Bryan Frazier, will introduce you to the sharks commonly found in our estuaries and along our coast. He will give an overview of current population trends, ecological roles, as well as highlights from recent SCDNR research studies. Each program will last about 45-60 minutes with live chat options for an interactive participant experience. For Students: Midlands Technical College: STEM Week Industry Leaders Panel, Panel discussion with a group of STEM industry leaders about the impacts of COVID 19 on STEM industries and their resiliency, why they chose their path in STEM, challenges they faced, the benefits of STEM education WEEK TWO (March 21-28): AN INNOVATOR'S MINDSET BROUGHT TO YOU BY NATIONAL INVENTOR'S HALL OF FAME
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
During week two explore an "innovator's mindset" through an activities provided by the National Inventor's Hall of Fame. View all the details online, choose an activity below, or download the entire week's activities. Understanding Prototyping in Invention (Elementary)
Super Senses Challenge(Elementary) X-Ray Exploration (Elementary) Nature Inspired Technologies (Elementary) Reverse Engineering with Take-Apart (Middle) Wildlife Engineering Design Challenge (Middle) Ocean Clean Up Device Challenge (Middle) Hydro Dipped Science Gift (Middle) Explore Women as Role Models: NIHF Inductees (High) Research and Nominate an Inventor (High) Explore These STEM-Focused Podcasts – Develop Your Own MARCH 23
For Students: South Carolina Aquarium: Join the South Carolina Aquarium as we meet team members from all different roles in the Aquarium! What is it like to dive inside of the tanks? How do we care for our animals? How do we protect water, wildlife and wild places? Get the answers to these questions and more! For Educators: The Clemson University Center for Workforce Development invites you to join their next webinar about building virtual reality (VR) simulations for advanced technological education. VR simulations are increasingly being used as a modern digital learning tool to engage learners in a wide variety of domains. This webinar will focus on the development process for a typical virtual simulation, the challenges and benefits of using VR, and how educators can use online VR simulations in a browser-based format without the need for special equipment. MARCH 24 For Educators: STEM Lesson Development: The Wildlife Engineering Design Challenge. Tracy Elmore, 2020 STEM Educator of the Year, will provide an overview of how to incorporate online resources to create an engaging, interdisciplinary, STEM lesson. We will see how using the resources on the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and a variety of apps can be effective in building student interest in STEM, develop awareness of STEM career opportunities, and reinforce academic standards and skills. SC Council of Competitiveness is hosting this event. Watch Recorded Session For Educators: Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum and S.C. Sea Grant Consortium presents the March Educator Science Café, "Mixtures and Matter"! Join ocean science and space experts, Dr. Scott Harris (College of Charleston), Cyndi Hall (NASA Earth Science Data Systems), and Dr. Cass Runyon (College of Charleston and S.C. NASA Space Grant) as we travel from the hydrosphere to the stratosphere and beyond to explore all things density! From currents of the deep to methane seeps, from coastal geology to lunar landscapes, and from radio waves to current technologies, you will engage in discussions with guest experts and also explore content through hands-on, standards-based demonstrations. For High School Students and Adults: Midlands Technical College: "Picture a Scientist" Featured Panel Conversation MARCH 26 For Students: JA Inspire Virtual Career Fair is more than a career fair, it brings together the business community and local schools and is designed to help launch middle school students into their futures: high school, college, and careers beyond. (Grades 6-8) For Students: Clemson University’s EXPLORE Mobile Lab will bring STEM into your home or school with a fun, free, virtual activity. Students ages 10-14 can participate in an environmental engineering activity led by Clemson University educators and Duke Energy nuclear environmental professionals. MARCH 27 For Students: Webinar Sponsored by Million Women Mentor SC: College Prep: Choosing STEM. Students talk to students about STEM careers, share their experiences, and answer questions about the best way to tackle being a freshman in 2021. WEEK THREE (March 28 - April 4)
MARCH 30
For Students: See It to Be It - Introducing Kids to Real-life Engineers: a student question and answer session with 4 engineers - civil, electrical, environmental, software. Sponsored by Million Women Mentors SC and Learning Blade Watch Recorded Session MARCH 31 For Educators: 3D printing and PBL activities with Learning Blade. This hour-long session is great for beginners to experts in 3D printing and for all teachers looking for simple, engaging, hands-on PBL activities. Watch Recorded Session APRIL 1 For Students: Roper Mountain Science Center in partnership with Duke Energy present its virtual “Arcs and Sparks” program. Experiments in this hair-raising program will show how electrical energy can be transformed into other kinds of energy and how electricity and magnets are related. With the help of the instructor, participants will learn how to create a human circuit, lift heavy objects with magnets, push or pull objects with electricity and more. WEEK FOUR (April 4 - 11)
STEM Career Exploration
Roper Mountain Science Center has collaborated with Greenville County Schools (GCS) Career Tech Ed (CTE) department and our industry partners to create STEM career-focused videos to give students an idea of what companies do, the educational background needed for STEM jobs, career path opportunities and the workforce skills needed for companies in Upstate SC and beyond. April 7 For Students: Making Apps with JavaScript sponsored by SC Codes. Learn how to you to build your very own mobile app using JavaScript. This course is beginner-level and is meant for middle and high school students. April 11 Final Day of Learning Blades 3D Printer Giveaway Competition |