February Newsletter
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February 2022
Greetings from the Office of Science Outreach! In this month's newsletter we have the following announcements and reminders:
- Registration for Science-U opens Feb. 8th
- Registration for ENVISION opens Feb. 15th
- Science-U at Home video
- Ashtekar Frontiers of Science lectures continue
- February events at The Arboretum at Penn State
- AAUW scholarships for Centre County women
- Teacher Summer Workshop about Big Bang Cosmology
- Summer camps in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Please watch for additional emails this month to announce open registrations for both Science-U and ENVISION!
SCIENCE-U Registration Opens February 8th
As Science-U registration approaches, we know many families may be wondering what the online registration will look like. The online system we use has recently been updated and is designed to be more user-friendly and compatible with more devices -- even phones!
Please keep in mind the following:
- Science-U registration starts at 10 am on Tuesday, February 8th.
- The registration link will be available on the Science-U website, on our Facebook page, and in a special newsletter email.
- Camp spots fill up quickly - sometimes within 5-10 minutes! Each camp has a predetermined number of spots available and a waitlist of ten spots.
- Please review the camp options before registration using the link below. You may also access our 2022 color brochure by clicking on the Science-U logo above.
Also, to help parents/guardians who are new to the Cvent online registration system or simply need a reminder, we have added some resources on our website, and below, that should answer most questions before you get started.
- Registration Preview - explains questions to be asked and provides instruction on adding siblings
- Sneak Peek of Online Registration - shows some of the screens and questions that will be visible during registration
- Troubleshooting Tips - provides suggestions about using the registration link and clearing browser history prior to registration
- Frequently Asked Questions - a collection of past and anticipated questions with answers
If you need any assistance, please contact us at sciencecamps@science.psu.edu or 814-865-0083. We're looking forward to seeing campers at Science-U this summer!
ENVISION 2022 Registration Opens February 15th
A week after Science-U registration opens, registration for ENVISION 2022 will open as well. This day-long event on Saturday, March 26, 2022 welcomes all students in grades 6-12 to come experience science, technology, engineering, and mathematics - hands-on! Participants will get to attend different STEM workshops, visit Penn State classrooms and laboratories, and interact with scientists or engineers who study or work in various STEM fields!
Like the Science-U registration above, the online registration link will be available on our Facebook page, and in a special newsletter email. It will also be on our ENVISION website (see button below). Next week, the website will post the 2022 ENVISION Track options for students to attend based upon their grade level.
For more information, including a flyer that may be downloaded and shared, please click the button below.
Science-U at Home
If you want to experience some of the Science-U camps -- and can't wait until summer -- don't forget about the new Science-U at Home video produced by WPSU! Click on the collage photo to see the YouTube video and enjoy learning about the fun of science!
The AI Revolution: Using artificial intelligence for socially responsible science
The 2022 Ashtekar Frontiers of Science lecture series is continuing for three more weeks in February. These free presentations are open to the public and will be held on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Zoom. Use the button below to learn more about the lecture series and to view recordings of the past presentations. Click on the speaker pictures below to learn more about the upcoming topics. We hope you can join us!
February 5, 2022
Using AI to Improve Patient-Provider Communication
Presented by the Simplify Team, Students in the Penn State College of Medicine
February 12, 2022
Mathematical Understanding of Artificial Intelligence
Presented by Jinchao Xu, Professor of Mathematics at Penn State
February 19, 2022
Importance of Human Agency in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Presented by S. Shyan Sundar, Director of CSRAI and Professor of Media Effects at Penn State
Our friends at The Arboretum at Penn State have some very interesting events scheduled in February. Check them out below!
Sat., February 19
9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
The Trees in Our Winter Wood
This program will focus on some of the oldest overstory trees present in the landscape of Hartley Wood. An exploration of their life and natural history will be interwoven with discussion on human history, forest science, and ecology. This program involves light hiking in a field and wooded area with moderate slopes, and will be held rain or shine. Presented in partnership with Penn State Cooperative Extension. There is a $7 registration fee. All ages are welcome.
Wed., February 23
7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Wild Gardens in Cambodia Webinar
The Arboretum welcomes Dr. Rick Bates, professor of horticulture in Penn State’s Department of Plant Science, for a webinar focusing on his international research on wild gardens in Cambodia. Wild gardens are strategic groupings of low maintenance, perennial wild food plants. The species groupings may be selected to target household nutrition, local markets, or even livestock fodder. This international research project sought to optimize and promote the use of wild gardens as a tool to sustainably intensify underutilized land in rural areas, while targeting income generation and household nutrition. Registration is free. Adults (18+) only, please.
Fri., February 25
8:00 to 9:30 a.m.
Winter Bird Walk
Did you know that, in spite of the cold, winter is often the easiest time to start bird watching? Our summer seasonal residents have flown south for the winter, leaving you with a much smaller number of species to recognize and remember. Join us to discover the joy of winter bird watching in the Arboretum. This program will be led by Heather Desorcie, educator in the Pollinator and Bird Garden, and Jason Beale, animal care program director at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. Participation is free, and no registration is required. All ages are welcome to attend. Meet at the Overlook Pavilion. Please bring your own binoculars; the Arboretum has an extremely limited number of binoculars to loan.
Undergraduate Scholarships for Women Due March 1st
AAUW is an organization that advances gender equity for women and girls through research, education and advocacy. The State College Branch of AAUW has scholarships available to help women return to school to complete a degree! Applicants for the scholarships must meet the following criteria:
- seeking first associate or baccalaureate degree on a part-time or full-time basis
- interrupted college enrollment for at least two years
- completed at least 15 credits of an associate degree or 30 credits of a baccalaureate degree
- is a resident of Centre County and will maintain residency even if attending school outside the county
Click on the AAUW logo above to download a flyer, and learn more about the AAUW scholarships by clicking the button below.
The Origin and Fate of Our Cosmos: Understanding Big Bang Cosmology
Calling all science teachers! For the last two decades, the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics has run exciting summer workshops for teachers exploring the topics of galaxies, black holes, cosmology, and other topics. This summer, we are happy to announce that one of these workshops will be coming back to Davey Lab! Be sure to register by April 1, 2022 for this professional development workshop on Cosmology. It is scheduled for July 18-22, 2022 (COVID situation allowing) and will provide Act 48 credit for participating teachers!
An informational flyer may be downloaded by clicking on the photo. More information and registration may be obtained with the button below.
Our colleagues at the Penn State School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) are offering two in-person summer camps for middle and high school students! Please check them out below. Registrations are open now!
Design your own reality!
- Who: Open to anyone entering 7th through 9th grades
- When: June 13-17, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Where: Westgate Building, University Park Campus, Penn State
- Cost: $250
In this exciting and engaging experience, campers will be introduced to virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR): technologies that transport the user to an exciting new world.
This five-day, in-person camp is tailored for girls but is open to participants of all identities. It will give participants an opportunity to explore how to become a designer of these new technologies using ideas rooted in computer science and engineering.
Campers will have the chance to work alongside talented engineers who are making direct advancements in these technologies, as well as experience how VR/AR can be used to enable new applications and uses. Ultimately, they will discover how science and computational thinking enable these technologies as they learn the foundational techniques behind-the-scenes and learn to program their own VR/AR applications.
For more information: Click on the image above to download a flyer or contact Tammy Falls, tjf13@psu.edu, 814-863-8143.
Anything is POssible for Girls in Electrical Engineering (APOGEE) -- Wearable Technology
- Who: Open to anyone entering 7th to 12th grades
- When: July 25-29, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Where: University Park Campus, Penn State
- Cost: $250
This five-day camp will give campers an opportunity to experience and explore the exciting world behind our modern, technological society. They will learn about the electronics and signals that surround us every day, get the chance to interact and work with women electrical engineers and students, and be introduced to the hands-on, do-it-yourself culture by actually building and creating. This camp is tailored for girls but is open to participants of all identities.
Wearable technologies allow us to interact with the world around us more and more each year. They talk with us, sense us and our environment, entertain us, and connect us globally, making us all a part of the Internet of Things. From your smartphone or fitness tracker today, to smart clothing or glasses of tomorrow, on to wherever your imagination takes you after that, electrical engineering plays the key role. In this camp, attendees will tour labs where electronics are fabricated and learn about the industries and organizations that hire electrical engineers as well as about careers of successful women in engineering. Campers will have the opportunity to interact with and ask questions of a prestigious group of women engineers and scientists from around the world.
Your camper can sign up with a friend or meet new friends there. Either way, campers should be ready to create and learn!
For more information: Click on the image above to download a flyer or contact Tammy Falls, tjf13@psu.edu, 814-863-8143.
Meet our team!
Our Office of Science Outreach staff members are happy to assist you with any questions related to Science Outreach. Bookmark our website at https://science.psu.edu/outreach for more information or email us at outreach@science.psu.edu.
We'd love to hear from you!
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