May Newsletter
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May 2022
Hello from the Office of Science Outreach! Check out these topics in this issue of our Science Outreach Newsletter.
- Science-U Updates
- Newsletter Summer Break
- DASH Research Participants Needed
- WPSU Digital Studio Presents Mission: Materials Science
- AAUW Used Book Sale
- Educator Workshop on Volcanism
- Stories Under the Sky at The Arboretum at Penn State
- Summer Camps in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Keep scrolling and enjoy!
In just a few weeks, our Science-U Summer Camps will be starting! We are looking forward to campers coming to University Park for our camps and are busy with preparations. We have a wonderful selection of staff members, and we're excited to welcome back some veteran instructors and to work with some new instructors too!
There are still a few camper spots available in our Nature Explorers camp scheduled for June 20-24 for campers entering grades 2-4. Use the link below to register!
For families who have registered campers, watch your email for information about upcoming camps! A few weeks before each camp, we will send out more information and required forms that will need to be returned. Also, camp spots are starting to become available for campers on a few of the waitlists! We will email you if a spot opens up for your child and will need a quick reply.
For families who were not able to register for a Science-U camp this summer, please remember that our Virtual Science Festival offers several at-home STEM activities that families can do together and videos like the Science-U at Home series and some Penn State lab tours. However you keep science in your summer, keep it fun!
Newsletter Summer Break
The monthly Science Outreach newsletter will be taking a break over the summer months while the Office of Science Outreach is conducting Science-U and other activities. We will continue to use our social media links to share any events and updates. Also, families with campers in Science-U will receive emails to highlight some of the camp activities and staff members at Science-U. Please watch for our monthly Science Outreach newsletters to return in September. Have a wonderful summer!
Help with Research
The Laboratory of Developmental Neuroscience at Penn State is seeking families to participate in its DASH Project. This study examines the Development of Adolescent Social Health and is in search of families with children aged 6-8 years or 10-14 years. Compensation may be offered for in-person sessions at Penn State. Please contact the DASH project at 814-954-0112 or click the link below to visit the website to learn more about this project. Clicking on the image will allow you to download and share the flyer.
WPSU Digital Studio hosts Mission: Materials Science
Our colleagues at WPSU Penn State have released a DIY series called Mission: Materials Science featuring videos of at-home science activities. Each week for five weeks a different activity is presented in two videos -- one video shows how to do the activity at home, and the second one highlights young "Scientists in Action" doing related materials research in a lab! A pair of new videos will be posted over the next few weeks on these topics:
- Week 1 - Light & Bubbles - already posted!
- Week 2 - Sunlight Oven - already posted!
- Week 3 - Designing 2D Materials - already posted!
- Week 4 - Building Boundaries
- Week 5 - Slippery Solids
This project was co-produced by WPSU and the Penn State Center for Nanoscale Science in partnership with the Franklin Institute and Discovery Space. Click the link below to see the videos each week and have some fun learning about materials science - the study of stuff!
Reminder! The State College Branch of AAUW is holding its annual Used Book Sale on May 14-17, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day, at Penn State's Snider Agricultural Arena. This organization supports programs - such as ENVISION, Science-U and others - that encourage girls and young women to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Please try to support AAUW by attending this sale and buying some great used books!
Educator Workshop on Explosive Volcanism
A Penn State Educator Workshop in Earth Science is available to current 5th-12th grade teachers in Pennsylvania. The two-day short-course in introductory volcanology will teach about explosive volcanism through investigations of volcanic ash. The class will be held July 20-22, 2022 in the Deike Building on the University Park campus of Penn State. Applications are due by May 20, 2022. More information about the course, accommodations, stipend, and the application are available by clicking the button below.
Stories Under the Sky
On the first Friday of each month, starting in June, researchers from Penn State’s Department of Anthropology, and storytellers from the State College community, will share myths and legends from diverse cultures about the stars in the sky! After each night’s story is told, Penn State Department of Astronomy students and researchers will guide us in stargazing, if skies are clear. This program will be held on the Event Lawn of the Arboretum at Penn State but will be cancelled with steady rain or inclement weather. All ages are welcome! Participation is free and no registration is required. Please join us on the following dates and times:
- Friday, June 3, 8:15 to 9:45 p.m.
- Friday, July 1, 8:30 to 10:00 p.m.
- Friday, August 5, 8:15 to 9:45 p.m.
- Friday, September 2, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.
- Friday, October 7, 6:45 to 8:15 p.m.
The Pollinator and Bird Garden
When visiting the Arboretum, be sure to check out the new pollinator and bird garden! This exciting addition to the Arboretum was recently highlighted in this video linked 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 that cost only $250! Register below for an available spot!
Design your own reality!
- Who: Open to anyone entering grades 7-9
- When: June 13-17, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Where: Westgate Building, University Park Campus, Penn State
For more information, and to register, click on the button below. You may also click on the image above to download the camp flyer.
Anything is POssible for Girls in Electrical Engineering (APOGEE) -- Wearable Technology
- Who: Open to anyone entering grades 7-12
- When: July 25-29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Where: University Park Campus, Penn State
For more information, and to register, click on the button below. You may also click on the image above to download the camp flyer.
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!
By submitting photographs or information to the Office of Science Outreach, we reserve the right to use them in our future newsletters or marketing.
