November Newsletter
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November 2021
Welcome to our November newsletter! The following topics are included in this issue:
- WPSU Events - Eventapalooza recap and Family Night: Space
- GWIS announces its Young Women in STEM program (formerly the Girl Scout Workshop)
- Plans are starting for ENVISION and SCIENCE-U
- Nittany Chemical Society visiting schools
- Celebrate National STEM Day on the 8th
- Happy Anniversary to our Virtual STEM Festival
- Ending Daylight Saving Time
Best wishes for a happy and healthy month! ~The Science Outreach Team
WPSU Events
Thank you to all those who joined us at our Bird Beak Buffet table at WPSU's Eventapalooza 2021 on Sunday, October 26th. It was great to see everyone and to help youngsters learn how birds eat different kinds of food based on the shape and strength of their beaks. Children could pretend to be Eagles, Robins, Woodpeckers, and Cardinals and to use different utensils to mimic the ways those birds catch and eat their food!
Coming up in November, our friends at WPSU are holding Family Night: Space on Thursday, November 4th at 6:00 p.m. This event is geared towards families with children in grades K-5 and will be available on WPSU-TV - no computer or Internet needed! A few items may be required for the hands-on learning activities so click the link below to get the short list and learn more about exploring space together as a family!
COMING SOON...YOUNG WOMEN IN STEM WORKSHOP
The Graduate Women in Science (GWIS) at Penn State is holding a fall workshop for any 5th to 10th grade girls interested in learning more about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math! The Virtual STEM Carnival is free of charge and will start December 6th with instructions and videos available online, as well as a live discussion with women in STEM at 6-7 pm. Advanced registration is required. The button below provides a link to the registration and contacts for questions.
SAVE THE DATE FOR ENVISION
Saturday, February 26, 2022 is this year's date for ENVISION: STEM Career Day Supporting Young Women! Students in grades 6 through 12 will be invited to the University Park campus to spend a day exploring various career options in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Penn State faculty, as well as undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields, will guide small groups of attendees through hands-on workshops, share stories about their journeys in STEM, and offer networking opportunities. Registration will take place in mid-January. Look for more information to be available soon!
Nittany Chemical Society at Schools
The Nittany Chemical Society is a student organization at Penn State that volunteers with many of our most popular events. The group is looking to partner with local elementary schools! If your school would like to have them visit and provide some fun and educational chemistry demonstrations and activities, reach out to Farraz Haider at fph5077@psu.edu.
SCIENCE-U PLANS FOR 2022
We are looking forward to having Science-U campers and staff back at our Penn State University Park campus this summer! As we make plans for Science-U we expect to have most of our usual camp offerings available, but there may be a few changes. More details will be made public in a month or two, and registration will be held in early February. Stay tuned!
NATIONAL S.T.E.M. DAY IS NOV. 8
The educational subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics provide valuable STEM skills to children, and some STEAM educational programs also include Art, a vital component of creativity.
It's undebatable that these STEM/STEAM subjects push society forward by providing new information and discoveries and by offering valuable employment opportunities. How can you help to commemorate National STEM/STEAM day this year?
Here are a few suggestions:
- Encourage your child's natural curiosity. Parents and caregivers don't need to be experts in STEM to teach children about making observations, problem solving, and exploring answers to their questions.
- Help local science teachers gather supplies for their classrooms. Funding for science classes is usually limited so teachers may appreciate some donations or fundraising efforts.
- Enroll your child in experiential science programs or activities. Several educational programs, activities, and museums provide fun and engaging ways to teach students about STEM subjects.
Our Virtual Science Festival is celebrating its first anniversary! This repository of virtual activities and events is still being edited to include more resources for families and educators. Be sure to check it out with the link below and sample some of the cool videos and demonstrations!
REMINDER: "FALL BACK"
On Sunday, November 7th, Daylight Saving Time will end in most areas of the United States. Remember to set your clocks back one hour to return to standard time if you have been practicing Daylight Saving during the summer months. Fortunately, most electronic clocks will reset automatically!
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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