University of Washington Professor Deb Morrison will keynote Capturing Imaginations Building Skills, the second biennial joint conference of Ignite Afterschool and ScimathMN. Morrison will focus on closing equity gaps in STEM education.  Improving equity within STEM teaching and learning is a central goal of recent policy conversations and reform. Both K-12 and informal STEM educators in Minnesota and nationally have long worked towards closing the STEM learning experience opportunity gaps that exist between students with varied lived experiences. In this presentation, Dr. Morrison will define the inequities found in our current terrain and explore research on practical solutions both informal and formal educators can use to disrupt cycles of inequity. A central focus of her work at the Institute of Science and Math Education is the way in which STEM instruction integrates students’ interests and supports expansions of identity development. Dr. Morrison will address generalized approaches used across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as well as highlight some specific to science learning.  You can learn more about Morrison’s work here.

Registration for the November 29-30, 2017 conference is still open.  Register at this link.

 

STEM Day 2017 was another great success.  Over 13,000 Fair goers came through Dan Patch Park throughout the day.  There they experimented with building design, learned to code, played with robots, explored energy from citrus fruit, and marveled at just what can be done with science, engineering, technology, and math.  Governor Dayton proclaimed the day STEM Day at the Fair day in Minnesota, and Senator Franken stopped by to meet exhibitors and Fair goers.

WCCO brought turned many young people into meteorologist with their green screen, while the Raptor Center brought their magnificent birds.  We honored the states Presidential Award for Math and Science Teaching nominees, watched the University of Minnesota’s Physics Force do amazing things with 55 gallon drums, and laughed at Real Sciences jokes.

Many thanks to our sponsors for making STEM Day at the Fair happen.  Platinum: 3M, Boston Scientific, and Smiths Medical.  Silver: Seagate Technology and Orbital ATK.  T-shirt sponsor: MTS Systems, tote bags sponsored by MnDOT.  Planning for next years STEM Day at the Fair will begin after the new year.

STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair returns August 24

The eighth annual STEM Day (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) returns for the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair, Thursday, Aug. 24, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., in the newly renamed Dan Patch Park (formerly Carousel Park) just outside the grandstand.

STEM Day features over 30 participants who will share hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations including robots, rocketry, computer coding and animals designed for children of all ages. Each organization will involve children and adults in STEM-oriented activities and illustrate how the objects, systems and buildings we encounter every day are driven by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A performance stage will feature entertaining experiments and demonstrations, including:

9 a.m. U of MN Raptor Center

10 a.m. Physics Force

10:45 a.m. MN Department of Education Presidential Award Finalists

11 a.m. WCCO – Weather Science

Noon U of MN Raptor Center

1 p.m. Physics Force

2 p.m. WCCO – Weather Science

3 p.m. The Bakken Museum – Small Stuff, Big Deal

4 p.m. America’s Fun Science

STEM Day at the State Fair is an initiative of SciMathMN, a nonprofit statewide organization that advocates for effective, engaging, and rigorous STEM education opportunities for all Minnesota students, preparing them for citizenship, career, and college. The day is hosted by the Minnesota STEM Network and is organized by volunteers from MTS Systems, Seagate, St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota.

2017 STEM Day at the State Fair participants include 3M Visiting Wizards, American Institute of Architects (AIA) Minnesota, ARDUTIME, The Bakken Museum, Bell Museum of Natural History, Blue University, Boston Scientific, Challenger Learning Center of Minnesota, Code Savvy, Eastview Lightning Robotics, Emerson Process Management, FIRST Robotics Team 2169, KING TeC FIRST Robotics Team 2667, Knights of the Valley, Ft. Snelling Cadet Squadron, MN 131, Civil Air Patrol, Girls Inc. at YWCA of Minneapolis, GOFIRST, High Tech Kids, The Learning Jet, Market Science, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium, Minnesota MATHCOUNTS, Minnesota Zoo, MTS Systems Corporation, NASA’s MN Space Grant Consortium, National Association of Rocketry, Orbital ATK, Osseo Area Schools Kidstop, Play Quiz Bowl, Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center Youth Energy Summit (YES!) Program, TPT-TV “SciGirls”, SciMathMN, Seagate, Smiths Medical, Society of Women Engineers – Minnesota Chapter, STEM Bunnies, The Works Museum, “WOW Wind Power,” YIMA Youth Aviation Academy and Blattner, Inc.,

Thanksd to our sponsors: Platinum sponsors: 3M, Boston Scientific, and Smiths Medical Silver sponsor: Seagate Technology, Orbital ATK T-shirt sponsor: MTS Systems Corp. Tote bag sponsor: Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Media Partner WCCO-TV For more information Visit STEM Day at the State Fair on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/STEM-Day-at-the-MinnesotaState-Fair/213598361997441

On Tuesday, April 18, Commissioner Cassellius hosted a public meeting to discuss where we are at in the process to develop the state Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan, what decisions have been made, and what needs to be done before submitting the plan in September. See the document outlining preliminary decisions that have been made. The Minnesota Department of Education also recently released information on the transition to ESSA and World’s Best Workforce in the 2017-18 school year.

Read more here.

Minnesota is part of an event in support of evidence-based research in education and industry, pro-science programs, the health of citizens and the environment and quality science education. The march takes place on Earth Day, April 22, 2017 in Washington DC and around the country including 12 different sites in Minnesota. March for Science is a non-partisan, volunteer-based organization that is concerned by efforts to cut support to science, engineering, and higher education, issue gag orders against scientists, and continue to deny basic science as policy positions. The march has gained the endorsement of NSTA, MnSTA, SciMathMN and many science and STEM focused organizations. Details and updates are at this website (http://www.marchforsciencemn.com/) or Twitter @ScienceMarchMN.

The 8th annual SciMathMN STEM Day at the State Fair, Minnesota’s annual celebration of all things STEM will again open the Great Minnesota Get Together, Thursday,  August 24, 2017.  Past years have seen a broad variety of hands-on activities for fair goers in robotics, aeronautics and aerospace, programming, modern manufacturing, and a host of other STEM fields.  The event attracts a wide variety of fair goers with a growing number of families coming the first day of the fair specifically to attend STEM Day.  Groups wishing to apply to be an exhibitor can apply here.  In considering your organizations application please consider the selection criteria.

First Priority will be given to organizations which meet the following criteria (listed in order of importance):
1. Organization’s mission and purpose pertain to and are based in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
2. Organizations that collaborate and share exhibit space with an outside organization or other departments or divisions within their overall institution
3. Organizations that provide a hands-on, STEM-based activity focused on children and youth
4. Organizations from outside the Twin Cities metro area
5. Organizations new to the STEM Day event
6. Demonstrated goals to target audience
7. Appropriateness of planned activity
8. Organization’s ability to underwrite their activity. Funds for direct exhibitor support are limited.

Other factors that will influence the committee’s decision:
1. Non-profits must be registered in the state of Minnesota.
2. For-profit companies and organizations are restricted from conducting commercial operations
3. Sponsorship of STEM Day.
4. Organizations have a mechanism for community engagement in STEM or volunteer service to the community in STEM activities.
5. Date of submission of the application.

The deadline for application submissions is May 13, 2017.