STEM In The News:
“Advice for Women in STEM”
“It’s been documented that having more women involved in the STEM field leads to greater results for everyone. Yet, women still face many barriers to joining the industry. It can be discouraging to experience gender bias in the workplace and that keeps many women out of STEM. However, it’s important to keep trying to help change the industry.” Three helpful tips to encourage women in STEM are to “get comfortable being uncomfortable”, “push past gender stereotypes”, and “network to success”. Continue reading to learn more about how following these tips could positively impact women in STEM.
“Best STEM Toys and Coding Blocks”
Toy makers are “creating cool coding toys that foster problem-solving abilities, logical thinking, and design strategies”. “Coming in the form of robots, gadgets, and games, these gizmos teach as much as they entertain.” “Starting as early as age 3, kids use their observation skills and base their understanding on trial and error and cause and effect, which serve as building blocks for logical reasoning. Giving them toys that increase their attention span by following multi-step directions helps with both short-term and long-term memory”. Some of the toys listed in this article are the “Fisher-Price Think & Learn Rocktopus”, the “Learning Resources Botley the Coding Robot”, and the “Anki Cozmo, A Fun, Educational Toy Robot for Kids”, as well as many more! Read more to view the whole list of awesome STEM toys available on the market today.
“Preparing kids for the future by making STEM subjects fun”
Take a look into the educational program Engineering for Kids! Leo and Elise Silva opened an Engineering for Kids franchise in Las Vegas, Silva has a background in teaching while Leo went into the automotive industry, so a STEM learning center was right up their alley when they were looking for a new business venture. “The STEM learning center offers classes centered on engineering, technology and the skills that modern engineers need to do their jobs, and provides kids “with a place to pursue their interests and make friends with similar interests,” Elise Silva said”. Engineering for Kids offers a variety of programs to fit the interests of all students, with one of their most popular being the “Engineering Club”. In this program “students build hands-on projects in order to explore scientific concepts and learn how engineers in different fields contribute to the world”. Read more about how Engineering for Kids is making STEM fun and interactive for children.
“STEM Delivery Kit Brings Science to Doorstep”
School is out but education and learning doesn’t have to end for the summer! MakeCrate developer, Katie Stephens, has created a monthly subscription service that delivers hardware parts and instructions so kids can be learning important STEM lessons at home. “It challenges kids, ages 11-15, to build and code small devices like robotic cars or alarms. On top of that, kids are forced to use critical thinking skills to troubleshoot errors and come up with solutions. Stephens said all of those skills are applicable even if the kids aren’t yet interested in becoming engineers or coders.” Read more to learn about MakeCrate and how it encourages STEM education…video included in the article.
“Hampton students participate in program that encourages girls to catch “aviation bug”
“A group of girls from Hampton City Schools’ Bravehearts and their mentors glimpsed careers in aviation with tours of planes at Atlantic Aviation and a tour of the control tower at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.” Lauren Stratton of Women in Aviation said “We need more women, but I think it’s a huge lack of exposure that keeps women from getting involved in aviation and just showing them that it’s possible and showing them that we’re here. There are some of us here doing this, and hope that it inspires and encourages some other women to get involved in STEM.” Read more to learn about women in aviation and how young girls can be encouraged into the field.
