New Program Offers On-Campus Experience for High School Students

In partnership with the University of Virginia (UVA), and with funding from the Commonwealth, Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) will pilot a transformative, on- campus summer STEM experience in July of 2013. The Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology (BLAST) program will provide hands-on experiences for high school students which can have a positive influence on career choices early enough in their education to influ- ence the coursework they choose in preparation for col- lege education. BLAST will feature a three-day residential experience at UVA and will target rising high school fresh- men and sophomore students who have an underlying aptitude for STEM academics, but have not yet discov- ered the excitement of STEM. Through carefully devel- oped activities taught by UVA faculty members, students will explore STEM fields, rapidly moving from a basic top- ic introduction to an immediate personal application of newly learned principles and knowledge. 

www.blast.spacegrant.org

New Virginia Space Coast Scholars Program Targets High School Sophomores

A new initiative funded through the Commonwealth’s biennial budget is the Virginia Space Coast Scholars (VSCS) program, which is a partnership between the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, NASA Wallops Flight Facility, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. VSCS is a dynamic, informal online learning experience highlighted by a seven-day residential summer academy at NASA Wallops Flight Facility for qualifying students. With a focus on scientific exploration, students will be introduced to the science, engineering, and technology concepts that are integral to earth and space-based missions launched or conducted from Virginia's Space Coast on the Eastern Shore.

Building on the excitement around scientific exploration missions conducted or launched from NASA Wallops Flight Facility and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, the VSCS program is designed to inspire high school sophomores that possess technical or scientific interests to participate. During the seven-day summer academy, the students will design, construct, and fly an experimental payload.

www.vscs.spacegrant.org

**note- according to the website above- Application Deadline is Dec.**

Announcing the Bowling Green State University 2013 Spring Kids' Tech University Program!!

KTU is a semester-long educational research program developed by the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech in partnership with the Virginia 4-H, that puts 

scientists and engineers in front of children to encourage the exploration of intriguing topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

After the success of KTU in 2009-12, we are excited to announce the 2013 spring semester event at Bowling Green State University for kids between the ages of 9 and 12 (on September 30, 2012). KTU is held in the same campus lecture halls used by BGSU students. Hands-on activities follow each interactive session and an online component continues the interest and excitement after the campus activities have been completed.

Spring 2013 Registration Procedure
• Online enrollment begins at 6 p.m. on December 10, 2012
•150 children will be accepted into the program
•Those accepted will represent a geographically diverse area.
•For enrollment information, please visit http://kidstechuniversity-bgsu.vbi.vt.edu/county_registration.php
•Registration is on a “first-come, first-served” basis that is open to children satisfying the age restriction, regardless of place of residence or academic achievements. A waiting list will be available after registration is full for a county or for the program.
•In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $25.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend.

Registration Fee- In order to keep up with the costs of providing a quality program, there will be a registration fee of $25.00 per child, payable upon registration (no refunds). The registration fee must be paid for by check; further directions will be given at the time of enrollment. Scholarships are available. Lunch cards and a KTU t-shirt will be given to all children who attend KTU.

February 9, 2013

 “Bright Blankets And Boating Bonanzas: How Do Clouds And Ice Affect Our Planet?”

An interactive session led by Dr. Jennifer Kay

Project Scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Climate and Global Dynamics (CGD) Division, Boulder CO

I often get curious stares when I mention that I study clouds and ice for a living. Most people want to know: Why are clouds and ice important? Clouds influence Earth's climate because they are bright blankets. Clouds cool outside temperatures because they are bright and they reflect the suns rays, but clouds also warm outside temperatures by keeping heat in like blankets. Perhaps you have noticed the competing effects of bright blanket clouds on the climate around you? Why is a clear day warmer than a cloudy day, but a cloudy night warmer than a clear night? The relationship between Earth's climate and ice is pretty simple. When the Earth's surface warms, ice melts, and the ocean expands. Why does a warming climate lead to a boating bonanza? If all the ice on our planet melted, sea level would rise over 200 feet. With that much more water in the ocean, coastlines would move inland and the area of the ocean would expand. Sea ice, frozen ocean water that floats, is different than a glacier, which consist of ice formed on land from compressed snow. Unlike melting glaciers, melting sea ice doesn’t increase sea level. But, when sea ice melts, you don't need an ice-breaker to navigate the polar oceans. Where could you go in a boat in a warmer world that you couldn't go now? We’ll use hands-on demonstrations to explore the influence of clouds and ice on Earth's climate and I’ll take all as many questions as time allows. Hope to see you there! 

February 16, 2013

"How can I choose the best strategy in a game? What's my best move?"
An interactive session led by Dr. Craig Zirbel

Professor Mathematics and Statistics, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green OH.

People all over the world have played thinking games for thousands of years. Some of these are two-player games of pure strategy, like chess and tic-tac-toe, others are games of chance like lotteries and roulette, while others are a mixture of the two, like Monopoly and blackjack. Many of the games that kids play today on i-pods or phones are thinking games as well. We'll play some games and learn some ways to find the best moves. We'll see that some two-player games are now completely "solved" in the sense that we know what will happen if both players make the best moves throughout the game. We'll talk about how to play the lottery, and whether to play the lottery at all! We'll explore some mathematical ideas that are often used to analyze games, but which can also be used to solve a variety of real-world problems where you are looking for the best solution.

April 6, 2013

“Why Doesn’t My Banana Get the ‘Flu?”

An interactive session led by Dr. Brett Tyler

Director of the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing and Stewart Professor of Genome Research at Oregon State University

We are surrounded by microbes. In fact human bodies contain more microbe cells than human cells. Most of these microbes live peacefully with our bodies, but a few cause nasty diseases and make us ill. Why is that? Plants are also surrounded by zillions of microbes. Most of these microbes live peacefully with those plants, but a few make plants really sick too, and can cause famines. But the microbes that cause diseases on humans almost never cause diseases on plants. Thus bananas don’t get the ‘flu. Similarly, humans mostly don’t suffer from plant diseases. Why is that? I’ll be talking about how the immune systems of humans and plants work, and how they are different. I’ll also talk about how some microbes can defeat human and plant immune systems to cause disease.

April 13, 2013

"What Can Flies Tell Us About Human Health and Evolution?"
An interactive session led by Dr. Ronny Woodruff

Distinguished Research Professor, Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Joint Editor in chief GENETICA

Flies are everywhere! But did you know that flies have been used in scientific research in labs all over the world for the last 100 years. Not just any fly, but fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster, which means black-body dew lovers) that you see around bananas in your kitchen in the summer. These fruit flies are used as a model to help us understand how changes in our genes can make humans sick and can tell us how organisms, including humans, change over time—how they evolve. For example, you can place a human gene, which causes seizures in humans, into flies and the flies have seizures. Or you can change genes in flies that make them have four wings and extra bristles and the same genes when changed in humans cause extra toes and neurological diseases. During this session you will see mutants of flies that have changed eye colors and bristles, and will see how they are grown in a fly lab.

2012 IGES Art Contest!

2012 IGES Art Contest

Grades 2-4

Entries due November 16, 2012

We're extending our art contest deadline to November 16, 2012 to give those who may have been affected by Hurricane Sandy time to recover and participate.

Young scientists and artists are encouraged to explore biodiversity this year.

There are many different types of life on Earth -- from bacteria to insects to plants and animals. This biodiversity extends across species and individuals. We encourage students to learn about the forms of life in a particular place. Have them explore what can be seen, what types of life are hard to see, and how those lifeforms interact with one another.

Biodiversity is everywhere! Students should investigate, then draw a picture showing what they have learned. Remember to submit completed art pieces to the

"The World's a Place of Living Things" is the 17th annual art contest held by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) in Arlington, VA. The contest supports national education standards for grades K-4.

The first-, second-, and third-place artists will receive $100, $75, and $50 Visa gift cards, respectively, framed color certificates and their artwork will be showcased on IGES's website. For all entrants, certificates of participation will be available online as PDF files for teachers and parents to download and print.

For more contest details, guiding questions, fun facts, and resources, please visit www.strategies.org/ArtContest

About IGES
Located in Arlington, VA., IGES was established in 1994 and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supported by public and private entities. IGES is a trusted leader in Earth and space science education, communication and outreach, and in fostering national and international cooperation in observing the Earth.

CONTACT

Brandi Bernoskie
Science Communications Manager
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
p: 703.312.0823
Email: Brandi_Bernoskie@strategies.org


This contest is proudly sponsored by: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

Virginia Tech Undergraduate/Graduate Student Research/Outreach Connections Grant Awards

Scientists are routinely asked to explain findings from the lab to the general public. At Kids' Tech University (KTU;http://kidstechuniversity.vbi.vt.edu), we want to support undergraduates and graduate students in turning their research (or affliated research) into a hands-on exhibit. 

If you are a Virginia Tech undergraduate or graduate student and are interested in honing your presentation skills to create a research centric hands-on event (hosted on the Virginia Tech campus) we are interested in working with you! We understand that consumables cost money and are offering a grant award (in the size of $50 to $100 each) to students in support of their project. These awards will be used only towards supplies, that KTU leaders will purchase; no money will be exchanged or given directly to award recipients.

Dates for hands-on events include: January 26, February 23, or March 23, 2013 (tentatively 1:30-4 pm)
Place- On the Virginia Tech campus

Eligibility
You must be a Virginia Tech Undergraduate or Graduate student to be considered eligible for a grant award; see above for award guidelines. All interested students must fill out the form located at: http://kidstechuniversity.vbi.vt.edu/undergrads.php . You will be asked to meet with Dr. Kristy Collins to discuss your project (she has extensive experience with the KTU program and can offer assistance in designing projects and making connections; she is here to help!).

Kids' Tech University celebrates new sponsorships

**Published in the Virginia Tech News on Oct. 31st**

BLACKSBURG, Va., Oct. 31, 2012 – The award-winning educational program Kids’ Tech University  celebrated a new milestone in achievement recently for its first corporate sponsorships from Rackspace, as part of the Rack Gives Back  program, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Designed for children ages 9 to 12, Kids' Tech University excites children about science while providing them with valuable experience in a university setting.

Through its Rack Gives Back program, Rackspace identifies local avenues for giving or volunteerism. One of their preferred areas is science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Robert McAden, business operations manager for Blacksburg’s Rackspace office, had enrolled his daughter in a Kids' Tech University course and saw the great benefit and need to continue the program.

“As an employer, Rackspace is reliant on a STEM-educated workforce and strives to support programs that reach kids and foster an early interest in technology. We participated in the hands-on activities at Kids' Tech University last year and were able to observe the value of the program first-hand. That is why we decided to help fund this valuable program,” said McAden.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, a leading laboratory equipment company, donates to local communities in an effort to support the next generation of scientists -- a perfect match for the program's mission.

Corporate sponsorships are a great boon since registration fees generally don’t cover the cost of the program. Kids' Tech University strives to provide scholarships for needy students and build future economic stability through nurturing the upcoming workforce. 

In addition to the sponsorship from Rackspace and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Kids' Tech University has also formed an alliance with the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council to continue to spread the word about its exciting educational opportunities for students.

"For the program to be sustainable in the long run all the stakeholders will need to contribute. One of these is the business community, since Kids' Tech University is fundamentally a program to build the future workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Our partnerships with Rackspace, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council represent a great step in engaging regional businesses,” said Reinhard Laubenbacher, director of education and outreach at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute.

Executive Director Derick Maggard noted: “The Partnership between Kids' Tech University and Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council is important because it allows our local technology communities to showcase real world applications of STEM studies; inspires kids to pursue a career in a STEM-related industry; and provides a fun, educational experience outside the classroom. By partnering with Kids' Tech University, the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council hopes to continue its mission of community outreach, raising the profile of our regional technology assets, and most importantly, inspire our young people to become scientists, techies, engineers, mathematicians, and entrepreneurs.”

Kids’ Tech University has just updated its website with the program schedule for 2013, which includes interactive sessions on topics including: fossilization processes, DNA, ships controlled by cell phones, and how math influences diabetes research. Kids' Tech University registration will open on the above website at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4.

Kids’ Tech University is a pioneering educational initiative designed to excite children about science and provide them with a real university experience. Kids' Tech University was spearheaded by Virginia Tech's Virginia Bioinformatics Institute in collaboration with the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program. The goal is to expose kindergarten through 12th grade students early to cutting-edge research in science, math, engineering, and technology to hopefully encourage them to pursue science careers. The Virginia Tech Kids' Tech University activities includes a spring event series for 9-12 year olds, a high school program, a Virginia Bioinformatics Institute interactive booth at the USA Science and Engineering Festival, and hosting kindergarten through 12th grade visits at the institute.

VT Southwest Center KTU program in Abingdon, VA, Saturday, Oct. 27th

“Patterns are Everywhere! How and Why?”
An interactive session led by Dr. Reinhard Laubenbacher
Professor at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and of the Department of Mathematics, Virginia Tech

Did you know that we are surrounded by patterns--everywhere? For example, farmers need to understand weather patterns to plan their harvests. Your parents need to understand traffic patterns to drive you to school safely. Music and dance excite us through patterns of sounds and movement. Some patterns are pretty easy to spot, like the pattern on a seashell, or the pattern on a snowflake. However, other patterns around us aren’t so easy to see, like the patterns on a pine cone, or the patterns of ocean waves. I’ll bet you wouldn’t guess patterns exist in clouds! To discover some of these patterns, we need to be very, very observant. So join me and together we’ll hunt down some patterns in the world around us--and as we investigate how these patterns form and why they’re there, the answers may surprise you!

Dr. Laubenbacher has been a Professor at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Virginia Tech since 2001. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Cancer Biology at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem (NC) and Affiliate Faculty in the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences. Prior to these appointments Dr. Laubenbacher was Professor of Mathematics at New Mexico State University. He has served as Visiting Faculty at Los Alamos National Laboratories, was a member of the Mathematical Science Research Institute at Berkeley in 1998, and was a Visiting Associate Professor at Cornell University in 1990 and 1993. Current interests in Dr. Laubenbacher’s research group include the development of mathematical algorithms and their application to problems in systems biology, in particular the modeling and simulation of molecular networks. An application area of particular interest is cancer systems biology, especially the role of iron metabolism in breast cancer.