The event is open to the public. Registration starts at 6 pm.

The Maine Advanced Technology & Engineering Center is at the SMCC Midcoast Campus at Brunswick Landing, 29 Seawall Street in Brunswick. For directions and more information, visit http://umaine.edu/brunswickengineering/events. Pre-registration is requested by email to um-admit@maine.edu, by calling 207-581-1561 or toll-free 1-877-486-2364, or online.

Brunswick Engineering, a 2+2 program in which students study engineering in Brunswick and then finish up the last 2 years in civil, mechanical, electrical, or computer engineering at UMaine, began in Fall 2012. Applications are being taken for Fall 2013. In addition to this program, SMCC Pre-Engineering is another pathway offered at the Brunswick campus. This unique two-year pre-engineering associates degree program prepares students to transfer to any of the engineering and engineering technology programs at UMaine, or the University of Southern Maine (USM).

This Engineering Information Session is a great opportunity for students to learn about opportunities to study engineering close to home, learn about the requirements and benefits of each program, and see the Maine Advanced Technology & Engineering Center.

The Reach Center shared information about programs in Maine and its STEM Resource Bank, with STEM Guides Marcia Schatz and Bill Shaw in attendance, along with Center co-director Tom Keller. We were happy to have students and parents asking questions and trying out science displays.

Many thanks to Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School staff, especially science teacher Mickie Flores and principal Mike Benjamin, for supporting their students’ STEM work this way, and for including the community and The Reach Center in the event.

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Dexter Regional High School students and community members spent the day showcasing their many talents in relation to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). DRHS in partnership with The Reach Center at Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance coordinated their first ever Thinkers and Tinkerers Expo.

Displays, projects, experiments, and demonstrations by the students of DRHS and TCTC filled the cafeteria and some classrooms and hallways. From robots to photographs, from astronomy to chemistry, from snakes to roller coasters, STEM was featured and fun. STEM-related organizations had activities and discussions on astronomy, how scientific inquiry works, and more.

STEM door prizes were awarded every half-hour, and participants shared local STEM resources.

WABI Channel 5 featured the TnT Expo on their news program. Watch online at the WABI TV site.

What did you enjoy most about the TnT Expo?

Come join the student body of Dexter Regional High School as they spend the day showcasing their many talents in relation to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). DRHS in partnership with The Reach Center at Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance is pleased to invite you to their first ever Thinkers and Tinkerers Expo.

There will be art, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics displays, projects, experiments, and demonstrations by the students of DRHS and TCTC as well as a few community members. Multiple STEM-related organizations will be there with activities and discussions for young and old alike. Come meet the Reach Center and learn more about the NEW STEM Hub and Guides project. Explore the ways that STEM impacts our lives and have some fun doing it. Bring the whole family!

The event features great STEM door prizes, raffles, and the opportunity to learn more about STEM resources in your own community. It’s open to all, and we encourage people from other communities to join us too. There will be concessions available.

If you’re interested in STEM, stop by Dexter Regional High School Wednesday, April 3 between 4 pm and 8 pm! The school is at 12 Abbott Hill Rd, Dexter, Maine.

For more information, contact Alyson Saunders at Alyson.Saunders@reachcenter.me.

Marcia Schatz and Bill Shaw are the Reach Center’s first two STEM Guides in this Hub. A Hub in the Dexter-Dover area has held meetings and plans to launch publicly and support community involvement in the April 3 Dexter Regional High School “Thinkers and Tinkerers EXPO.” In both cases, we have begun the process of making the region’s STEM-related resources more visible.

Held at the Peninsula Metamorphic Arts Center in Blue Hill, the March 1 meeting began at 10am with a personal mapping activity. Four categories were displayed: STEM Professional, Teacher or School Staff, Out-of-School Educator, and STEM Hobbyist. Each participant was asked to choose a color for themselves based on the category that best described their role (and to place the colors of all of the categories that described themselves on their nametags). They placed their name on that color flag on a map of the peninsula. We covered a wide area!

Marcia Schatz opened the meeting by thanking the attendees and briefly reviewing the draft agenda and items in the participants’ folders. She stressed that this meeting was for a two-way discussion: learning more about the STEM assets available in the region, and also getting more familiar with the Reach Center project.  This project will be shaped by the participants as it moves along. The agenda included:

• Discuss the mission of the Reach Center and the STEM Guides initiative
• Map assets in the room and community for connecting students with STEM from Stonington to Blue Hill and Brooklin to Castine
• Explore the STEM Resource Bank beta version
• Enjoy a delicious lunch while getting to know each other better and further discussing the “How” part of sharing the resource
• Talk about next steps and possible roles

Reach Center Co-Director Tom Keller then shared some information about the Reach Center, its mission, its “connecting” role, and its resources. Opening with “Why Are We Here Today?” he showed these key points:

• To help Maine youth keep their academic doors open to science and math (STEM in general) for personal and professional opportunities by:
  • Increasing our awareness (and theirs) of resources,
  • Mapping resources here and elsewhere, and
  • Providing active outreach mechanisms.

Quoting the Lost Opportunities report (2012), “Rural students. . . have several strikes against them.They are less likely than American students as a whole to have access to challenging math and science classes, qualified math and science teachers, STEM learning resources, role models in STEM fields, and community resources such as science museums.” This is why the Reach Center, in choosing its pilot regions for STEM Hubs, chose Dexter-Dover and the Blue Hill Peninsula. Both areas have resources, yet are very rural and resources may not be as highly visible or easily accessible as in a city.

MMSA is spearheading a 10-year project to increase the number of 10-18 year olds who develop a deep passion for STEM. This project is called the Reach Center. It emphasizes STEM resources and activities out-of-school, because that’s where students have the most time and freedom to explore their personal interests. The Reach Center serves as “connective tissue,”building upon Maine’s excellentout-of-school resources. STEM Guides will build on the strengths already present in their Maine communities and help to connect people and resources within these communities.

Throughout the event, presenters and activities emphasized asset mapping of existing STEM resources, and expanding the boundaries of opportunities that local youth may have to become deeply involved in STEM. For example, Jim Schatz, a Blue Hill Selectman who attended the meeting, talked about the Blue Hill sewer/water treatment plant. Other suggestions ranged from a local natural history educator who has offered classes in the past to a group for high school students that currently meets monthly to work on projects related to the marine environment to the Blue Hill Heritage Trust land conservation programs, and even to the many programs at nearby Jackson Lab and Mount Desert Island Biological Lab and other major STEM opportunities nearby.

The agenda included two activities geared toward describing and mapping the many STEM people and programs on the peninsula, with the ultimate goal of making more of these resources more accessible to young people and their families. As Tom told the crowd, “People like you are key resources!”

The two activities centered around sharing resources (programs, places, or other people) that those in attendance knew about, including who might benefit and how the Reach Center can follow up to gather more information to include the resource in the Resource Bank or to share in other ways.

For the second activity, we asked people to look inward. Participants were asked before the meeting to think about their own STEM interests, activities, and the expertise they have to offer. At the meeting, they were asked to help us get a collective sense of the available resources right in the room. An amazing array of skills and expertise was evident from the forms that came back to us. Classroom science teachers and 4-H club organizers, gardeners and farmers, chemists and ecologists: there are people with the know-how to support youth in a wide variety of STEM pursuits.

Given the quick turnaround time, many people who we invited were not able to attend this event. To follow up with them, and with those whom we’re just learning about as we make connections in the region, we are planning another small discussion soon as well as phone calls and emails.

Another agenda item was to share the new online STEM Resource Bank that the Reach Center is developing, and to get input on the test version so that we can create a very useful and engaging version over the coming months. Ideas from the group included highlighting events by location and those with upcoming dates or deadlines, ensuring that the site is mobile-friendly, making the learning or profile like a video game to better engage students, filtering to not include too much information, and targeting the students in the area specifically. Obstacles discussed included students’ motivation and taking initiative for some opportunities, the “too many hits” problem of Google, and too many words rather than pictures on pages.

As another token of our gratitude that so many people took time out of their busy days to contribute to this meeting, several door prizes—in the form of science toys and tools appropriate for the students we’re all here to serve—were awarded at the end of the event. Winners of the door prizes were Sharon Longley, teacher at Sedgwick Elementary School; Margaret Bixby, librarian at Sedgwick Elementary School; Norma Hardinson, involved in 4-H for 40 years; and Carol Benitti, Science department chair at George Stevens Academy—who also took a SunSpotter astronomy viewing kit back to her students.

This gathering begins a spring and summer during with the Reach Center’s STEM Guides will begin connecting youth with STEM resources in their own hometowns and throughout Maine.

We thank everyone who attended, and will continue to make connections throughout the peninsula to develop a thriving STEM Hub in the region. And we’ll keep you posted on these developments. Please let us know at info@reachcenter.me if you have any ideas, suggestions, comments, or questions.

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She discussed the correlation between Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and the economy, and informed the community of what MMSA and the Reach Center are doing to strengthen STEM education in Maine. Below is video footage from the meeting in two segments.

Also, check out these online resources that provide searchable storehouses of opportunities for students in Maine and elsewhere.

• The National Girls Collaborative Project offers a comprehensive listing of STEM opportunities. These are national listings with a solid collection of Maine entries, submitted by program representatives themselves, although some information may be slightly outdated.

“The Program Directory lists organizations and programs that focus on motivating girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The purpose of this Directory is to help organizations and individuals network, share resources, and collaborate on STEM-related projects for girls. The Directory contains program descriptions, resources available within each organization…and contact information.”

• SciStarter’s Project Finder is a great way to find STEM activities to match your interests. From citizen science projects to sites that stream wildlife imagery from the Serengeti, this collection of primarily online resources is appropriate for all ages and levels of STEM expertise.

“In a nutshell… This is the place to find out about, take part in, and contribute to science through recreational activities and research projects.

If you’re a scientist or a representative of a citizen science organization or community group: This is the place to tell eager people about your work and get them interested in helping out.”

The SciStarter Project Finder allows you to customize your search options and explore a wide array of opportunities.

• The STEMWorks Database on the Change the Equation website is a new (released in fall 2012) array of fully vetted programs nationwide.

“Change the Equation (CTEq) is proud to host this database of programs that deepen young people’s learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The database aims to be a critical resource for funders, program developers and STEM advocates alike. Funders can find programs that maximize the return on their investment. Those who develop STEM learning programs can benchmark their work against successful exemplars. Advocates can point to excellent programs as they make the case for quality.

The programs in this database have to clear a high bar. WestEd, an independent non-profit research, development, and service organization, rigorously reviews all of them against Change the Equation’s Design Principles for Effective STEM Philanthropy and an accompanying Rubric. Only programs that perform well against the principles are admitted.

STEMworks is itself a work in progress. The programs in this database are by no means the only excellent STEM learning programs in the country. Rather, they are the first in what is a growing list of effective programs. We will continuously improve the content and function of this resource as we review new programs.”

• ScienceBuddies.org offers connections from plans for science fair projects to an “Ask an Expert” section for science questions.

“The award-winning, non-profit Science Buddies empowers K-12 students, parents, and teachers to quickly and easily find free project ideas and help in all areas of science from physics to food science and music to microbiology. Whether your goal is to find a fun science activity for your kids or win the international science fair, sciencebuddies.org puts comprehensive, scientist-authored tools, tips, and techniques at your fingertips.”

Explore these resources, and always feel free to contact the Reach Center if you have questions or suggestions for us.

From activities that served as reminders of what science, technology, engineering, and math are and how they’re interconnected so we often refer to “STEM” to a hands-on training course introducing the Maine Audubon Wildlife Road Watch citizen science project, students enjoyed a jam-packed weekend of fun learning. Although the night hike had to be canceled because of rain, a lot of ground was covered in just 24 hours.

On Friday, October 19, students traveled to SERC at the end of their school day. Reach Center staff members Alyson Saunders and Jo Gates worked with Kelley Bernier and Jim Randall from the SERC staff, Maureen Hastings from the Caribou office of the National Weather Service, and with Maine Audubon educator Cyndi Kuhn to get set up and ready for the students’ evening activities.

A big part of the weekend was training on Maine Audubon’s Wildlife Road Watch citizen science project. As part of the training, students created “critters” native to their home area of Maine, participated in a sample data collection walk, and practiced entering data in a demonstration account on the website. Barbara Charry from Maine Audubon talked with students about the impacts of roads on wildlife, and why it’s important to gather observations from all over the state to support healthy environments for people and wildlife.

Friday night, Maureen Hastings from the Caribou office of the National Weather Service shared why she became a meteorologist. Growing up in Kansas, tornadoes, tornado warnings, and tornado drills were common in her childhood. She shared a video of a tornado and talked about emergency preparedness and the National Weather Service. This personal story provided background for the students’ weather activities Saturday afternoon, during which they saw and touched a weather balloon, rain gauge, radiosonde, and other weather measurement tools.

One definition of citizen science is “ordinary people—including kids—working with scientists to study interesting phenomena that change.” Weather meets the basic criterion of change central to citizen science. It’s also highly local. As Maureen shared with us, the National Weather Service relies on reports from thousands of volunteers to ensure that their data is relevant to the many locations that do not have NWS weather stations. The end goal is always to benefit people and communities.

“STEM professions, activities, and hobbies are all linked to the communities where they take place. This program is your opportunity to participate in these things in ways that are meaningful to you and your communities. Remember that a community can be as small as your family or as large as your planet! So, no matter what citizen science projects you eventually choose to do, you are contributing to the scientific (STEM) community…and that is important,” Alyson told the students at the retreat.

One goal for the weekend was that students take away from the event knowledge, excitement, and enthusiasm to try some more citizen science projects. Some groups will participate in the Wildlife Road Watch project throughout the school year. Others will choose a different citizen science project. The students will share their results with each other in the spring.

Students came from several schools, and worked hard during the weekend to meet new friends and learn names! Learning the names of five students from another school was one part of a prize drawing that rewarded several students with great items useful for their continued study of science—including a top prize of a tablet with several scientific apps. Each student who attended also received a subscription to Discover magazine.

SERC is a beautiful place, and Moore Auditorium and the laboratory were perfectly suited to the work. A brief walking tour given by the president of SERC, Mike Soucup, introduced the students to the campus. The rain didn’t dampen spirits (although it did dampen some shoes and socks).

“Do Science With the World” is one of two ongoing out-of-school science programs for middle school students organized by the Reach Center with partners in Maine. This program focuses on citizen science and includes students from Washington and Hancock counties. The students began with summer camp at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM) in Limestone. ( The second program, Ecology Explorers, is a partnership with UMaine Cooperative Extension 4-H program in Cumberland County, and began with summer camp at Bryant Pond and is continuing with student service-learning projects in ecology.)

These students will be meeting on a regular basis, in person and online with Mr. David Finlay, a teacher at Indian Township School working with the Reach Center on this program, to conduct citizen science projects of their choosing. This group is one of the Reach Center’s first pilot programs.

Many thanks to Cyndi Kuhn and Barbara Charry from Maine Audubon, Maureen Hastings from the National Weather Service, the staff at SERC, and the teachers, parents, and especially the students who helped make this experience wonderful.

It was a great weekend, and we’re very proud of the students for the work they put in!

Alyson Saunders previously worked in central Maine as a secondary science teacher for seven years. She primarily taught biology, but also chemistry, astronomy, and ecology. In addition to her teaching duties, she also directed the annual spring musical and summer drama camp program. Her well-rounded science knowledge and experience working with students on projects in both science and theater make her a great resource for the Reach Center programs; we want to cultivate and support students’ interests and passions in all areas of STEM. As an educator, she has worked with several STEM-focused programs to bring better STEM opportunities to her classrooms, including a GK-12 NSF-funded program administered through the University of Southern Maine called ScienceCorps, which taught biotechnology concepts and skills through the use of wetland models in the classroom.

She is also coordinator for the Maine Council of the Atlantic Salmon Federation’s Fish Friends Program, which brings Atlantic salmon eggs into the classroom for students to raise and release in the spring.

Alyson earned a B.S. in Biology with minors in Environmental Education and Natural Science-Broad field from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and a second B.S. in Secondary Science Education from the University of Maine in Orono with a concentration in life sciences.  She is also a mom of two young boys who share her love of the outdoors and enjoy gardening, fishing, and camping as a family.

David McKechnie has been in the field of education for over 30 years at a wide variety of schools on three different continents. He holds a B.S. degree in Biological and Physical Sciences from Johnson State College in Vermont. He also spans various math and science fields, and has taught courses ranging from 6^th grade arithmetic to AP calculus to adult education courses in bagpiping. A strong mathematics teacher and advocate, Dave also has a lot of experience working with students on projects in STEM in and out of school. His most recent teaching was in one of the world’s newest countries, Eritrea, where he headed up the math and science departments.

Dave brings enthusiasm and global connections to the science and outreach that Reach Scholars are doing. He starts by working with the Ecology Explorers program that began last week at Bryant Pond 4-H Camp and Learning Center, and also with the Inventing Your Sustainable Space program at YoUMA, the University of Maine at Augusta’s summer program for high school students. He will continue to work with 4-H, UMA, and many other partners to help grow science and math talent in Maine.

Dave is also an avid runner, fisherman, hiker, and follower of international rugby events.

We’re thrilled to have Alyson and Dave on our team, and hope you get to know them well as the Reach Center grows!

YoUMA, the summer program for high school students at UMA, premiered an exciting architecture course last year. This year, they’re working with The Reach Center to build a year-long experience for students interested in delving into architecture and completing a project focused on designing an energy-efficient space. This program is completely free to participants; each Reach Scholar receives a full scholarship to the YoUMA summer course.

See more detail on the program page.

Interested students follow three easy steps:

1. Apply to the Reach Center online here.
2. You’ll receive an email with information and our Participation Agreement, which must be signed by student and parent or guardian. Return the signed form as instructed.
3. Apply to YoUMA using the PDF form from the Register link. Choose Inventing Your Sustainable Space as your first choice workshop week 1. This program is only offered during week 1. Next to Method of Payment, write “Reach Center.”

Then, enjoy learning and doing science and math in a great architectural design course that offers college credit, opportunities to connect with mentors, and real-world design challenges!