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Our blog has moved to blog.stemconnector.org

March 26, 2012

Please adjust your address books, bookmarks, and toolbars accordingly: the STEMconnector™ blog will now be located at blog.stemconnector.org!

 

WordPress has been great to STEMconnector™, but the new blog will be located on our own site and features a new sleeker design. All previous posts are already updated on the new blog, but all posts in the future will be housed on the new blog.

 

Thanks for reading and your continued support!

Bureau of Labor Statistics Releases Data on Green Goods and Services for 2010

March 23, 2012

Yesterday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the Department of Labor announced that in 2010, the United States had 3.1 million jobs in “green” technology, goods, and services. These jobs, which the DOL calls Green Goods and Services (GGS), accounted for 2.4% of the total number of jobs in 2010.  The Manufacturing industry alone had 461,800 green jobs alone.

California led the pack with the most green jobs (338,400); however, Vermont had the largest proportion with 4.4% followed by DC at 3.9% of total employment.

 

Read the rest of the of the Employment in Green Goods and Services Report for 2010!

New Profile of the Day: Edgewood Chemical Biological Center

March 23, 2012

New Profile of the Day highlights some of our newest and greatest profiles on STEMconnector.org. To have your organization, competition, or other STEM-related group added to STEMconnector, simply fill out our contact form.

The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) is an Army lab specializing in research in various fields of biological warfare. However, they also have many initiatives relevant to STEM education! Subject matter experts mentor students for assignments such as senior capstones, and help schools and school systems develop science and engineering curricula. ECBC scientists visit classrooms to encourage hands on activities and hone problem solving skills, and also provide teachers with resources for professional development. The lab also offers tours for students to get a first-hand look at what it is like to have a career in STEM. To learn more about ECBC’s initiatives, see their STEMconnector profile!

New Profile of the Day: DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation

March 22, 2012

New Profile of the Day highlights some of our newest and greatest profiles on STEMconnector.org. To have your organization, competition, or other STEM-related group added to STEMconnector, simply fill out our contact form.

The DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation was founded in 1999 and has become DC’s key resource for developing partnerships for youth programs during out of school times. The Trust provides grants, training, and policy support to expand and ensure adequate opportunities are available for DC’s students. One of their main programs is the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships so that families are better able to choose which private, public, or charter school is the best fit for their child. For more information on all of the Trust’s programs, see their STEMconnector profile!

New Profile of the Day: USA Biology Olympiad

March 21, 2012

New Profile of the Day highlights some of our newest and greatest profiles on STEMconnector.org. To have your organization, competition, or other STEM-related group added to STEMconnector, simply fill out our contact form.

The USA Biology Olympiad, put on by the Center for Excellence in Education, is an annual multi-stage competition for high school students to test their Biology skills. Those who pass the open and semifinal round exams are invited to a week-long training program at Purdue University, where they will hone their skills in anticipation of the final exam. The four highest scoring students are then chosen to represent Team USA at the International Biology Olympiad. For more detailed information on eligibility and qualification, head over to their STEMconnector profile!

Guest Blog: Teacher Resources on Earth and Space Science at AGU Annual Meetings

March 21, 2012

This is a post in the STEMconnector™ Pranoti Asher, Manager of Education and Public Outreach at the American Geophysical Union.

“The American Geophysical Union (AGU) runs teacher workshops on Earth and space science at its annual meetings. Geophysical Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops,  held in conjunction with the annual meetings, allow K-12 science teachers to hear about the latest geoscience research from the scientists making the discoveries, explore new classroom resources for their students, and visit exhibits and technical sessions of the AGU meeting for free.

 

The next annual AGU meeting will be held in San Francisco on December 6-10, 2012.

 

Watch videos of the 2011 GIFT Workshop presentations and activities at AGU’s YouTube Channel. Slides, classroom activities, and supplemental materials are available at Windows to the Universe.” – Pranoti Asher

 

Connect with AGU on FacebookTwitterYouTubeLinkedInFlickr, and their Blog!

Guest Blog: Planning Workshop at AGU to Establish URECAS: Unique Research Experiences for two-year College faculty

March 20, 2012

This is a post in the STEMconnector™ Guest Blog Series, featuring Pranoti Asher, Manager of Education and Public Outreach at the American Geophysical Union.

“We invite you to attend a workshop being conducted this summer at the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) Headquarters in Washington, DC, the Planning Workshop to Establish URECAS: Unique Research Experiences for two-year College faculty And Students. Attendees will discuss the development of a program within AGU to strengthen the role of two-year college Earth and space science students in the future workforce. Support to attend the meeting will be provided for approximately 30 two-year college Earth and space science faculty who are currently engaged in research experiences with their students or who have a strong interest in developing a research program with a nearby four-year institution. Also encouraged to apply are four-year college faculty who are currently partnering on research projects with two-year college faculty. A variety of expert speakers and panelists from two- and four-year schools, professional societies, and federal organizations will help frame and build discussion on best practices in and barriers to building and maintaining such research experiences for two-year college students.

 

For more information and to apply, visit http://urecas.agu.org/. The application deadline is April 2, 2012. If you have questions, contact principal investigators Pranoti Asher (pasher@agu.org) or Bethany Adamec (bhadamec@agu.org). Please share this invitation with your colleagues and networks.

 

This workshop is supported by the National Science Foundation Geosciences Directorate (Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences award # 1201578).

 

Planning Workshop to Establish URECAS: Unique Research Experiences for two-year College faculty And Students
12–13 July 2012
AGU Headquarters, Washington DC

 

Connect with AGU on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Flickr, and their Blog!

90 Seconds to Save the World

March 20, 2012

Do you think you know how to save the world by using science and engineering? The Kavli Foundation is challenging students in grades 6-12 to create video clips answering that question. Students can focus either on how science and engineering have already impacted the world, or the impact it could have in the future. The first place entry will win $2000 as well as a stipend to travel to the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, DC the weekend of April 28th-29th where a selection of the best videos will be shown. Runners up can receive prizes of up to $750 as well as software titles. Videos should be between 60 and 90 seconds long, and can be uploaded to SchoolTube, YouTube or Vimeo. Submissions are still being accepted until midnight tomorrow, March 20th! For more information you can check out the STEMconnector profile for the contest, or head to the USA Science and Engineering Festival website!

Guest Blog: SHPE- American Innovation depends on access to STEM for the fastest growing youth population

March 20, 2012

This is a post in the STEMconnector™ Guest Blog Series featuring the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

“The projected growth in science, engineering, technology and math careers and the current projected shortage in STEM talent to fill the need must continue to drive our community and nation to ensure that US Hispanics are educated and have access to a growth industry of tomorrow.

 

Growth in STEM jobs is three times greater than non STEM jobs and workers earn 25 percent more than their non STEM counterparts. Although companies are seeking STEM talent, our country falls far behind in educating future engineers and scientists needed to fill those jobs. The US is only graduating 5 percent of students with science and math degrees while countries such as China and India are producing 78 percent of science and engineering graduates. Walk through numerous companies today and you’ll see that their technical, engineering and science needs are filled by foreign workers with work visas.

 

Our nation’s capacity to be a global innovator depends on the fastest growing youth population in the US to have access to and trained in fields that will lead to medical innovation, technological advances and solutions to energy and environmental issues facing the globe. Hispanics account for 60 percent of the growth in public schools and population projections show a continuation of growth among Hispanics.

 

SHPE has seen first-hand what happens when we inspire our youth to believe in the future and dream of becoming the innovators of tomorrow and strive to be the ones solving critical global issues with STEM. Today, SHPE has 318 chapters nationwide with every major university with a STEM focus. Hispanic STEM professionals have also created SHPE professional chapters. SHPE’s university chapter members are supporting each other, mentoring younger students, sharing study skills, coordinating science nights with middle and high school students and their parents. SHPE chapter members are touching lives and truly making a difference.

 

Each year, SHPE gathers the greatest minds in STEM to recognize their contributions through our STAR Awards Show which is part of the SHPE National Conference—the nation’s largest Hispanic technical conference. This year, SHPE will be proud to host the 2012 SHPE National Conference in Fort Worth, Texas on November 14 – 18.

 

SHPE coordinates leadership training, scholarships, and internships for students and professionals in STEM , as well as management and executive trainings. Together with our sponsors and partners, SHPE is ensuring that this nation will recapture its position as the global innovator. I invite you join SHPE as we develop a world-class workforce to address the grand challenges of the 21st Century.”

 

Connect with SHPE on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube

 

 

New Profile of the Day: Black Data Processing Associates

March 20, 2012

New Profile of the Day highlights some of our newest and greatest profiles on STEMconnector.org. To have your organization, competition, or other STEM-related group added to STEMconnector, simply fill out our contact form.

Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) is an organization with 40 chapters nationwide which delivers programming and services to minorities involved in computer science and information technology. They provide a training institute for members to gain professional certificates, annual conferences, and online career development resources. They also provide services for high school and college students, including scholarships, showcases, competitions, and internships. For a full list of services and program information, see their STEMConnector profile!