We are excited to announce that The Future Brighter will be hosting our weekly STEM Club at a new school this year - Chimborazo Elementary School in Richmond, VA!
The Cambridge Science Carnival, hosted by the MIT Museum, returns on Sunday, September 21st, featuring over 100 activity booths for STEAM enthusiasts of all ages to enjoy! With thousands of visitors over the short 4 hours of the event, there are plenty of science activities to delve into.
Learn more about the Carnival here: https://cambridgesciencecarnival.org/
Camp Invention is a summer program where rising kindergarten through 6th graders can turn big ideas into reality through fun, hands-on STEM challenges. Guided by local educators and supported by high school Leadership Interns, campers build confidence, teamwork, and creative problem-solving skills! The Future Brighter is proud to support such inspiring initiatives.
More information can be found on the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP)’s website here!
To learn the scientific method, Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI) is running a free eight-week program for 8th - 10th graders nationwide this summer from June 3rd to July 23rd, holding sessions on Saturdays from 10 am to 12 pm EST.
To apply, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:
Individual with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended
Be from a racial or ethnic group considered underrepresented in the sciences (Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander)
Will be a first-generation college student
Be from a disadvantaged background (e.g. were or currently are homeless, in the foster care system, eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program 2+ years)
Students will learn the entire process of performing an independent research project, from generating a testable research question and hypothesis to writing a manuscript for publication. After generating a research question, students will work in teams to perform an experiment, collect and interpret data, and write a scientific manuscript with the guidance of Harvard graduate students. Additionally, students will learn about different opportunities to continue independent research, prepare for college applications, and learn about different career options.
One letter of recommendation from a teacher is required.
Find out more information as well as the application form at JEI’s website here!
The Earth Day Extravaganza is a wonderful student-led event hosted by the Children’s Science Center, supporting various environmental activities organized by high school clubs and STEM professionals, with a mission to excite students about Earth Day! This event will be hosted at the Loudoun Water facility, with organizations including the USGS National Center and George Mason University Observatory providing engaging activities as well!
This event will be catered to elementary and middle schoolers, opening to the public on April 27th!
The Future Brighter is excited to announce a very thrilling opportunity coming up for elementary schoolers around the Fairfax area - the Children’s Science Center will be hosting their annual Fall Passion Project, titled ‘Tidal Treasures’, with the theme of Oceanography!
Young scientists can expect to explore the various layers of the deep sea through many hands-on activities, including a SeaPerch underwater rover, which allows them to dive for treasures that they can take home! Tidal Treasures will take place at the Children’s Science Center lab on November 23rd at the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, VA.
Ravensworth ES in FCPS has accepted to conduct a STEM club with The Future Brighter every Thursday starting February 23rd throughout the end of the school year.
Gunston ES in FCPS has accepted to conduct a STEM club with The Future Brighter every Monday starting February 13th throughout the end of the school year.
To learn the scientific method, Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI) is running a free eight-week program for 8th - 10th graders nationwide this summer from June 11th to August 6th, holding sessions on Saturdays from 10 am to 12 pm EST.
To apply, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:
Individual with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended
Be from a racial or ethnic group considered underrepresented in the sciences (Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander)
Will be a first-generation college student
Be from a disadvantaged background (e.g. were or currently are homeless, in the foster care system, eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program 2+ years)
Students will learn the entire process of performing an independent research project, from generating a testable research question and hypothesis to writing a manuscript for publication. After generating a research question, students will work in teams to perform an experiment, collect and interpret data, and write a scientific manuscript with the guidance of Harvard graduate students. Additionally, students will learn about different opportunities to continue independent research, prepare for college applications, and learn about different career options.
One letter of recommendation from a teacher is required.
Find out more information as well as the application form at JEI’s website here!
In this session, Nicole Xu, Ph.D., National Research Council Postdoctoral Scholar at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory will present projects from her previous and current work on bioinspired robots for ocean exploration. Bioinspired designs take ideas from nature and apply them to engineered systems. Examples she will discuss include bionic jellyfish (made from a robotic backpack and live jellyfish) and 3D-printed shark skin surfaces. The goal is to use these new robots to learn more about our oceans and how to protect them.
The Future Brighter is proud to announce that Dr. Swati Mohan, Perseverance Mars Rover Mission, Guidance, Navigation, & Control Systems Engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory will provide a special virtual talk for 3rd through 6th graders to give a glimpse into the life lessons that helped her get to where she is today!
This STEM session is open to students all over the world!
Here is a link to a flyer explaining more about this special STEM session with Dr. Mohan!
Here is a link to a Google Form to sign up!
Every Friday starting January 14th through the end of the school year.
In this session, Genevieve Housman, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Chicago will introduce students to the field of anthropological genetics. She will present some of her favorite and most exciting areas of research, including primate evolution, epigenetics, and induced pluripotent stem cells.
In this session, Amy will lead an interactive discussion about why NASA is going back to the Moon and what’s left to discover. How will going to the Moon help astronauts get to Mars? Why do we want to land astronauts on Mars? We will answer these questions and more as we explore from the Moon to Mars. Following the discussion, students can get an idea of how large our solar system is as they create a pocket size scale model of the solar system.
Westlawn ES in FCPS has accepted to conduct a STEM club with The Future Brighter every Thursday starting December 9th throughout the end of the school year.
In this session, Sara Brooke, Neuroscience Graduate Student at Johns Hopkins will introduce her work and describe her career trajectory in neuroscience. Specifically, she will go over some basics about the brain and the field of neuroscience, common topics and methods of research, her current work, and what it’s like to work in a lab.
In this session, Audrey Marsh, Genetics Graduate Student at UW-Madison will conduct a STEM lesson about the building block of life DNA. Specifically, she will go over how DNA is made, why it is important, and the ways in which scientists use it in the real world to answer scientific questions.
Every Friday starting October 22nd through the end of the school year.
Every Monday starting October 18th through the end of the school year.
Every Friday starting October 8th through the end of the school year.
In this session, University of Tennessee BCMB Graduate Students are excited to share their journey of becoming a scientist with you! All of them work in different fields of biology and they hope to share their science with you!
In this session, Tomi Akindele, Monique Warren, and Colin Yamaoka from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will share fun science videos followed by a Kahoot!
In this session, Tina Mazzacane, Mathematics Coordinator, VDOE will conduct a STEM lesson that explores the 17 United Nations Sustainable Goals. You will participate in several activities to explore the goals and reflect upon your role in our society and world through the lens of mathematics.
In this session, Alexandra Zelin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will introduce students to the field of psychology. She will present some of her favorite areas of psychology, including gender-related issues and psychology applied to the workplace.
In this session, Othalene Lawrence, Environmental Scientist, Harvard University Senior Executive Fellow will share her career journey and provide some helpful career and workforce tips.
James Madison University (JMU) is hosting a KidWind challenge this year. See rules below:
The KidWind Challenge is a well-rounded competition with technical aspects and a thorough judging portion.
In this session, UTK BCMB Graduate Students are excited to share their journey of becoming a scientist with you!
In this session, Remy Pangle, Education Manager, CASE at JMU will be discussing the importance of renewable energy as a solution to climate change.
In this session, Amy Barra, Visitor Center Director at NASA Wallops Flight Facility Center Visitor Center will lead an interactive discussion about why NASA is going back to the Moon and what’s left to discover.
Every Monday starting January 4th through the end of the school year.
