Subject: Black History Month Resources in this Million Girls Moonshot Monday News!

It’s February friends! Celebrate Black History Month, Valentine’s Day (2/14), Engineering Week (2/19-2/25), and National Inventors Day (2/11)! We've got ideas to help your students fall in LOVE with STEM!

Resources for Black History Month

This Black History Month shine a light on African American women who have impacted and continue to make their mark in STEM fields. The IF/THEN^® Collection is the largest free resource of its kind dedicated to increasing access to authentic and relatable images of real women in STEM. This digital library boasts thousands of photos, videos, and other assets that feature a wide variety of STEM careers. There are many Black women in STEM featured including Erika Anderson, Mechanical Engineer, and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, Large Carnivore Ecologist.

For example, here are some of the media available in the collection for Afua Bruce, a fellow Virginia resident, and Computer Engineer:

· Profile Video: Afua Bruce

· Activity Printout: Make a Change with Data

· Posters: This Is What A Scientist Looks Like

More Resources for highlighting Black Women in STEM

· 13 Black Women in STEM You Should Know !: From Goldie Blox, this article shares the story of Black women from the past all the way to the present day that have paved the way for Black girls today.

· PBS Learning Media : Women in Science Profile: Meet Dr. Felecia Davis in this video from WPSU Penn State’s “Women in Science Profiles” as she talks about computational textiles and more.

· Black Women in STEM Imagine Tomorrow: In this video from Discovere Engineering, Black women in STEM careers discuss how they overcame barriers to rise in the rankings, make groundbreaking discoveries, and push the boundaries of who is included in the next generation of STEM innovators.

National Inventors Day is February 11th!

Spark innovation and invention in your STEM programs through entrepreneurship! VPOST is holding a Youth Entrepreneurship Strategies (YES) lunch and learn info session on Thursday, February 9th from 12-12:30. Learn about bringing the YES program to your out-of-school time spring and summer programming serving participants in grades 6-12.

Bringing YES to your Out-of-School Time Program will get you access to...

Sixteen sessions designed to foster the entrepreneurial mindset in your participants
A complete kit of materials needed to implement the program
Flexible pacing and design to fit into your existing program schedule
A $500 Mini Grant
Professional Development resources and consultation for your program leaders

Engineering Week is 2/19-2/25!

Engaging Girls in Hands on Engineering with Scientific Adventures for Girls February 21st 12:00-1:15 pm EST

Join Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAfG) in a three-part curriculum training series focused on their no cost, open-sourced curriculum aimed to engage and excite more girls in engineering and design.

In this first session, participants will learn strategies to:

Build a high-quality afterschool STEM program specifically for girls in K-6th grades
Plan for inquiry and components of the engineering design process — hands-on planning, creating, testing, redesigning, and reflection
Design a youth-centered environment with a strong SEL - STEM component

Participants will leave the series with four engineering design projects and a materials list that they can implement with youth immediately. Participants will also be given access to additional engineering and design projects through SAfG.

REGISTER FOR THE FIRST SESSION HERE.

Activity resources for Engineering Week

Discover Engineering Downloadable Resources - A Collection of resources for your Engineers Week and Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day events and activities! Download logos, ads, graphics, certificates, bookmarks, and customizable language you can share.
NGCP "10 Ways to Support Girls in STEM in 2023" - A list of 10 simple ways you can support girls in STEM in 2023, along with the necessary resources to help you. Information for addressing stereotypes, introducing role models, exploring coding, and more are included in this helpful National Girls Collaborative Project resource that can be used to kickstart your Engineering Week and beyond.
National Science Foundation’s Engineering Classroom Resources - This collection of lessons and web resources curated by the NSF is aimed at classroom teachers, their students, and student's families.
The STEAM Playbook - National Girls Collaborative Project partnered with The Genius of Play to bring this collection of play ideas and ready-to-use activities to help spark a child’s interest in these critical subjects. Check out the activities specific to Engineering to help plan your Engineering Week
PBS Kids Engineering Games - Collection of free engineering-focused games from PBS Kids

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Subject: Black History Month Resources in this Million Girls Moonshot Monday News!

Engaging Girls in Hands on Engineering with Scientific Adventures for Girls February 21st 12:00-1:15 pm EST