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STEAM Newsletter – Saturday, June 1, 2024
STEAM Newsletter Vol. 42
Recharge and Discover!
In the May 2024 DoIT STEAM Newsletter we shared opportunities for students and educators to participate in summer camps at the Illinois public universities across the state. In this volume we want to encourage educators as well as students to explore a variety of summer learning programs at community colleges throughout Illinois. While several colleges offer programs to build skills in sports, many programs expand interests in STEAM fields, encourage career exploration, and stimulate academic enrichment. Many community colleges organize learning opportunities by grade level and topic. While we have not listed the links for all 39 community college districts, below please find an assortment of resources. Some camps are already full so we encourage you to explore offerings at your local community college as well as park districts for learning opportunities soon.
Black Hawk College offers a variety of Youth Programs that include classes as well as summer camps. College of DuPage is hosting summer camp programs for children entering kindergarten through grade ten. College of Lake County combines STEAM based academic enrichment opportunities in grades 1 thru 12. Danville Area Community College is hosting “College for Kids” in June. Elgin Community College offers “Kids’ College” including Career Exploration with Virtual Reality programs. Harper College offers “InZone” learning opportunities. Heartland Community College will provide “professionally-led learning adventures for grades K-12.”
Illinois Central College “College for Kids” is designed for students going into 4th through 12th grades in June and July. Illinois Eastern Community Colleges “curated a diverse array of camps” called “Ingite Curiosity Summer Camps” across their four campuses. Illinois Valley Community College offers a variety of 2024 Youth Summer Camp Programs. John Wood Community College will share hands-on learning for students in grades K-12 in their “JDub Academy.” Joliet Junior College offers “Kids College” for students to explore. Kaskaskia College offers “Kids In College at Kaskaskia” for a variety of fun learning options. Join Lewis & Clark Community College for “College for Kids” and personal enrichment programs. Lincoln Land Community College is offering new “pop-up camps and Lego Clubs” in 2024 which are single-day camps for students of all ages.
McHenry County College offers a variety of hands-on classes for grades 1-9. Oakton College will provide diverse academic “STEAM Youth Programs” for ages 8 to 14. Parkland College offers summer fun at “College for Kids” enrichment camp for kids ages 6-13. Prairie State College offers “Kids @ College STEAM Camp 2024” highlighting an “interstellar adventure” for ages 4-12. “College for Kids” at Sauk Valley Community College is intended for students entering 3rd through 8th grades. Shawnee Community College is offering a variety of classes, camps and events for students ages 5 to 17. Southwestern Illinois College Kids Summer Camp Program 2024 “is designed to offer young learners a unique and enriching summer experience.” And, Triton College offers “adventure and discovery” activities for students.
Let off some STEAM with these fun activities!
Recent News on STEAM
"In the global race to build a fully functional quantum computer, Australia has wagered heavily on a company developing a dark-horse technology. The Australian national government and the state of Queensland will invest AU$940 million (about $620 million) in PsiQuantum, a 9-year-old Silicon Valley startup, the company announced last week. PsiQuantum will build a facility in Brisbane to house a computer that uses photons as the quantum bits or qubits that encode information, instead of the atoms, ions, or tiny circuits of superconducting metal on which higher profile approaches to quantum computing rely.
“It’s a gamble,” says Raymond Laflamme, a theoretical physicist at the University of Waterloo. However, Australia’s chief scientist, Cathy Foley, says it’s one worth taking. The project will ensure “we are at the front of the pack in the global race to build the first useful quantum computer,” she said in a statement. “We need to do this now; otherwise we will be left behind.”
Australia is playing to its strengths in quantum theory and photonics, notes Irfan Siddiqi, a physicist at the University of California, Berkeley. Two of PsiQuantum’s four founders are Australian. Australian officials, Siddiqi suggests, are “saying, ‘Probably a lot of these things in quantum are going to work, so we might as well try one where we have a unique advantage.’”"
"Ever since superconductivity was discovered in the early 1900s, it has both captivated and mystified scientists. Superconductors conduct electricity with virtually zero resistance, allowing for highly efficient transmission of electrical currents. Among other uses, they create the strong magnetic fields we depend on for medical imaging with MRI machines.
The first known superconductor, mercury, only works when the temperature dips just below -450°F. Copper-containing materials called cuprates were found in the ’80s to become superconductors at warmer temperatures, though still inconveniently cold — closer to -200°F. Understanding how these so-called high-temperature superconductors work could eventually lead to ones that can operate in less frigid conditions."
"Earth got its bell rung this past weekend, sucker-punched by the Sun itself in the biggest geomagnetic storm in more than 2 decades. The storm—triggered when the magnetic fields in blobs of plasma from the Sun collided with Earth’s magnetic field—not only yielded once-in-a-generation aurorae at latitudes as low as the Florida Keys, but also took scientists’ breath away with its power. “What took us by surprise was the intensity of the storms,” says Mathew Owens, a physicist and space weather forecaster at the University of Reading. “We knew there was something coming. We didn’t quite know what.”
What happened this weekend?
This weekend’s fireworks began with Active Region 3664, a giant cluster of sunspots, more than 15 times wider than Earth, where the Sun’s magnetic field is highly concentrated. The magnetic field lines twisted and eventually snapped, causing the cluster to fling off a series of enormous, billion-ton blobs of plasma toward Earth, each embedded with strong magnetic fields.
The detection of at least five of these expulsions, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), caused U.S. forecasters to issue a “severe” G4 watch—its first since 2005—on 9 May, the day before the blobs struck Earth. None of the individual CMEs was especially spectacular on its own, but all of them were directed at Earth. What’s more, as they moved toward Earth, they coalesced into a single complex mass. “We spend all this time looking out for the Big One, and sometimes the Big One is seven little ones in a trench coat,” Owens said."
"NASA’s DC-8 aircraft – the world’s largest flying science laboratory – began its science missions in 1987 and since then, has flown in service of the science community over places like Antarctica, Greenland, and Thailand. Aircraft like the DC-8 have enabled scientists to ask questions about life on Earth and explore them in a way that only NASA’s Airborne Science program can make happen. After 37 years, the DC-8 will retire to Idaho State University, where it will serve as an educational tool for students.
As the DC-8 approaches its retirement, we highlight five of the women who have made the aircraft and program a success.
Kirsten Boogaard, Nicki Reid, Carrie Worth, Erin Waggoner, and WendyBereda of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, are building the legacy of women who are helping pave the way for the next generation."
Upcoming Events
Tue. Jun 4 | 12 pm - 1 pm | In-person at the Library and online at Facebook Live
Tales from the Vault: Music Instruments in the ALPLM Collection
""Tales from the Vault: Music Instruments in the ALPLM Collection" will take place in our library’s multi-purpose room on Tuesday, June 4 at 12:00 p.m. The event is free; reservations are not required.
This is a “hybrid” program that will be offered virtually via Facebook Live. Please go to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Facebook page. Open the page at the appointed time and scroll to the post highlighting the live event. Once you’re there, simply click on the image and watch the live video stream.
Tales from the Vault is a monthly collaboration between the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Illinois State Museum."
Wed. Jun 5 | 9 am - 12 pm | 415 Lexington St - Maywood, IL
"Join us as we delve into the fascinating realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and its incredible potential in education. This workshop offers K-12 school leaders and curricular stakeholders an introductory look at AI’s fundamentals, advantages, and limitations, as well as invaluable insights into leveraging AI tools to elevate teaching and learning experiences in the classroom.
In particular, we’ll also focus on:
Current challenges relating to AI use in educational environments
Establishing a vision for AI use in your school district
Strategies for developing your district’s AI use policy
Resources for guiding your leadership on all AI in education issues"
Wed. Jun 5 | 10 am - 12 pm | Online
"Now’s the time to dig into the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) K-12 Computer Science learning standards and learn how these new learning requirements may impact your school or classroom.
Join us for this workshop, where we’ll open up the new K-12 Computer Science learning standards and break them into digestible and actionable segments. Along the way, we’ll explore programs you can use to integrate these standards into the curriculum and the conceptual framework underpinning these standards’ intent and purpose. You’ll walk away with a functional understanding of these standards, their progression across grade levels, and the tools you’ll need to bring them to life for your students."
Thu. Jun 6 | 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm | Online
Wednesday Webinar | Cool Tools to Build Communication Skills
"Communication is a vital skill for students in the 21st century. It encompasses not only verbal and nonverbal exchanges, but also written and digital modes of expression.
In this webinar with our friends from TeacherFirst, you’ll learn how to use innovative tech tools to enhance your students’ communication skills in various contexts and formats and explore how these tools can foster collaboration, critical thinking, empathy, and global awareness among your students in grades 3-12."
"Artificial Intelligence is transforming the face of work. AI-generated writing is becoming common in education and journalism. In science, artificial intelligence can predict data, experimental results or even the efficacy of new chemical compounds. What does it mean to be a teacher, writer or scientist in the face of this sea change?
Learn about the benefits and pitfalls of AI with two experts.
NIU Associate Professor of Communication Andrea L. Guzman will examine people’s feelings about the integration of AI into work and education. She’ll explore the ethical questions that arise when people begin using AI.
Argonne Research Scientist Aikaterini Vriza will discuss the impact of AI in the operation of a chemistry laboratory. She’ll delve into how AI technologies underpin the development of self-driving laboratories and facilitate the rapid design of new materials."
Sat. Jun 8 | 2 pm - 3:30 pm | 10956 N. Dickson Mounds Rd. Lewistown, Illinois 61542
"Spend an afternoon making fun arts and crafts at the Museum! A variety of supplies and materials will be available for kids to create pieces of their liking to take home. All ages are welcome with adult supervision.
This program is held on the second Saturday of each month from 2:00-3:30 p.m. Admission is free and registration is not required."
Tue. Jun 11 - Fri. Jun 14 | Patterson Hall Complex (formerly New Hall)
NIU College of Education Social Justice Summer Camp for Educators
"Our seventh annual summer camp is designed to bring together teams of new and returning campers (educators) to discuss issues, pedagogies and practices beneficial for all students. Campers will have interactive opportunities to discuss equity and justice issues, both general and specific to their schools, with experts and colleagues, as well as time for individual reflection and group activities. Custom content for school district and community college administrators, teachers and counselors."
Tue. Jun 11 | 8:30 am - 1:30 pm | Indian Trail Junior High School, Addison
"Discover how to navigate education’s newest tech frontier by at Unleashing the Power of AI in Education.
Presented by DuPage Regional Office of Education (DROE) and Illinois Learning Technology Center (LTC), this timely summit seeks to prepare local educators and K-12 leaders to productively engage with artificial intelligence in an educational setting, both now and as the technology continues to evolve.
Throughout the day, attendees will hear expert insights on AI use and policy from a variety of specialists, including the LTC’s Eric Santos. Register today to ensure your classroom or school is prepared to safely and efficiently harness this multi-faceted edtech innovation."
“Illinois is the epicenter of a rare double cicada brood emergence this summer, and IDNR wants to commemorate the occasion with a public art show during the 2024 Illinois State Fair, Aug. 8-18. We're calling it the "Everyone Belongs in Nature – Even Cicadas" art show. Anyone can participate. We’ll have a junior exhibit for youth 17 and younger, and an adult show for everyone 18 and older.
Deadline to enter is Sunday, June 16, 2024.”
Tue. Jun 18 | 8:30 am - 3:30 pm | Tinley Park Convention Center
"The Illinois State Board of Education Career Connections Conference offers educators the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with educators from across Illinois. At the ISBE Career Connections Conference, CTE educators come together to exchange ideas, share best practices, and foster meaningful connections with their peers in order to improve opportunities and deepen learning for all students."
Fri. Jun 28 | 9 am - 12 pm | Capital Area Career Center, Springfield
"Artificial intelligence is here, and unlike what you’ve seen in the movies, AI isn’t coming to destroy humans – it’s coming to disrupt our classrooms. Should educators be afraid, excited, or both? Can educators embrace AI’s potential while ensuring their students still learn the value of creating original work?
Join us as we cut through the AI buzz and how we can use AI platforms to personalize student learning and help you in the classroom."
Mon. Jul 8 - Fri. Jul 12 | 6327 N Sheridan Rd, Peoria, IL 61614
"Join fellow K-12 CS educators for a 5-day learning experience centered on building prosperous computer science programs in every Illinois school district.
During this one-of-a-kind event, new and experienced CS educators from across Illinois will:
- Engage with current curriculum from top CS trainers and providers (including Code.org)
- Build community during group meals and team-building activities
- Discover strategies for expanding access to rigorous, inclusive computer science learning
Attendees can choose one of five learning tracks aligned to specific roles and grade bands, with learning opportunities available for elementary, middle, and high school teachers.
Reserve your spot today to help CS learning achieve liftoff in your classroom or district!"
Fri. Jul 26 | 8 am - 6:45 pm | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Illini Union
“Undergraduate research will take center stage on July 26, 2024, during the STEM Career Exploration and Symposium at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The free, full-day event at the Illini Union serves as the capstone experience for undergraduate researchers participating in dozens of programs across the Illinois campus during the summer. It also provides opportunities for high school and community college students and educators to explore careers in STEM and learn more about the role of undergraduate research in preparing students for these careers.
The day will include poster, oral, and lightning presentations by undergraduate researchers, as well as career panel discussions, an employer and professional organization networking fair, and keynote speaker Ashley Huderson, who will discuss diversity in STEM fields. The full program is available online: Illinois Summer Research Program Alliance…. K-12 teachers should note the STEM Career Exploration and Symposium is an Illinois State Board of Education-approved professional development event.”
Mon. Feb 17 - Wed. Feb 19, 2025 | Register
"IDEAcon isn't just a conference; IDEAcon is an experience.
For three full days, attendees have access to experienced thought leaders and regional speakers all focused on current education topics and who represent innovative practices. There is something for all educators through the hundreds of sessions that allow you to customize your IDEAcon experience based on your own comfort level and curiosity. Networking with your peers via informal conversations, Exhibit Hall walks, and evening social events truly make you feel like you're part of the IDEA family. IDEAcon is a conference you won't forget, for all the right reasons."
Educator's Corner
STEAM resources for in-person, hybrid, remote learning, and professional development
- Illinois State Museum | Wildlife Around Us – Web Resources and Information
- Illinois Environmental Protection Agency | Environmental Education Materials
- Oak Ridge Institute | Teacher Professional Development
- aiEDU | AI Societal Impacts
- aiEDU | AI Fundamentals in Teaching & Learning
- KQED | Free Media Resources for STEM
- Learning Undefeated | Resources for Teachers
- Newslit | For Educators
- Invent | STEM Resources for Educators
- Mathcounts | Resources
- ISBE CTE Professional Learning Calendar - Summer 2024
STEAM Resources Spotlight
"Register soon for ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) professional development workshops for educators. Enhance your teaching by including Illinois' natural resources in your lessons. The ENTICE program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) can show you how! ENTICE workshops are available to teachers, home-schooling educators, nonformal educators and youth-group leaders in Illinois only. Please join our list server to be notified of upcoming workshops and other ENTICE items of interest.
"In an increasingly AI-powered society, how can parents and educators show students how to use artificial intelligence responsibly? The Day of AI curriculum can help.
The free Day of AI lessons and activities introduce K-12 students to how AI works, its benefits and risks, and how they can design and create with this technology. Researchers at MIT Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education (RAISE), part of MIT Open Learning, developed the curricula to be accessible to students and teachers of all backgrounds and abilities."
“This toolkit is designed to help education authorities, school leaders, and teachers create thoughtful guidance to help their communities realize the potential benefits of incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) in primary and secondary education while understanding and mitigating the potential risks.”
"These pages show the Illinois Department of Natural Resources materials available for the listed topic."
The 'A' in STEAM
"Arts foster scientific success" -Dr. Temple Grandin
This series is dedicated to showing how art and creativity play a crucial role in our society within the STEM fields.
The Lincoln Presidential Foundation announces it has received a major grant from The Better Angels Society through the Amy Margerum Berg Education Fund. This generous support will enable the relaunch and expansion of the previously Illinois-based “No Malice Youth Film Contest” into the “Latest Generation Film Contest.” Starting this August, the contest will engage teens and young adults throughout the Midwest in documentary filmmaking.
Inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s question to an Indianapolis crowd during his inaugural journey—"Shall the Union and shall the liberties of this country be preserved to the latest generation?"—the contest encourages young filmmakers aged 14-22 to create documentary films that explore history. This year’s theme, “On This Land,” invites participants to produce short films (5-8 minutes) rooted in the geography around them to foster a deeper understanding of the events, figures, and movements that have shaped their local area and beyond.
This fall, contestants will have access to free online mentoring workshops led by experienced filmmakers and historians, designed to strengthen their artistic, historical, and critical thinking skills. Teachers who wish to integrate the contest into their curricula will have access to free professional development workshops and lesson plans.
Filmmakers may submit their entries until December 31, 2024, with winners to be announced in March 2025. Contest winners will receive cash prizes ranging from $500 to $2,000, and their films will be featured at a red carpet premiere in Chicago. This year, the contest will include participants from the Midwest Region, with plans to expand nationwide by next year.”
Please submit STEAM ideas, comments, or questions using our contact us form.
Any links being provided are for educational purpose use only; they do not constitute an endorsement, approval, affiliation, sponsorship, or partnership by the State of Illinois, Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) of any products, services or opinions of any of the linked entities. The State of Illinois bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content. The State of Illinois reserves the right to add or remove the links provided at any time without notice in its sole discretion and shall not be obliged to give a reason for doing so.