February Resources from Million Girls Moonshot

The Million Girls Moonshot is excited to launch recruitment for the inaugural 2022 Moonshot Flight Crew. They are looking for youth advocates — young scientists, engineers, inventors, builders, and leaders who have been inspired by their experience outside of the school classroom. The application window is open through February 25, 2022.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the Million Girls Moonshot in your state, please connect with your statewide afterschool network. 

Moonshot Flight Crew

The Million Girls Moonshot is launching its inaugural Flight Crew! 

The Flight Crew is a cohort of youth advocates, ages 13-18, who are committed to creating equity for girls in STEM through elevating youth voices and inspiring future STEM leaders. We are looking for young scientists, engineers, inventors, builders, and leaders who have been inspired by their experience outside of the school classroom.  Flight Crew members will participate in six months of virtual programming where they will hone their leadership and advocacy skills using their own experiences from afterschool STEM learning. Those selected will be eligible for a $1000 stipend, an all-expense paid trip to the annual Million Girls Moonshot summer 2022 event, and thanks to our partners, an all-expense paid opportunity to go to  Space Camp for summer 2023.

The Flight Crew application is open to youth ages 13 to 18 who identify as female, gender-expansive, or outside of the identity of cis-gender male. Applicants will share their views in a written, video, or art piece. Applications are due February 25, 2022. Apply here! https://milliongirlsmoonshot.org/moonshot-flight-crew!

Engineer Week 

Moonshot partners at DiscoverE Education have developed tools, resources, and ideas to engage partners and programs in your state! 

Schedule and hashtags

• Sunday, February 20: #Eweek2022 Kick Off
• Monday, February 21: Launch of #WhatEngineersDo campaign
• Thursday, February 24: Celebrate #GirlDay2022
• Saturday, February 26: Last Day of #Eweek2022
• Friday, March 4: Celebrate #WorldEngineeringDay

Check out the Celebrate section for helpful tips and promotional resources.

Introduce a Girl to Engineering

Celebrate Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day on February 24, 2022! 

DiscoverE’s Girl Day is a time when volunteers, educators, and others act as role models, facilitate engineering activities, and show girls how engineers change our world. 

Earn an A+ from all of the girls who attend your Girl Day celebrations with these planning guides:

• Educators Planning Guide - Spark girls’ interest in engineering in classrooms, afterschool programs, and other group settings.
• Engineers / Volunteers Planning Guide - Inspire a girl’s future by sharing with her what engineering is all about.
• Parents Planning Guide - Learn how you can introduce your child to engineering.

Life is messy and your child doesn’t always deal with clear-cut problems. Join Technovation to learn about the Engineering Design Process and how this framework can help anybody approach all sorts of complex problems both within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and out. In this session we will focus on the different steps of the Engineering Design Process, including iteration and developing resistance to failure in STEM.

REGISTER HERE

Quality Trainings  

AUDIENCE: FOR NETWORK STEM/MOONSHOT STAFF & AFTER SCHOOL EDUCATORS  

ACRES is a nationally acclaimed coaching program that builds knowledge and skills so after school educators, librarians and anyone who works with youth in out-of-school settings can confidently facilitate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) experiences for youth. More information found here.

ACRES February Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions

Questions are the beginning of a path towards discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is designed for educators who have some experience facilitating STEM learning and would like to grow in their practice within a supportive group of other educators. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Stipends are offered to participants who complete feedback surveys before and after a module.

Cohort dates and times are: Thursdays February 20, March 13 and 17: 9 to 11 a.m. EST

REGISTER HERE 

ACRES March Cohort: Modeling Engineering Practices 

Engineering has become a staple of STEM programming for youth. How can we confidently bring engineering into our programming and support youth as they engage in problem solving? In this module, participants gain first-hand experience with engineering by solving a design problem. They examine the components of the engineering design process and discuss ways to model the process with youth. *This ACRES skill and cohort is designed for participants who have ideally already done either Asking Purposeful Questions of Ready Set STEM. 

Cohort dates and times are: Tuesdays, March 8 and 22, and April 5 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST; or Thursdays, March 3, 17, and 31 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST

REGISTER HERE 

ACRES March Cohort: Modeling Science Practices

How can we make sure that our ‘hands on’ science experiences for youth are also ‘minds on?’ In this module, participants learn how to support youth as they engage in the science practices to learn science ideas, including planning and conducting investigations around testable questions. They’ll talk about the similarities and differences of questioning in science versus questioning in engineering contexts.*This ACRES skill and cohort is designed for participants who have ideally already done either Asking Purposeful Questions of Ready Set STEM. 

Cohort dates and times are: Thursdays, March 31, April 14 and 28 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST

REGISTER HERE 

ACRES April Cohort: Ready, Set, STEM! & Asking Purposeful Questions

Are you ready to bring meaningful STEM learning into your program? This module offers educators who are new to facilitating STEM the opportunity to build supportive relationships with other educators while exploring the principles of STEM learning. This module combines an introduction to STEM facilitation with the skill of Asking Purposeful Questions. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Stipends are offered to participants who complete feedback surveys before and after a module.

Cohort dates and times are: Wednesdays, April 27, May 11 and 25 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST

REGISTER HERE 

ACRES April Cohort: Elevating Youth Voice and Choice

How often do youth in your program get to choose what they’re investigating or designing, the materials they might use and/or how they engage with the work? In this module, participants try out strategies for elevating youth voice and choice and apply the ideas as they redesign a STEM activity to incorporate a greater variety of youth input.*This ACRES skill and cohort is designed for participants who have ideally already done either Asking Purposeful Questions of Ready Set STEM.

Cohort dates and times are: Tuesday, April 26, May 10 and 14 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. EST

REGISTER HERE 

Transformative Practices

AUDIENCE: For Network STEM/Moonshot Staff, Partners, and Program Providers

APPLICATION: Share the following resources about transformative practices with partners and programs in your state. Use them to create professional development for afterschool programs and educators in your state.

Equity and Inclusion

• Toolkit: Math Equity Toolkit - This tool kit layers professional development into “Strides” that educators can take along a path to equitable education. Topics include Dismantling Racism in Mathematics Instruction and Creating Conditions to Thrive.
   
• Toolkit: IMPACT Math and Computational Thinking Through 3D Making - Mathematics, 3D Printing, and Computational Thinking (MPACT) project promises to better prepare rural middle school youth for future work through creative STEM-rich activities. MPACT’s hands-on, minds-on projects will engage students in using low-tech and high-tech materials—everything from quick-drying clay to 3D printers—in the service of learning mathematics and computer science.

These resources are for National Engineers Week (2/20 - 2/26)

• Toolkit: EngineerGirl - EngineerGirl collects stories, profiles, and resources on topics that showcase how engineers shape the future through innovative solutions to problems. These collections continue to grow and change over time.

Engineering Mindsets

• Activity Toolkit: Growing Math - Provides ready-to-roll-out lessons and games combining math, agricultural science and Indigenous history and culture that can be easily used in classrooms, via hybrid models or through distance learning. The project will provide resources, curriculum, training and tech support to teachers and students in Grades 3-8 at schools in six states: Arizona, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon and South Dakota. For schools in the region, all participation and resources are supported through USDA funds.
   
• Professional Development Guide: The National Center for Quality Afterschool - Math in Afterschool - The National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning developed professional development guides for four content areas of the toolkit: literacy, math, technology, and the arts. 

Incorporating Role Models

Role Model Profile Videos and Photos: The following assets are free profile videos and photos of IF/THEN Ambassadors. These can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, embedded on websites, during conferences, and more. 

For Black History Month and Engineer’s Week

These assets feature IF/THEN Ambassador and electrical engineer, Aisha Lawrey and can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, and for conferences presentations.

• Long Profile of Aisha Lawrey
• Social Media Cutdown of Aisha Lawrey
• Mission Unstoppable Episode of Aisha Lawrey

For Black History Month and National Heart Month

These assets feature IF/THEN Ambassador and health scientist, Joyonna Gamble-George and can be used in marketing, presentations, social media, and for conferences presentations.

• Long Profile of Joyonna Gamble-George 
• Social Media Cutdown 2 of Joyonna Gamble-George 
• Power Pose of Joyonna Gamble-George 

Families

• Website: Math Communities – Students, parents, and educators coming together to play with math!  Math Communities creates a virtual community that provides free access to joyful collaborative activities designed by professional mathematicians and math educators  for K-12 students, educators, and families. There are lots of ways to communicate with other folks interested in math.
   
• Toolkit: Engaging Families in Mathematics Education - Families are a child’s first educator and this role does not halt on day one of school. Families lay the foundation for future educational success. Researchers have identified four best practices for engaging families effectively in mathematics education.

STEM Transitions, Handoffs, and Coordination

• Toolkit: Brokering Youth Pathways: A Toolkit for Connecting Youth to Future Opportunity from the Hive Research Network - This toolkit shares ways in which various out-of-school educators and professionals have approached the challenge of brokering. We provide a framework, practice briefs and reports that focus on a particular issue or challenge and provide concrete examples, as well as illustrate how our partners worked through designing new brokering routines in partnership with our research team.

Activities for Programs

AUDIENCE: For Programs and Youth

APPLICATION: Share the following STEM activities with programs and families for additional STEM learning in your state. 

• Activity Toolkit: Engineering is Elementary's NASA Partnership free units - A suite of free NASA-funded STEM resources for students in grades 3-8. All resources are research-based and classroom-tested. They are designed to support students’ understanding of space, while helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.
• Activity Toolkit: STEM Educators Academy Activity Toolkit from ExpandED Schools — This Activity Toolkit offers hybrid learning engineering design challenges, STEM facilitation skill builder videos, and engineering design activities categorized by content areas. 
• Student Activities: 30 Active Math and Activities for Kids Who Love to Move - When kids think of math, they usually picture worksheets and flashcards. But math doesn’t have to be dull! These active math games get kids up and moving, using their whole bodies to learn facts and skills. Lots of these ideas can be adapted to suit a variety of math concepts, so choose a few to try out with your math students soon.
• Student Activities: 21 Cool Math Games and Activities for Kids in Elementary School - The following list of cool math games and activities for kids includes math video games, math board games, math puzzles and brain teasers, and other fun math game and activity ideas. These cool math games and activities are perfect for lesson plans, at home learning, summer session, and more. Which one will be your favorite?
• Website: Math Communities – Students, parents, and educators coming together to play with math!  Math Communities creates a virtual community that provides free access to joyful collaborative activities designed by professional mathematicians and math educators  for K-12 students, educators, and families. There are lots of ways to communicate with other folks interested in math.

Professional Development

AUDIENCE: NETWORKS AND PROGRAMS

APPLICATION: Share the following training opportunities with partners and program leaders to build their understanding of engineering, equity and inclusion, and STEM. 

• Webinar Recording and Materials: Celebrate Computer Science with the IF/THEN Collection - Looking for new computer science and engineering activities? The IF/THEN Collection is a free digital library designed to inspire the next generation of girls to pursue STEM careers and features activities and videos of real women STEM professionals. Join the Million Girl Moonshot and NGCP as we hear from a panel of IF/THEN Ambassadors working in the field of computer science and explore resources in the IF/THEN® Collection to promote computer science and engineering in afterschool programs.

Mizzen by Mott Moonshot Connection

AUDIENCE: For Networks and Partners

The Mizzen By Mott app delivers inspiring and engaging activities that spark learning in young people. Supported by the Mott Foundation, Mizzen is available at no cost to afterschool professionals! Encourage partners to download the Mizzen By Mott app to access STEM  activities at your finger-touch!  You’ll find it in Mizzen here.

Featured Activities & Playlists

• Playlist: STEM Activities for K-5th Grade in Small Groups - This playlist is a great mix of engineering and science activities that are easy and fun for small groups of students.
• Playlist: Science Notebooks for 3rd - 12th Grade - Keeping a notebook can help your students think and act like scientists and engineers. Sample these easy-to-implement strategies and lessons to bring science notebooking into your program.
• Module: S.INQ Up Earth and Space for 6-8th Grade - Earth and Space is an inquiry and exploration-based curriculum that uses hands-on activities focused on the relationships between the earth, the solar system, and human impacts on our global environment.