inspir.ED

Citizen Schools California is hosting the STEM WOW! event at the office of EMC Corporation in Santa Clara, California on Tuesday, May 21. Guests will enjoy an inspiring evening of presentations from some of the best and brightest students in California.

Here’s a sneak peek at what the students will be presenting…

1. Tech Challenge
Tech Challenge is our spotlight apprenticeship at the STEM WOW! event. In partnership with EMC, RAFT and the San Jose Tech Museum, this apprenticeship was taught at four schools this semester. Students experienced a real “WOW moment” on the day of the Tech Challenge competition when they were tasked with a mission to launch an egg onto an asteroid. The team displayed exceptional knowledge of design thinking and beamed with pride when they received their Tech Challenge participation medals.  Find out more about the Tech Challenge apprenticeship here. 

Photo by Alison Taggart Barone

2. Amazing Mazes
Students learn how to build complex mazes, explore how they are  programmed, and come up with different ways to solve them. One volunteer said, “In one lesson I was trying to teach an important but abstract math and programming concept. As it turns out, one 7th grade girl in class really got it. I’m not sure who was more pleased, me, because I was able to teach, or she, because she was able to learn!”

3. What is a Computer, Really?
Students learn the ins and outs of a computer and how technology impacts their lives. Citizen Teacher from Cognizant said, “Nothing like teaching kids! It is ‘Give and Take’, you teach and you learn with them. Thanks to Citizen Schools and Campbell for giving this opportunity and experience to us.”

Cisco Apprenticeship Students

4. Women in Business 
The Women’s Leadership Pillar at Cisco is inspiring girls to pursue careers in science, technology, marketing and more! When asked what she wants to do when she’s older, one student responded, “I want to work for Cisco!” Check out this blog post to learn more about the Women in Business apprenticeship.

5. Adventures in the Atmosphere
In this apprenticeship students are learning about the different facets of the atmosphere, including pressure, sound and space. The students are so engaged that they often ask for the websites used in class so they can explore them on their own at home. An 8th grade science teacher at Campbell Middle School came to visit the apprenticeship and left saying how impressed she was with their engagement.

6. There’s an App for That
Students are learning how to design their own mobile phone applications. One student even surprised everyone by using a YouTube tutorial to create an App that solves equations using the quadratic formula!

7. Robotics
Standford University engineering students are teaching kids to build and program their own robots. One shy student broke out of her shell in this apprenticeship class, taking on a leadership role in the class.

8. Bootstrap
Led by volunteers from Google, students are learning how to create their own video games using the Bootstrap programming code.

9. Ice Cream, You Scream
Everybody loves ice cream and these kids are applying the Scientific Method to create their own ice cream flavors. They are applying food science in in real world scenario by learning how to market their ice cream brand.

Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy an evening of networking with some of the biggest companies in technology, as well as the next generation of scientists, engineers and technology experts. Register today!