The California State University, Fresno MESA Schools Program was established in 1980. The overall goal of the MESA Schools Program at California State University, Fresno is to motivate and prepare disadvantaged students, especially those from underserved population, with the knowledge and skills that will enhance their interest and prepare them for professions requiring degrees in engineering, and other mathematics and science-based fields.

CSU Fresno MESA program services include enriched math and science classes, intensive academic summer programs, career exploration in STEM fields, field trips to colleges and industry-related sites, assistance with college applications for admissions and financial aid, PSAT and SAT Prep, transcript reviews, scholarships, student and parent leadership training and professional development for MESA teachers. The core of the program encompasses rich hands-on, project-based learning with an emphasis on STEM subjects. Many of the MESA hands-on activities are team oriented and competition based.

Contact:

California State University, Fresno
MESA Schools Program
2220 East San Ramon Avenue, M/S EE94
Fresno, California 93740-8028
Phone: 559.278.2976
Fax: 559.278.4517

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What do the blockbuster movie Avatar, high-performance sports gear, the Angry Birds phone app, and pollution-eating bacteria have in common? They are among a host of fascinating innovations developed by engineers and featured in the newest edition of the American Society for Engineering Education’s (ASEE) Engineering, Go For It magazine.

The publication is now available in our online store. You can find a free preview of the magazine here.

The kid-friendly magazine is part of ASEE’s campaign to inspire more K-12 students, particularly young women and underrepresented minorities, to pursue engineering careers. Illustrating how engineers make a difference in the world, the new edition includes:

• Stories featuring robots that imitate animals, Hollywood special effects, clean energy innovations, and technological advances giving athletes a winning edge.
• Engaging profiles on an array of engineering careers and disciplines.
• Fresh, cutting-edge examples of engineering innovations that are transforming fields from aerospace and medical care to architecture and materials science.
• Interviews with eight students currently participating in the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship sponsored by the Department of Defense and administered by ASEE

In addition to producing a print magazine, eGFI blogs weekly for students and teachers, and can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

If you’re in need of a little physics to spice up your day (aren’t we all?), we highly recommend checking out Minute Physics, a delightful series of brief – all under 2 minutes – videos that have been gaining popularity in the blogosphere. The YouTube channel, which is updated weekly with topics ranging from wave/particle duality to the reasons why fire looks the way it does, was created just four months ago by physicist-turned-filmmaker Henry Reich and has since amassed over 1 million views.

The latest Minute Physics video features a guest narrator – Nobel prizewinning physicist Sean Carrol – on dark energy and the expansion of the universe:

This video, entitled What is Fire?, is fantastic as well:

Want more cool videos that double as homework helpers? See Khan Academy and Vi Hart’s awesome math doodles.

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In addition to the letter and number of the day, Sesame Street will be featuring some exciting new topics in the show’s 42nd season: engineering, science, and math!

Researchers have long noted that students who watch the show as children tend to do better in school, so incorporating science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts can be seen as part of a larger effort to boost STEM learning in the U.S.

In an interview with ABC News, the show’s executive producer Carol-Lynn Parente remarked, “It all boils down to a curriculum of asking questions, observing…making a hypothesis, and testing it out.” This season will also see a new role for orange monster Murray with a segment called “Murray’s Science Experiments.”

Whether you have a younger sibling who is curious about engineering, or still enjoy the charming antics of Elmo, Big Bird, and friends, now is a great time to start tuning in to Sesame Street.

What’s colorful, fun, packed to the brim with amazing engineering stories, AND coming to you this October?

Why, it’s the fabulous fifth edition of Engineering: Go For It, of course! In our next magazine, look out for:

• A gorgeous, tri-fold, eye-popping new cover (previewed above)
• All-new articles featuring the latest, craziest engineering innovations
• A fresh group of young, inspiring students and inventors
• New ways that engineers are helping people and saving the planet
• More good advice for aspiring engineers
• Special web-only features, and much, much, more!

Over the next few months, we’ll be giving our loyal blog readers and Facebook fans exclusive previews of what is to come. To start, here’s a trailer featuring our exciting new group of engineering students:

If you’re interested in sponsoring our new magazine, please find our sponsorship form here, and email it to G.Hill@asee.org.

Middle school students will be nominated to compete in the Broadcom MASTERS at SSP-affiliated science fairs held in the 2010-2011 school year.  Nominees will enter the competition by completing an online application where they will explain their science project and demonstrate their use of STEM principles – science, technology, engineering and math – in the development and presentation of their project.

From national entrants, 300 Semifinalists will be selected, including 30 Finalists who win an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., where they will compete for awards and prizes, including the top education award of $25,000 presented by the Samueli Foundation, a gift of Susan and Henry Samueli, a founder of Broadcom Corporation.

To find out more about the nomination process, see this page. The deadline for nominated students to enter is June 10, 2011.

NanoDays

The 2011 annual NanoDays, is coming in the spring, March 26-April 3. It’s not too early to get ready now.

This nationwide festival focuses on educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering and its potential impact on the future. NanoDays events are organized by participants in the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net), and take place at over 200 science museums, research centers, and universities across the country, from Maine to Hawaii.

Many NanoDays celebrations will combine simple hands-on activities for young people with events exploring current research for adults. One popular 2010 activity involved visitors working together to build a giant balloon model of a carbon nanotube. (Real carbon nanotubes, which are 1/50,000th of the width of a human hair, have extraordinary strength and unusual electrical properties that make them useful in electronics and materials science.)

Other NanoDays activities demonstrate different, unexpected properties of materials at the nanoscale — sand that won’t get wet even under water, water that won’t spill from a teacup, and colors that depend upon particle size.

Some NanoDays participants host public forums, discussions about the risks and benefits of particular appllications of nanotechnology. Many participating universities host public tours of their laboratories that work with nanoscale science and technology.

How to participate:

Being part of NanoDays is easy: host an eventsabout nanoscale science and engineering during NanoDays, March 26 – April 3, 2011. NISE Net can help with materials and ideas, and in return, asks participants to file a report about their events.

Last year, some 200 NanoDays events were held across the country, including hands-on activities and demos, speaker events, theater presentations, art shows, lab tours, lectures, deliberative forums, and science cafes. Through NanoDays, the NISE Network aims to reach audiences across a diverse geographic distribution, people with disabilities, and under-represented audiences in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

What can you do for NanoDays?

You can host a day or a week of activities on the theme of nanoscale science and technology. The NISE network has developed a host of resources to, including products in their online catalog and their NanoDays kits.

The Digital Kit: provide the information about hands-on activities, and include guides and tips to help you stage your NanoDays events, including downloadable guides and printable signage files.

Free online download is available to anyone who registers on nisenet.org, particularly for international locations outside the United States, K-12 educators, libraries, and other educational organizations. Many of the activities use inexpensive, readily available supplies. Contents include a planning guide, marketing materials, and hands-on activity guides with supply lists.

The Physical Kit: physical kits, which will be mailed out in January 2011, are available by request; apply online between October 20 and December 10, 2o10.

Reporting Requirements: If you host or co-organize a NanoDays event, NISE NET requests that you report back to the Network about your experiences. They report this to the National Science Foundation; it also help all of their partners to learn from each other and improve their ability to engage the public. A link to an online reporting form will be provided on the website.

About NISE: The Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net) is a national community of researchers and informal science educators dedicated to fostering public awareness, engagement, and understanding of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology.

“An Engineering Education Makes a World of Difference” is a new website from the National Academy of Engineering that highlights role models who have used an engineering education to innovate products, processes, and services that improve human health, welfare, and happiness. Twice a week for each week from Monday, January 31 through Thursday, July 14, the site will release a new video (less than 30 seconds long) to be posted to the web and which can be “pushed” to individual cell phones. You can  text “CASEE” to 21534 to subscribe to the twice-weekly videos.

In addition to the role models, the site provides links to other sites that explain what engineering is and where visitors can find out more about engineering.

eGFI is featured in the “WHERE can I find out more?” section.

Learn More at http://engineeringaworldofdifference.org

Need some help with your homework? Look no further than Khan Academy.

The website features over 1,800 mini-lectures on subjects including mathematics, history, finance, physics, chemistry, astronomy, and economics.

All online tutorials are produced and narrated by Salman Khan, who has a master’s in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT. Usually under 15 minutes in length, the videos are low-tech and conversational, with Khan using step-by-step doodles and diagrams on an electronic blackboard to explain various concepts.

Khan Academy has become a web sensation: the videos are viewed 70,000 times a day and have received over 37 million views worldwide. Not only that, but all of the videos are available on YouTube as well.

The project started when Khan, who was living in Boston at the time, agreed to help tutor his cousins in New Orleans. Because of scheduling conflicts, he recorded videos for them on YouTube so that they could watch his explanations at their own pace.

When other users started tuning in, Khan realized he could provide a useful education to anyone, anywhere.

Image: Outlook India

The deadline to submit is April 22, 2011.

For more information, visit http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/apply.html

Lemelson-MIT Program, MIT School of Engineering
30 Memorial Dr., E60-215
Cambridge
MA, 02142
Contact: Ellen Dickenson
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Technology, Computers
Website: http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/