April/May Science & Math Activities

All of these events support President Obama’s initiative to improve science education throughout the country.  President Obama recently established National Lab Day, which will be celebrated on May 12.  The nationwide initiative aims to build local communities of support to foster ongoing collaborations among volunteers, students, and educators. The events below are examples of just this sort of collaboration.

Saturday, April 10
1) “Show Me the Science!” fair
When: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Where: Simmons College Alumnae Hall,  321 Brookline Avenue, Boston
Who: All girls from kindergarten through 6th grade and their families

What: Various groups of professionals and students from science, technology, engineering, and math companies and university departments will provide engaging demonstrations or hands-on activities.  Girls will travel in groups from booth to booth, learning about science along the way.

Registration: call the Science Club for Girls at (617) 391-0361, and select Option 7.

Co-sponsors: Big Sisters of Greater Boston and the Simmons Institute of Leadership and Change.

2. S.E.T. in the City (Science, Engineering, Technology)
When: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Where: Boston University Photonics Center and will end at the Boston Museum of Science.  What: Attendees will participate in hands-on science activities, listen to professional speakers, and learn how to prepare for careers in science, engineering, and technology fields.

Registration: SOLD OUT. To receive information about next year’s event and other programs, become a fan of the Collaborative: http://tiny.cc/BostonGirlsSTEMFBGp

3. “Bring Your Grandma to Math Day”
When: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Where: MIT Museum

What: The event aims to bring together multiple generations to engage in math activities.  Several local math enrichment programs will be represented, including Girls’ Angle, The Math Circle, The Mathemagics Workshop, and Sprout Creative Math.

Admssion: Please e-mail mathday@thesprouts.org to obtain a flyer.  Print out the flyer, write in the number of guests, and bring the flyer to the event to enter the museum for free.  The suggested donation for entrance is $15.

Saturday, April 17. The Massachusetts Academy of Sciences’ Annual Meeting
Where: Boston Museum of Science at 1 Science Park in Boston
When: 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

What: The keynote speaker for the adults will be award-winning science writer Carl Zimmer, while the keynote speaker for the children will be noted Massachusetts science educator Science Bob. Animals, hands-on exhibits, admission to the MoS.

Registration: free for members of the Massachusetts Academy of Science and is $30 for non-members.  www.massacadsciences.org.

Saturday, April 24. Science Carnival! Opening day of the week-long Cambridge Science Festival
When: 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Where: Cambridge Public Library, located at 449 Broadway in Cambridge.

What: Among the events scheduled for the opening day are Exploring Robotics Engineering, for kids ages 7-18, and Wires, Buzzers, and Lights — Hands-on Circuit Construction. Science Club for Girls will also be at the Tot Lot with Science of the Playground

The week-long science festival will hold various events in locations around Cambridge. For the full schedule of events, please visit www.cambridgesciencefestival.org.

Saturday, May 8. Everybody Loves Science!
When: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Where: Microsoft NERD Center at 1 Memorial Drive in Cambridge.

What: Roam and Explore–Interactive demos from professional scientists and engineers as well as girls’ projects that they have worked on throughout the semester.

Meet the Rock Stars of Science–Attend an interview with three of SCFG’s participants who appeared in WGBH’s Fetch and  PBS’s SciGirls.

Who: Everyone is invited.

Tickets: Register here. Suggested donation: $10 per person, $5 per person for limited-income families.  SCFG members  and low-income families attend free of charge.