Michigan, together with business, education, and community partners, is embarking on a journey to make Michigan a world leader in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. The work of the MiSTEM Network is to build on existing STEM networks to create a STEM ecosystem that supports and implements the components outlined in the four pillars: creating a STEM culture; empowering STEM teachers; integrating business and education; and, ensuring high quality STEM experiences.

This story map provides an interactive map to explore where various STEM career opportunities are in the west central region.

Hands-On Activities

Students of all ages love engineering activities! Getting to design, build, break, collaborate, and create is a big win with every kid.

• How long should you spend on an activity?
  • We have activities from >45 minutes, 1-2 hours, or multiple sessions.
• What activity is best for each grade?
  • Meeting kids where they are is important! From K-2, 3-5, 6-8, or 9-12 we have lots of choices for your activity.​​​​​​​
• What materials do you need?
  • Our activities use low cost, free, or easily recyclable materials. A list of activities, print outs, and lesson structure is included with each activity!

Downloadable Resources

Bookmarks (in English & Spanish!) Zoom Backgrounds, Logos, Certificates, Posters, & More!

STEM Leaders Network

Engage in conversations with colleagues from Region 9 on topics related to STEM and 3-P learning. Collaborate with the STEM business/industry community. Enjoy a complimentary dinner and take away new ideas to use in your classroom and school.

• Dinner
• $75 Stipend per session
• Up to 15 SCECHs – 3 per session

Desmos PL Workshops

This workshop introduces new users to Desmos, showcases using activities in different scenarios, introduces users to creating custom activities, and introduces users to Computation Layer, which adds spice to the activities. Throughout the workshop, we break down into build-along sessions, where teachers can put their new understanding into practice by creating to meet their individual needs.

Workshop Objectives

• Introduces teachers to the different Desmos calculator tools.
• Practical ways to teach lessons using Desmos activities.
• Addresses all levels of teacher familiarity, from beginners to experienced users.
• Strategies to improve the depth of student thinking using the Desmos platform.
• Practical ways to create and use Computation Layer to add engagement to your lessons.
• Classroom-tested lessons and tips to reach students’ levels of understanding.

2/20/24 – Mecosta-Osceola ISD

Register HERE

• All workshops are from 8:30am-3:30pm
• Lunch is provided at all locations
• SCECHs are pending approval
• Sub costs are not covered by MiSTEM Network or ISDs
• Bring your own laptop or Chrome book

Questions contact MiSTEM Regional Director, Brian Dotson at briandotson@wsesd.org.

This is a nine day workshop series where participants spend five consecutive days in the Summer 2024 with participants from all around the state and eight after school or weekend modules throughout the following school year. These high-quality workshops offer year-round support for educators as they implement courses that are aligned to the Michigan Computer Science Standards. All facilitators are certified Code.org facilitators, educators, and CS experts.

Code.org Workshop One-Page Flyer – MS Flyer Link & HS Flyer Link
Michigan Code.org Informational Website – Mi-Coding.com & Workshop Details
Link to Application – Code.org Application Page 

Workshop Logistics
Summer Workshop
Participants will engage in high quality professional learning workshops during the summer. Participants will have the opportunity to dive into the curriculum, deepen their CS content knowledge, and connect with other CS educators from around the state. A virtual option will be made available for those that are unable to meet face-to-face.

Dates: Two Options for Professional Learning Workshops

• Bay City (Face-to-face) – July 8-12, 2024, or
• Virtual Workshop – July 22-July 26, 2024 (Not available for AP CSA)

Summer Workshop Include:

• Face-to-face Workshop: Workshop materials, lodging, breakfast/lunch meals, and swag
• Virtual Workshop: Workshop materials, swag, and $750 stipend pending approvals

Quarterly Implementation Workshop
Participants will engage in eight afterschool module workshops throughout the school year to support implementation of CS Discoveries, CS Principles, and AP CSA. These workshops prepare educators for the upcoming curriculum in a timely fashion.

Dates: To be determined – determined during Summer 2024 workshops
Location: Virtual – Zoom connection
Workshops Includes: Workshop Materials, $600 stipend for completion of all module workshops pending approvals

Who Should Apply?
We are looking for educators who are willing to commit to the professional learning series and use the lesson materials in Fall 2024. No computer science experience is required to attend this learning series. Administration at the school district/organization will be part of the application process.

Applications Are Now Available – Apply Today!
Applications are now available on the Code.org website. All participants must complete the application process in order to attend. Participants will automatically be considered for a scholarship (valued at $2,500) as part of the application process. This workshop has limited seats, apply today!

Code.org Application Page

The MI Green School Application Period is Open!

The annual MI Green Schools application period is open now through March 3, 2024. Visit the Michigan Green Schools Hub to:

• Explore the requirements for Green School certification
• Download a copy of the application you can work in offline, and
• Submit your application!

Before submitting your application, please ensure that all “Other Green Activities” you describe have been approved by your County Coordinator.

Need help applying? Check out our application tutorial video or reach out to the statewide coordinator, Eileen Boekestein, at BoekesteinE@michigan.gov. EGLE Classroom will also be hosting a MI Green Schools Helpdesk at the Michigan Science Teachers Association annual conference February 29-March 2.

1. In Person Events: Attend an in-person four-day long event in Ann Arbor June 17 – 20, complete 1 – 2 day externship(s) at an industrial partner within 30 miles of the educator’s location, and one final in-person meeting in April, 2025.
2. Active Participation: Engage in interactive virtual sessions (see timeline below)
3. Peer Collaboration: Foster a culture of collaboration by actively participating in discussions and sharing insights with fellow educators
4. Project Implementation: Develop and implement a PBL lesson or unit that integrates the program’s STEM content and the engagement with the industry partner

• Application opens January 15th
• Priority application deadline is March 11th
• Applications close April 19th
• June 17th – June 20, 2024: In-person workshop in Ann Arbor (full-day)
• Before workshop: Virtual Asynchronous (half day) Manufacturing 101 Course
• June – August 2024: One to two-day business externship experience (within 30 miles of the educator’s location)
• August, September, October, November, January: After-school virtual booster calls (2 hours)
• February, 2025: Virtual workshop (full-day)
• April, 2025: Final in-person meeting in Ann Arbor (full-day)

The Great Lakes School Forest Webinar will be hosted by Michigan DNR/PLT on Tuesday, February 27th beginning at 3pm CST/4pm EST.

Join us to learn about:

• State Forest Programs in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota
• Engaging activities using Project Learning Tree
• Connect with other people from your state to share challenges and successes

School forests are a remarkable educational resource that is available to help meet state and core education standards, serve as a focus to integrate environmental education into the curriculum, strengthen school-community relations, and demonstrate sustainable natural resource management.

Whether your school is actively utilizing their outdoor spaces or just getting started, this is the webinar for you.
To register, click sign-up, then scroll down to the bottom and select “save and continue”.

Apply for Lake Erie Shipboard Science Workshop via Sea Grant Michigan. LINK

Official Website Center for Great Lakes Literacy. LINK

GVSU is excited to announce that they will be hosting a GenCyber Teacher Camp in 2024!

The GenCyber Teacher Camp is designed to help teachers deliver cybersecurity content into their curricula more effectively.  This will result in more students being introduced to cybersecurity fundamentals, concepts, and ethics, and the emerging world of virtual reality.

Dates: July 15-19, 2024
Location: Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health, 333 Michigan St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Free: GenCyber is offered at no cost to all participants and lunch will be provided for all participants.

• No Prior knowledge of computers and cybersecurity is required.
• The GenCyber teacher camp is open to high school teachers with diverse backgrounds in the U.S., with preference given to STEM teachers.
• Each teacher participant will receive a stipend of $1000 for attending and completing GenCyber activities.
• The camp includes 30 hours of pre/post camp activities and 30 hours of camp activities including instructions for lesson plans (can be completed virtually).
• Each teacher participant will be able to earn Michigan State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) after completing the program and upon approval.

For full details, visit the Teacher Camp website and apply today!

Registration for eCYBERMISSION’s free web-based STEM competition for students in grades 6-9 is now open. Each team needs 2-4 students, an adult Team Advisor, and a community problem to explore or try to solve.

Teams choose one of two paths: 

• Science – Asking a question/exploring a problem
• Engineering – Solving a problem

Click here for a program overview, rules, prizes, and registration information.

• Engineering and manufacturing professionals
• Business professionals, retail, chamber of commerce
• Health care professionals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists
• School professionals, board members, administrators, teachers

Roger That! Includes activities for all ages:

Grand Valley State University 
Join a presentation at GVSU on plant growth in space at 9:00 a.m., followed by online presentations aimed at high school/college students and the general public.  Visit the event homepage for more information: https://www.gvsu.edu/rogerthat/.

The Design That! Competition challenges 4th to 8th grade students to design and build physical or virtual objects or use non-fictional and fictional narrative styles to present challenges related to space exploration. This exciting competition gives individuals or teams of 2-6 students a chance to win prizes and the opportunity to present their work as part of a space-focused conference at Grand Valley State University.

GVSU also hosts STEM workshops and K12 activities, and the keynote Friday at 6:30 p.m. is appropriate for all ages.

Roger That! 2024’s GVSU events will take place at GVSU’s Seidman College of Business on 50 Front Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

Grand Rapids Public Museum 
GRPM hosts field trips on Friday and family-friendly activities on Saturday, with the keynote at 11:00 a.m.

The keynote at GRPM is free of charge; other activities are included with museum admission ($12 for adults with discounts for Kent County residents and seniors, $5 for children/students with free admission for Kent county children).

Girls Who Code’s Free Virtual Summer Programs

Ready to shape your future and join an empowering sisterhood? Become a coder this summer with Girls Who Code!

Girls Who Code’s free virtual Summer Programs empower you to build skills, community, and a professional network for your future, in the ways that work best for you. Choose your adventure with two free programs:

• Curious to create your own computer games? In our two-week Summer Immersion Program (SIP), you’ll learn how to design your own games using p5.js, a JavaScript library for creative coding. Join classmates and our dedicated Teaching Teams in live virtual classrooms hosted by industry-leading companies like MetLife, Bank of America, Logitech, and Synchrony. We’ve got three rounds to fit your schedule: June 14 to June 28, July 8 to July 19, and July 29 to August 9.

  SIP is for current 9th-11th grade girls and non-binary students with beginner or intermediate coding experience, including program alums. Eligible students can even apply for a $300 SIP Student Grant and laptop and hot spot access!

• Excited to explore the biggest topics in tech at your own pace? Our six-week Self-Paced Program offers tracks in Web Development, Cybersecurity, and – new for 2024 – Data Science + AI! From July 1 to August 9, you get to decide how and when to build your coding skills, and you can always ask questions in our Discord server or optional Student Hours.

  The Self-Paced Program is for current 9th-12th grade girls and non-binary students with beginner to advanced coding experience, including program alums.

Apply here by the early deadline, February 14, 2024 for priority consideration or apply by our general deadline, March 22, 2024.  Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to level up your coding skills, kickstart your future, tap into lifelong career support, and have fun along the way!

Need help? Learn more with our program flyer, webinars, or FAQs, or email us at summer@girlswhocode.com.

The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) announced its seventh annual list of “Best STEM Books K-12.”

Best STEM Books winners explore problems and possible solutions in the scientific world and, where applicable, in the lives of the protagonists. Instead of focusing on specific content, the Best STEM Books emphasize real-world issues that cross disciplinary boundaries.

NSTA staff, along with volunteer educators and the Children’s Book Council (CBC), have chosen 21 titles that provoke readers to examine the “thinking stance” of characters—not simply to look at actions and results.

Here are three of the books on the list: 

2024-2025 Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant Program

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE), in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), is pleased to announce the Nita M. Lowey 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (21^st CCLC) grant program opportunity.

The purpose of the 21^st CCLC grant program is to create community learning centers for those times when school is not in session. Programs must provide students with academic enrichment opportunities as well as additional activities designed to complement their regular academic program.

These funds will be awarded through a competitive grant process to intermediate school districts and local education agencies, both traditional public school districts and public school academies, community-based organizations (CBOs), Indian tribe or tribal organizations (as such terms are defined in Section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)), faith-based organizations (FBOs), and other public or private entities, or a consortium of these entities, to provide comprehensive community learning center services. The 21^st CCLC grant program aligns with Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan (SEP) and supports multiple SEP Goals.

It is strongly suggested that potential applicants participate in the application information webinar on January 16, 2024 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (noon). To determine if your organization qualifies for the grant and to better understand all existing, new, or revised requirements of the grant and competitive grant process, you may register here for the webinar.

A notice of intent to apply form is required to be submitted no later than January 10, 2024 to allow time for MDE staff to provide login and access information to the online application. Submission of this notice is a prerequisite for this application; however, it does not obligate the organization to submit an application.

The intent to apply form and corresponding link will become available for interested organizations to access on the 21^st CCLC webpage under Grant Opportunities no later than December 21, 2023.

Please send any questions about this announcement to Lorraine Thoreson, 21^st CCLC Manager, at ThoresonL@Michigan.gov.

Brian Dotson
Regional Director
(231) 898-1548
briandotson@wsesd.org 

Services provided through a MiSTEM grant awarded by the Michigan Department of Education.

Sign-up for our newsletter and get more information at www.mistemregion9.com.