Associate Superintendent Pamela Comfort, Ed.D.
925.942.3358

Coordinator, Hilary Haugen Dito
925.942.3396

STEAM Newsletter Archive
Upcoming Events and News
Resources

Contra Costa STEAM

Contra Costa County Office Of Education STEAM is a leader in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics Education for the Contra Costa County School Districts and the region by developing opportunities, providing resources and fostering communication among STEAM and Educational professionals that prepare all students to become successful members of a rapidly emerging technological world.

Contra Costa County Office Of Education STEAM supports the academic success of our districts by

Providing high-quality, timely communication to educators via the STEAM website, the STEAM e-newsletter and leadership organizations regarding STEAM resources and opportunities.
Creating partnerships with business and community organizations to provide professional development, outreach programs and other STEAM events
Offering inspirational and challenging STEAM programs throughout the educational process (pre-K through 16) including integrated curriculum, extra-curricular activities and real-world applications.
Supporting professional development, seminars and other outreach activities to educators, parents and community members.

STEAM Newsletter Archive

STEAM Monthly Newsletter
January 2012	2nd Annual STEAM Colloquium 2012
March 2011	April 2011
May 2011	September 2011
October 2011	December 2011

Upcoming Events and News

2012 Siemens Summer of Learning

Discovery Education and the Siemens Foundation invite middle and high school STEM teachers across the country to apply to the 2012 Siemens Summer of Learning programs.

The Summer of Learning includes two all-expenses-paid, one-of-a-kind professional development programs: Siemens Teachers as Researchers (STARs) and Siemens STEM Institute.

Siemens Teachers as Researchers (STARs) STARs now gives 40 STEM educators the opportunity to spend two weeks, all-expenses-paid, engaging with top scientists on mentored research projects at one of the U.S. Department of Energy's national laboratories.

NEW FOR 2012: In addition to the existing program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, an additional 20 Fellows will be selected to participate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington.

Siemens STEM Institute A diverse group of 50 STEM educators will attend an all-expenses-paid week of STEM immersion at Discovery's world headquarters outside of Washington, D.C., where they will interact with guest speakers at the forefront of STEM, take field trips to leading STEM institutions, and network and collaborate with peers from across the nation.

If you have questions, email siemensstemacademy@discovery.com.

Apply today to the 2012 Siemens Summer of Learning!

Deadline: Applications due February 9, 2012

Seventh Annual, 2012 Intel-Affiliated Contra Costa County Science & Engineering Fair (CCCSEF)

Students in grades 7-12 in East and Central Contra Costa County are encouraged to pursue their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) by participating in the Intel Affiliated Contra Costa County Science and Engineering Fair (CCCSEF). Taking part in the CCCSEF is fun, educational and rewarding. Any student may enter sponsored by any adult including parents, mentors, middle and high school teachers who oversee the students in their efforts. To help students get started, conduct their research properly, and prepare a Project Display, we recommend you visit ScienceBuddies.com. To participate in the CCCSEF, please refer to the www.cccsef.org web site for additional information. A Scientific Review Committee (SRC) responsible for approving the projects submitted for competition reviews all project applications. Follow the Step-by-Step instruction in the Application section to determine if a project requires pre-approval requiring SRC review prior to starting the experiment. If Pre Approval is required, contact the CCCSEF to get directions to submit the paperwork. All other project applications are to be submitted postmarked by January 20, 2012.

Volunteers are needed for all aspects of the Fair. Please register as a Volunteer on the www.cccsef.org web site if you would like to participate in any of the following areas: logistics, judging fair projects, materials preparation, member of the Scientific Review Committee, e-mentoring students and/or financial donation.

Questions? Please feel free to contact Liz Ritchie, Co-Director, and CCCSEF at lizritchie@me.com or call (925) 684-4995.

Date: March 15-17, 2012

Location: Los Medanos College, Pittsburg

For more information visit www.cccsef.org

A Framework for K–12 Science Education

The National Research Council (NRC) released its much anticipated report that presents a new framework for K–12 science education and identifies the key concepts and practices that all students should learn.

A Framework for K–12 Science Education offers a new vision for K–12 education in science and engineering, and represents a significant shift in how these subjects are viewed and taught. The framework will serve as the basis for the Next Generation Science Standards, a state-led effort managed by Achieve, Inc. The framework will also inform the work of curriculum and assessment developers, researchers, teacher educators, and others.

To download a copy, please go to www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13165

Science on Saturday

Science on Saturday (SOS) is a series of science lectures for middle and high school students. Each topic highlights cutting-edge science occurring at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The talks are presented by leading LLNL science researchers supported by master high school science teachers. These presentations are offered in several locations. See the schedule below to find locations nearest to you.

Dates and locations: Ongoing - see calendar for for events at the Lawrence Livermore National Labratory's Education Program

Watch series programming online

Resources

STEMscape - A newsletter from the Ohio STEM Learning Network - STEMscape is a monthly newsletter of the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN). This newsletter is designed to share innovations and best practices occurring across our Network of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) schools, programs and partners both inside and outside Ohio.

EDSource - STEM - Provides information and resources on STEM education in California and nationally. In addition to pulling together publications and data pages from the EdSource website, it will extensively feature other research and work being carried out in this area.

OCSTEM CTE Community Collaborative Project - unded by the Governor's SB 70 Career Technical Education Initiative Grant, is designed to bring multiple Orange County partners and initiatives together to better coordinate and organize a focused effort to meet STEM demands.

Science	Technology
Science News for Kids	Sloan Career Cornerstone Center
Bay Area Science	e-Learning for Kids
Kids Know It Network	HP Learning Center
Science for Preschoolers

Engineering	Math
Discover Engineering	Math Moves U
Engineer Your Life	World of Math Online
Engineering Go For It!	Math Playground (K-7)
Engineer Girl	Coolmath.com
	Coolmath4kids.com
	Figure This! Math Challenges for Families
	AAA Math
	S.O.S. Mathematics (math review material from Algebra to Differential Equations)