STEM Day
Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, also known as STEM, are fields that already dominate our daily lives and will be crucial in the future as technological advancement continues to accelerate and touch all aspects of our lives. Not surprisingly, the U.S. Department of Commerce states that STEM-related jobs are growing at a rate of 17% a year. With this backdrop, STEM education, which improves critical and problem-solving skills, will become more and more important.
On November 30, HNMCS Robotics brought the school community together to participate in STEM Day, a fun, engaging, creative, and practical opportunity to take part in STEM-related activities (e.g. creating a light up Christmas card as shown above) designed to demonstrate what STEM can mean outside the classroom. The day was a huge success, as students shared their discoveries and gained a newfound interest in STEM.
Girls in STEM at McMaster University
On Saturday December 8, FRC Team 1360, Orbit Robotics and FRC Team 7659, HNMCS Robotics hosted Girls in STEM Day at McMaster University. The day was intended to promote girls’ awareness and understanding of engineering as a possible career path. Students met McMaster Engineering students to learn about the engineering program and heard graduate students talk about pathway changes in programs. One graduate switched from biology to electrical engineering and is currently working, making electric vehicles.
The girls also toured the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre, where they learned about the vehicles designed by McMaster teams: EcoCar, Baja off-road vehicle; formula cars. For example, the EcoCar team is made up of 60 undergraduate students who work on a four-year project. They girls also met the manager of the Baja team, which works on a one-year project to build a $45,000 off road vehicle. The day ended with the girls applying the theory of reinforcements and composite materials to a sandcastle design challenge.
Computer Science Education Week - Including The Hour of Code
The Hour of Code™ started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts. Since its inception in 2014, the Hour of Code™ has reached tens of millions of students in 180+ countries.
HNMCS has participated since day one and now has computer studies and computer science electives for students in grades 10, 11 and 12.
AMGEN recognizes Euginia Nicoletti as ABE Pioneer
One year ago, Ms. Euginia Nicoletti was instrumental in introducing the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) to Canada. Ms. Nicoletti was the first teacher in the country to offer students the ABE’s real-world, hands-on biotechnology labs in her classroom, helping transform students’ understanding of science.
Since then, 330 students have participated in the ABE across Ontario. In fact, the program is on track to reach an additional 980 students in the 2018-2019 year in 28 schools across seven Ontario school boards, for a total of 1,310 students. Read more here and here.
