Pictures from the S.E.E. Event 2013!
Parents, PTAs, Teachers and Principals came to the STAR Resource Station from all around Los Angeles to find out more about everything STAR Education has to offer! Here are some of our favorite pictures from the day…
S.T.E.A.M.Topia!
There was plenty of fun to go around at STAR Education’s 2nd S.T.E.A.M.Topia! Over 150 young innovators showed up for a day of hands-on learning, experimenting, and exploration! Focused on the S.T.E.A.M. disciplines of Science, Technlogy, Engineering, Art, and Math, S.T.E.A.M.Topia is designed to show how S.T.E.A.M. disciplines work together to illuminate principles behind fascinating phenomena in the human experience, and how these subjects are easily applicable in the real world.
Elementary and middle school children were able to test their engineering abilities by designing the car of the future, discover the math behind wilderness survival skills, explore the technology behind artificial intelligence through Turing tests, build a survival dome to withstand the elements, craft high-flying rockets, design 3D forced perspective art, study electric circuitry, and learn the behind-the-scenes of toy making!
Students from the STAR LEGO© Robotics program also competed in the Battle of the Brains! Battle of the Brains is an opportunity for students to battle their Mindstorm sumo-bots that they have spent 12 weeks designing, building, and programming using mechanical engineering, computer programming, special reasoning, teamwork, aesthetic and functional design and other S.T.E.A.M. based skills.
The action didn’t stop there – students also had the opportunity to ride a real hovercraft, experience the science of break-dancing and hula hooping, build at the LEGO© booth, put on a sumo suit to explore the physics behind sumo-wrestling, engage in interactive technology exhibits, and so much more!
The STAR S.T.E.A.M. Initiative (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) has introduced thousands of students to cutting edge and innovative programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. S.T.E.A.M. utilizes specialized, multidisciplinary curricula propelled by problem solving, discovery, and exploratory learning, which encourage students to actively engage in a situation in order to find its solution. STAR S.T.E.A.M. programs aim to engage students to solve real world challenges and ignite their interest in college and future careers. S.T.E.A.M.topia is part of STAR Education’s initiative to support the growing trend in education to stress practical, hands-on, and innovative curricula. STAR is an active member of the S.T.E.M. Education Coalition and is at the forefront of promoting S.T.E.A.M. programs in California.
Math & Literacy Family Night at Nora Sterry
Last Thursday night was an exhilarating night for the students and families of Nora Sterry Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA. Nora Sterry is famous for going all out for its Family Nights, and last night was no exception! Family Nights are an opportunity for STAR to team up with a school and provide an early evening program for students and their families.
The Votes Are In – STAR Education is THE BEST Choice for LA Parents!
Student at our Castle Heights Early Childhood Program.
Experiment at our Science Family Nights! Learning is fun with our Language Arts instructors!
Art can be fun and practical and it’s always YOU! Learn to compete at our annual Shoot for the STARs Basketball Tournament! Our Galaxy programs are head and shoulders above the average after school child care program. We were rated the Best Educational and Tutoring Program because we give every STAR child specially designated time to do their homework and our college educated staff is there ready and excited to help. “Parents rave about the professionalism and caring of the staff, convenience and affordability of the program, and the fun their kids have. They also enjoy that STAR gives kids a head-start on homework. ‘My child begs to stay every day after school,’ says Jillion Weisberg of Los Angeles. ‘I have to limit her to two classes a day because I miss her. She has taken everything from dance to gardening to science.’”* There’s organized sports activities, as well as built-in enrichment classes at every school site. In 2011, we were voted the Best Sports Program in LA Parent as well! It’s not just about theatricality at STAR – it’s about self-esteem too! Our RockSTARs perform on LA’s and the nation’s most famous stages! We are dedicated to making our students STARs! In the last year our events have become even bigger powerhouses with our first RockSTAR WinterFest on the Sunset Strip giving our STAR kids the chance to rock out on professional stages TWICE in one year, including our 7th Annual Battle of the Bands at the House of Blues. We had two original plays: A Cinderella Tale taught students and audiences important lessons about preventing bullying during the winter session and My Favorite Alien, a technological and astronomical extravaganza inspired by Cirque du Soleil, brought STAR families to their feet in the spring. Our 12th Annual Children’s Earth Day at the STAR Eco Station not only featured performances by all of our STAR kids, but special appearances by local politicians like Culver City Mayor Andrew Weissman and former Mayor Micheál O’Leary, environmental organizations such as Heal the Bay and the Surfrider Foundation and the cast of Disney’s A.N.T. Farm! Founder and Executive Director Katya Bozzi on stage with former Culver City Mayor Micheál O’Leary The cast of Disney’s A.N.T. Farm supporting environmental awareness at STAR Eco Station’s Children’s Earth Day Counselors at our new Roller Coaster Mania Summer Camp *“Best of 2012 Readers’ Choice Awards.” LA Parent August 1, 2012: 18-31.
STAR Education Catches Roller Coaster Mania in New Camp
Roller Coaster Mania is the brain child of STAR’s Department of Education. Headed up by Karen Mowrer, Gina Hendron, and Kerry Chow, the camp will be conducted at California State University Northridge (CSUN) and Six Flags Magic Mountain. The camp runs from July 9-27 and gives low income students the chance to see science and math at work in one of the most exhilarating places imaginable.
STAR’s Assistant Director of Education, Gina Hendron, noted that the need for STEM has become so great because of the stigma that students often place on science and math. “The great aspect of the program is how it takes something that many kids feel stinks – math, and shows them how it is behind something really cool – roller coasters.” Gina also noted that over half of the program is made up by female students, a demographic which is usually low in science and math fields.
Support for Raging Roller Coaster Camp
Our amazing STAR Roller Coaster Camp Counselors
This week on NPR there was an article about the difficulty that still persists for women making strides in scientific fields. You can read/listen to the article online HERE.
STAR Education has just completed its first week of our very first Roller Coaster Camp where we’re teaching 100 7th grade students math, science and physics through studying and designing roller coasters. On the final day, we will be taking a field trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain for an extra special behind-the-scenes tour led by roller coaster experts.
What’s even more special about this summer camp is that it is funded entirely through a Gear Up Grant and the generous support of individual donors to STAR Education. This camp is attended at no cost to these low-income students…many who have never had a summer camp experience before.
AND…over 50% of our Roller Coaster Campers are girls…54 to be exact.
With just two weeks to go, our IndieGogo campaign is over halfway to its mark. Any funds we raise over the $4,000 goal will be used to support additional scholarships for financially needy students in our math and science projects later this year.
You can help STAR do what we do every day: Give every student a chance to excel in life through learning that truly inspires them. Help support this camp that brings math and science to life…
Check out our IndieGogo Campaign HERE.
STAR Education LEGO and Engineering Staff Attend LEGO© Robotics Workshop at LEGOLAND
On Saturday Feb 25, 2012, STAR Education’s Engineering and LEGO© Departments attended a robotics workshop at LEGOLAND California. Representing STAR Education that day were Raymond Lo, Helen Hua, and Aleksandar Stanisic. The purpose of the workshop was to learn about the advantages of using LEGO© Robotics to teach math, science, and engineering. The workshop was also a great opportunity to learn more about the LEGO© robotics competition, The First LEGO© League (FLL).
Raymond Lo and Helen Hua Head program their robots for a maze run.
The STAR team attended a presentation regarding the future of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education by one of California’s leaders in K-12 science education, Nancy Taylor. The STAR team also attended a First LEGO© League presentation. The FLL presenter, Liz Ables, provided great information regarding the creation and management of FLL teams. In addition to attending the presentations, Raymond, Helen and Alex worked on designing and building robots during the hands-on robotics workshop. They were challenged to build and program a robot to successfully navigate a maze. The attached video shows a few highlights from the STAR team’s maze runs.
STAR Education Staff Team Runs Robot Maze at LEGO Robotics Conference from STAR Education on Vimeo.
The workshop was a great experience for the STAR team and will provide a great launch point for STAR’s future involvement with the First LEGO© League. STAR Education will begin forming student teams and having competitions during the fall of 2012.
STAR Kids Getting Their Hands Dirty with Hands-On Equations
When you see the panicked look on teenagers’ faces after someone mentions “algebra”, it’s hard to imagine that a 3rd grader might react with more enthusiasm. Can a kid who doesn’t know cursive really solve such an abstract equation? Well, STAR always likes a good challenge!
The Education Department at STAR has begun exploring the concept of “Hands-On Equations”, which was created by Dr. Henry Borenson as a way to teach students that traditional math classes failed to reach. Students use a real scale, dice, and pawns to represent equations ranging from the 3rd grade level all the way up to high school! They then use a few simple rules to shift pieces around to eventually make the scale balanced on each side. Students learn to translate something that looks like this:
Into something that looks like this:
img from www.borenson.com
And voila! An abstract equation is transformed into something that kids can touch, see, and feel while they figure out a solution using basic math skills. Guess algebra isn’t really that scary after all…
STAR Education’s First Annual S.T.E.M.topia!
What happens when brilliant young minds from all over Los Angeles gather to compete in a Battle of the Brains? STAR Education’s First Annual S.T.E.M.topia! This past weekend, at the STAR Education headquarters in Culver City, mini Einsteins, pocket-sized DaVincis, and young Marie Curies assembled to celebrate their united passions in an event focused on S.T.E.M. – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
Hosting a S.T.E.M. event has been a dream of STAR’s for years, and 2012 was the year to finally make it a reality. Students enrolled in STAR S.T.E.M. programs were able to test the LEGO© Mindstorm Rovers they’ve spent 12 weeks working on with their teammates. In a space-themed room, with an attentive audience watching in anticipation, the elementary school teams put their preprogrammed robots to the test in a series of complex missions including independent path finding, terrain analysis, and directional sensing.
And that’s not all! Specialty workshops, called S.T.E.M-Shops, were open to the public and available for STAR S.T.E.M. students during the breaks in their competitions. Kids ranging in ages from 5-12 signed up for hands-on S.T.E.M.-Shops such as Roller Coaster Dynamics, iPad Game Design, 3D building using Zome construction tools, LEGO© Robotics – and they even got the opportunity to ride a real hovercraft!
Stay tuned for information on future S.T.E.M. events!
STAR S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs aim to engage students to solve real world challenges and ignite their interest in college and future careers. S.T.E.M.topia is part of STAR Education’s initiative to support the growing trend in education to stress practical, hands-on, and innovative curricula. STAR is an active member of the S.T.E.M. Education Coalition and is at the forefront of promoting S.T.E.M. programs in California.