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Congressman Alan Lowenthal Secures $56M for California STEM and Youth Education Programs

In an effort to support and prepare our youth for their futures, Congressman Alan Lowenthal, who represents the city of Long Beach and Los Alamitos among others, has helped secure a collective $56 million in funding for the STARBASE and Sunburst Youth Challenge education programs, both of which operate programs at the Joint Forces Training Base (JTFB) in Los Alamitos.

Read further at LBPost.

Do you want to code a snowflake?

In the tutorial, female tech role models including Microsoft engineer Paola Mejia and app developing model Lyndsey Scott talk participants through basic programming concepts.Then the fun begins as new students write code to move Anna and Elsa around and etch patterns onto the ice. The program uses colorful, simplified blocks of code that snap together like virtual lego pieces.

Find out further at Mashable.

New Research Brief Describes Impacts of Expanded Learning Programs

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) recently released the results from a comprehensive review examining the effects of expanded learning time on student academic and nonacademic performance. Researchers found mixed results from their study of 30 after-school and summer programs nationwide. While elementary school students demonstrated a positive effect on literacy and math achievement, middle school students experienced a small negative effect, while students who suffer from some type of learning disability benefited the most from increased learning time.

Resources: 

Grants Encourage Youth to Address Childhood Hunger

The Sodexo Foundation and Youth Service America (YSA) are looking for 100 of the best ideas from young people (ages 5-25) about how they can help end childhood hunger in their communities. Sodexo Foundation Youth Grants of $400 are available for youth-led service projects to address childhood hunger. Funded projects should take place on or around Global Youth Service Day, April 17-19, 2015. The application deadline is January 15, 2015.

 Access the application.

Calling All Makers: Announcing the First-Ever White House 3D-Printed Ornament Challenge

Here at the White House, planning for the 2014 holiday season is already in full swing! The house is buzzing with activity as preparations for the most festive time of the year are underway.

Once again, President Obama and the First Lady will welcome tens of thousands of visitors from around the country to tour the holiday decorations – and those that can’t make it in person will have the chance to explore the décor online. From Christmas trees and garlands to lights and ornaments, the holidays will be filled with wonder, delight, and excitement.

Parents play vital role in molding future scientists, research shows

Parents and family make all the difference in creating the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians, according to new research. The research team surveyed 149 participants in the Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program from classes from 2007 to 2013. This competitive internship attracts top high school and undergraduate students who work on real-world research.

Resources: 

How Federal Education Policy Contributes to the Skills Gap – and Can Help Us Move Beyond It

In survey after survey over the last decade, employers have complained of difficulty finding workers with the right mix of skills, despite record numbers of job seekers and college graduates. Concerns about pervasive mismatches between worker skills and employer needs have driven a host of initiatives designed to fix the “skills gap”, so far to little avail.

After Election 2014: STEM EDUCATION

The debut of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in a handful of states and a growing awareness among research universities that they must improve undergraduate instruction are arguably the two biggest recent changes in the U.S. science education landscape. They also embody the political adage of thinking globally and acting locally, a timely message as the Obama administration heads into the homestretch and voters prepare to elect a new Congress.

After Election 2014: STEM EDUCATION

The debut of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in a handful of states and a growing awareness among research universities that they must improve undergraduate instruction are arguably the two biggest recent changes in the U.S. science education landscape. They also embody the political adage of thinking globally and acting locally, a timely message as the Obama administration heads into the homestretch and voters prepare to elect a new Congress.

National STEM Video Game Challenge Open For Submissions

Student submissions for original video games and game designs to the National STEM Video Game Challenge are open today. The national contest is presented by E-Line Media, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and the Smithsonian. The Challenge aims to motivate young people to be more interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning by using the power of playing and making video games.

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