Dear STEM Partners,
We know that days are short and lives are busy this time of the year so we are providing a synopsis of last Wednesday’s
meeting to keep everyone informed of the progress of the STEM programs at CA. Our many thanks to those who attended
the meeting!
We had an engaging program last Wednesday. Hamza Jafari and Antonio Parks, students from the PLTWBiomedical Sciences class shared their ingenious and controversial cure for diabetes with the audience. This was
their culminating project for the first semester. Following is a link to the video clip from that presentation.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yisldde10m0vn04/MVI_0829.m4v?dl=0
Tyler Perry, another student who is both in PLTW-Engineering as well as the DEEP- pre engineering class at
CAHS spoke about his experience in his classes and how they complement each other and how many college
credits he was earning through these programs. Besides the use of CAD and engineering drawing, they construct
robots and write the code for them.
Ms. Debbie Davis, CAHS Principal, reported on the success of the Career Fair that took place on Feb. 3 rd at
CAHS. There were 65 tables representing different occupational paths and 10 colleges. All high school students
had the opportunity to visit and interact with these presenters.
CA has submitted a grant to Verizon which would provide $20,000 for the implementation of PLTW Computer
Science curriculum at CA Middle School (see attachment).
We would like to enlist the help of our partners in promoting and organizing our upcoming events. The events
include:
o CA Showcase in May will display PLTW-Launch, middle school PLTW-Gateway, PLTW-Engineering and
PLTW-Biomedical Sciences program as well as the Problem Based Projects that students have completed
in their science and math classes and our prize winning CA Robotics teams. There will be fun events for
families across the Genesee County. You are encouraged to bring materials from your institution and
display them at this event. This will be an opportunity for you to promote your organization.
Mott Community College Culinary Arts Program has already volunteered to serve treats and we would
love to receive help to make this a fun and successful event. We will send you the invitation for our
organizing meeting.
o
Summer school-CA is adding PLTW Gateway and Launch opportunities for elementary and middle
school students this summer.
o
CS First-Google curriculum will be offered as an after school club at CA middle school (see attached). We
are looking for volunteers to facilitate the various units. Let us know if you, or anyone in your
organization, is interested in facilitating.
We will be meeting with marketing instructor Dan Lake from UM-Flint to devise a strategy to inform the
community about all the wonderful things (particularly our STEM activities) available in CA. Join us for a
brainstorming session on Thursday, Feb. 25th from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the CA Administration Building. Or
send us your ideas via email to [email protected]. We value your input and love to hear from you.
The final meeting for the school year will take place on Wednesday, May 18th, 2016, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
We hope to see you all at the meeting.
Best regards,
Avideh Lotfi
STEM Coordinator
Carman Ainsworth Community Schools
810-591-8245
[email protected]
Verizon Grant Opportunity
Verizon and PLTW Partner to Support Introduction to Computer Science at Your School
A new $20,000 two-year grant opportunity, made possible by
Verizon, will support the implementation of two PLTW Gateway
units – Introduction to Computer Science 1 (ICS 1) and Introduction
About Introduction to Computer Science 1 and 2
to Computer Science 2 (ICS 2) – at middle schools for the
2016-17 school year.
Schools across the country with a free and reduced lunch population
of 70 percent or more are eligible to apply.
Grant funds may be used to help offset the following implementation
expenses:
These PLTW Gateway units are designed to be truly introductory and
require no prior programming experience.
Introduction to Computer Science 1 (ICS 1)
In ICS 1, students have the opportunity to unleash their creativity as
they design their own apps using MIT App Inventor.
Introduction to Computer Science 2 (ICS 2)
•
PLTW Gateway program participation fees
•
ICS teacher training expenses
•
Designated equipment costs including tablets, computers,
wireless connectivity, accessories
Please review the Grant Announcement and RFP at pltw.org for
complete details on eligibility requirements, fund disbursements,
In this unit, students venture into text programming through Python
and, in the final problem, develop an app to crowdsource and analyze
data on a topic of their own choosing.
Successful completion of Introduction to Computer Science 1 and 2
positions students well for a transition into PLTW high school-level
computer science courses. In addition, the units serve as the middle
school portion of PLTW’s complete K-12 computer science pathway.
allowable grant expenses, and application instructions.
ICS 1
ICS 2
Important dates:
•
Application window opens: Jan. 15, 2016
•
Application window closes: March 31, 2016
•
Award notifications: No later than April 15, 2016
Computer Science
Concepts
•
•
•
•
•
Branching
Arithmetic
Variables
Iteration
Functions and
methods
• Problem
decomposition
•
•
•
•
•
Compound logic
Data types and lists
Variables
Iteration
Functions and
methods
• Problem
decomposition
If you have any questions regarding the grant, please contact
[email protected]. We look forward to receiving your application.
Additional Skills
and Knowledge
• Pair programming
• Project management
• Documentation
• Presentation
• Cyber hygiene
• Career societal impant
CS FIRST
COMPUTER SCIENCE (CS) FIRST PROGRAM
The Michigan Film & Digital Media Office is proud to partner with Google in an effort to
promote computer science (CS) education in Michigan schools through the CS First program.
CS First is a free program that increases student access and exposure to computer science
education through after-school, in-school, and summer programs. All clubs are run by teachers
and/or community volunteers.
The goals of the partnership between the Michigan Film & Digital Media Office and Google
are to:
• Increase confidence when using computers
• Instill courage to try new things
• Grow perseverance when tackling difficult problems
• Provide a sense of belonging in technology for under-represented students
• Demonstrate the impact that CS has in careers and communities
Importance of computer science education in Michigan
Computer science is a st century skill. Currently, only one in  K– schools in the
United States offers computer science classes. In addition,  percent of the population is
underrepresented in computer science, even though exposure to computer science leads to some
of the highest paying jobs in the world.
Opportunities for graduates with computer science degrees are plentiful. Jobs in computing
are growing at twice the national rate of other types of jobs.
By , the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there will be one million more
computer science jobs than graduating students qualified for them. In Michigan alone, the
demand for computing jobs is growing at over three times the state average.
What is CS First?
CS First empowers all students to create with technology through free computer science clubs.
It provides easy-to-use computer science enrichment materials that target and engage a diverse
student population.
CS First overview
• Materials are targeted at students in grades – (ages –)
• Clubs are run by teachers and/or community volunteers. No computer science experience
necessary!
• CS First materials are video-based
• Program can be tailored to fit your schedule and needs
• Student projects involve block-based coding and are themed to attract students with varied
interests
• Themed clubs attract students with varied interests
Each theme has eight activities. Each activity takes about
60–75 minutes. Scheduling is flexible and up to you!
Data highlighted throughout this
document is compiled through the
sources of code.org and Google CS First.
©  Google Inc. Used with permission. Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc.
2