Category Archives: STEM

Burbank MS student wins scholarship to summer math camp

Shermya Parkere poses with Principal Rosa Hernandez (L) and teacher Olivia Holub

Shermya Parkere poses with Principal Rosa Hernandez (L) and teacher Olivia Holub

Shermya Parkere, a seventh-grader at Burbank Middle School, is one of one two middle-school students in the State of Texas to win a Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) scholarship to attend the Summer Mathematics Institute (SMI).

The program is sponsored by the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at the University of North Texas. Shermya will live on the college campus and meet other gifted students who share her passion for mathematics. She learned of the opportunity to apply for the scholarship from her math teacher, Olivia Holub.

“I was really surprised and excited,” said Shermya, who plans to pursue a medical career as an obstetrician. “This experience will look great on my applications next year, when I apply to high schools.”

The institute is a three-week residential program with an intense focus on mathematics. Students enroll in a single class and have the opportunity to complete one year of high school mathematics in this self-paced program.

Thanks to the generosity of Summer Mathematics Institute, the Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented (TAGT) has awarded the full scholarships to the SMI program, valued at $2,250.

‘Roses and Knights’ take first place in robotics tournament

Students from Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy and Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy won the National Society of Black Engineers’ inaugural National VEX Robotics Championship this past weekend in Anaheim, California.

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Grissom Elementary’s STEM night draws crowds

More than 150 parents and students attended Grissom Elementary’s STEM night on March 5. Students created a “robo hand” using data and robotic technology, as well as a Styrofoam plate, straws, tape, and string. Students also designed a freestanding structure with building constraints of height and angles.

Dr. John E. Codwell III was in attendance and showed students a foot model and explained how math and science connect in medicine. There was also a floor robot, which students programmed to travel through an obstacle course. Students were able to use iPads and the STEM lab to learn programming using Scratch and Hour of Code software, and parents enjoyed watching a Mad Science demonstration.

Fonville Middle School gearing up for CSTEM competition

FVilleMS_CSTEM2015_300Students at Fonville Middle School are already getting ready for the Southeast National CSTEM Challenge on April 17 and 18.

The school hosted its kick-off celebration on Feb. 28, and CSTEM board member Ahmad Shaheed was the keynote speaker. Shaheed, who also works as an engineer, discussed the importance of studying engineering, math, and science. Students also heard encouraging words from Principal Iris Reyes.

“It’s imperative that students be proficient and build their knowledge base in creativity, math, science, and writing,” said technology teacher Vania Willms. “Students have learned the challenges for the 2014–2015 school year and started working on their projects, which incorporate solutions for the oil, gas, and wind industries.”

Outside-the-box Madison team wins Energy City of Future contest and $2,000

Three Madison High School students have been rewarded for thinking creatively about the future. Luis Pineda, Idalia Castro, and Jennifer Valle Camacho earned the honor and $2,000 at the Energy City of the Future 2050 finals at the University of Houston last weekend for their concept of using biomass as Houston’s main alternative energy source.

As part of a 10-week extracurricular project, competitors were challenged with envisioning new ways of developing drinking-water sources, transportation, and energy sources through the use of models, PowerPoint presentations, and public-service announcements. The exercise was designed to develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

The Madison trio of Pineda, Castro, and Valle Camacho — who rank 1, 2, and 3 in their graduating class, respectively — were the only team who dressed up and produced a brochure and animated public service announcement for their presentation. The PSA also earned the team a medal for Best Technology Use, and a judge commented on the prudent use of recyclable materials in the students’ city model.

“My students were creative and really knew how to persuade and sell their product to the judges,” said their adviser, Amanda Torres, an HISD Career Technology Education health science tech.

HISD also fielded teams from Milby High School and Mickey Leland Preparatory Academy.

The competition is organized by the Harris County Department of Education’s Center for Afterschool, Summer, and Expanded Learning for Kids program and funded by the Education Foundation of Harris County.

“Energy City provides students the opportunity to explore energy professions while also studying energy and urban planning solutions,” said CASE for Kids Director Lisa Thompson-Caruthers. “Students collaborate through teamwork, a critical skill set for working within the energy sector.”

Madison HS seniors Jennifer Valle Camacho, Luis Pineda, and Idalia Castro won the Energy City of the Future 2050 finals and a check for $2,000 for their multi-part presentation on using biomass as an alternative energy source.

Madison HS seniors Jennifer Valle Camacho, Luis Pineda, and Idalia Castro won the Energy City of the Future 2050 finals and a check for $2,000 for their multi-part presentation on using biomass as an alternative energy source.

 

Middle school girls get hands-on introduction to STEM careers

EYH 2015

Students from Burbank MS had a blast at the Expanding Your Horizons conference.

Hundreds of HISD middle school girls spent Sat., Feb. 21, learning about math and science careers at the Expanding Your Horizons conference.

Female professionals talked to students from Black, Burbank, Grady, Henry and Revere middle schools, and the Baylor College of Medicine Academy about a variety of STEM careers. The students worked with a 3-D printer, learned about storing DNA, created cement, and developed butterfly gardens.

The West Harris County Branch of the American Association of University Women hosted the conference.

Where the wild things are: Red ES students get up-close with critters

Anne Eisner from the Nature Discovery Center acquaints Red ES STEM magnet students with wildlife.

Anne Eisner from the Nature Discovery Center acquaints Red ES STEM magnet students with wildlife.

Students at HISD’s Red Elementary School welcomed naturalist Anne Eisner from Bellaire’s Nature Discovery Center on Feb. 4-5 — along with a veritable menagerie of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.

The creatures helped impart new facts about vertebrates and invertebrates, and students learned a valuable lesson about how to interact safely with wild animals. While all the animals were popular with the students, a black rabbit named Licorice stole the show.

Red ES is a STEM magnet school that emphasizes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math by providing extra classes and presentations by organizations such as the Nature Discovery Center.

Red ES students challenged to build robots at annual STEM night

RedES_Curtis_225More than 200 parents gathered on the campus of Red Elementary School on Jan. 15 for a family STEM night that featured many fun, hands-on activities for participating students.

Children could design a floating car, create computer code, solve math problems, or read books on subjects related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The highlight of the evening was a robot-building contest judged by representatives from the community, HISD administrators, and the National Society of Black Engineers. Students were required to put together a humanoid-looking creation between three and four feet high using only recycled items. Pre-K student Curtis Mayfield (pictured) won the contest with a design made from a cereal box, empty vinegar bottle, old pair of tennis shoes, and cardboard toilet paper rolls. His prize was a new Samsung tablet.

Coding club students learn how to build computers

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Over the winter break, Lockhart Elementary School hosted a free three-day computer camp for 60 students in a coding club sponsored by Schlumberger, a global technology supplier. The camp was also sponsored by KidsXplore, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching kids about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Students in grades 4-6 learned how to build computers using a new computer platform called Raspberry Pi. The students connected wireless keyboards, monitors and speakers to their CPUs (central processing units).  Once their computers were built, students connected them to a Wi-Fi network where they were able to load Scratch and other computer programming software. Students also participated in a circuits workshop to explore circuit design. Continue reading →

First-year school nurse revives campus club to encourage STEM careers

HISD’s Booker T. Washington High School is usually known for its magnet engineering program, but some students there have an interest in healthcare—and one first-year school nurse is helping them to explore it.

Members of the Booker T. Washington High School health club examine a sheep’s heart during a field trip to the Houston Health Museum.

Members of the Booker T. Washington High School health club examine a sheep’s heart during a field trip to the Houston Health Museum.

Worthing High School alumna Shara Fontaine, who joined Team HISD in 2014 after nine years as a labor and delivery nurse and a stint in the U.S. Air Force, resurrected the student health club at Washington last fall to better serve students with career aspirations in healthcare. The club now has about 15 members, and Fontaine has been coordinating special activities to further stoke their interest in that field. Continue reading →