April is Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month

April marks a time to increase the understanding and appreciation of mathematics and statistics. Why? Both subjects play a significant role in addressing many real-world problems-- internet security, sustainability, disease, climate change, the data deluge, and much more. Research in these and other areas is ongoing, revealing new results and applications every day in fields such as medicine, manufacturing, energy, biotechnology, and business. Mathematics and statistics are important drivers of innovation in our technological world, in which new systems and methodologies continue to become more complex.

Mathematics Awareness Month began in 1986 as Mathematics Awareness Week with a proclamation by President Ronald Regan, who said in part:

"Despite the increasing importance of mathematics to the progress of our economy and society, enrollment in mathematics programs has been declining at all levels of the American educational system. Yet the application of mathematics is indispensable in such diverse fields as medicine, computer sciences, space exploration, the skilled trades, business, defense, and government. To help encourage the study and utilization of mathematics, it is appropriate that all Americans be reminded of the importance of this basic branch of science to our daily lives."

Visit this website to find out about current women who are working in the mathematics field.


Here are a few math resources to engage your youth in to celebrate the month:

1) Printable Math Manipulatives and Games (Grades 1-6)

2) Offline Math Games (Grades 1-8)

3) Printable Math Games (Grades 1-8)

4) Math Activities for Kids (TK to 8th)


Now let's take a peek and see how a few expanded learning programs in the region have been engaging youth in STEM / enrichment learning activities.


Name of Expanded Learning Program Provider:
Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Twin Rivers Unified School District

School Site: Frontier Elementary

Grade Level of Activity: K - 6th

Number of Students who took part in the activity: 30 students

Type of Activity: Talent Night Performances

Learning Outcomes: Students were able to:

• Students took on leadership roles such as Team Captains and Choreographers
• Students learned to work collaboratively alongside their peers as well as The Center’s Frontier Elementary School Team Leader(s) to develop an ideal line up, coordinate costumes, and assist in stage productions
•  Students utilized Art, Dance, Music, and Physical Activity to put on a performance
• Students had access to authentic leadership roles with choreography, script-writing, music editing, and implementing their ideas
• Students were able to take on the responsibility of preparing the necessary resources needed for the performance process
• Students creatively showcased their skills and talents to an audience
• Students were encouraged throughout the development process of the performance and showed understanding of the benefits of their hard work and diligence

      For more information on this activity please contact Lily Kobzar the expanded learning
program manager at Frontier Elementary at lily@sccsc.org

Name of Expanded Learning Program Provider:
Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Twin Rivers Unified School District

School Site: Orchard Elementary School

Grade Level of Activity: 2nd - 3rd

Number of Students who took part in the activity: 20 students

Type of Activity: Bubbles Kidz Science Kit

      Learning Outcomes: Students were able to: 

• Learn about water surface tension
• Learn about how soap affects surface tension
• Learn about the properties of soapy water
• Observe the differences between bubbles made with soap vs. glycerin

Expanded Learning students exploring different types of bubble solution.

For more information on this activity please contact Adrian Perryman the expanded 

learning program manager at Orchard Elementary at 

adrian.perryman@twinriversusd.org.

Name of Expanded Learning Program Provider:

Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Twin Rivers Unified School District

School Site: Del Paso Heights Elementary School

Grade Level of Activity: 1st thru 6th

Number of Students who took part in the activity: All the students 

Type of Activity: Engineering Design Challenge at the 3rd Annual STEAM Expo

Learning Outcomes Students were able to: 

• Work as a team and come up with a unique and interactive project to showcase the day of the event
• Implement innovative ideas when it comes to competing in the engineering design challenge
• Gain experience in competition through an event that challenges their thinking and creating abilities in regards to incorporating as many machines as they can into their Rube Goldberg machine

Expanded Learning students showcasing their gravity inspired Rube Goldberg Machine.

         For more information on this activity please contact Julio Roman the expanded 

        learning site coordinator at Del Paso Heights Elementary School at julio@sccsc.org.

Name of Expanded Learning Program Provider:

Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Sacramento City Unified School District

School Site: Hiram Johnson High School

Grade Level of Activity: 9th thru 12th

Number of Students who took part in the activity: 20 students

Type of Activity: Coding for STEM

      Learning Outcomes: Students were able to:

• Understand the basic skills needed in the field of computer coding
• Learn the technical aspects of coding  
• Explore the complexity of computer coding through an online program with guidance from an experienced teacher
• Exercise creative license in class projects

For more information on this activity please contact Emily Belko the expanded learning
program manager at Hiram Johnson High School at ebelko@sccsc.org.



Name of Expanded Learning Program Provider:
Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Sacramento City Unified School District

School Site: Pony Express Elementary School

Grade Level of Activity: 1st thru 6th

Number of Students who took part in the activity: 60 students

Type of Activity: Dry Ice Bubbles

      Learning Outcomes: Students were able to:

•     Learn about the properties of dry ice
•     Learn about about carbon dioxide in its solid and gas form
•     Learn about the process called sublimation
•     Learn about what accelerates the sublimation process 
•     Observe sublimation as an energy source
•     Learn about the commercial uses of dry ice

Expanded Learning students learning about dry ice bubbles.

For more information on this activity please contact Ashley Johnson the expanded
learning program manager at Pony Express Elementary School at Ashley.johnson@sccsc.org.



STEM / Expanded Learning and Other Pertinent Articles:

1) Scientist take on New Roles in K-12 Classrooms
    (Article by Sarah D. Sparks, Edweek, February 7, 2017)

2) The Education Week Spotlight on Equity (Edweek Resource)

3) How the New Budget Funds STEM in ESSA
   (NGSS for States by States Webpage)

4) 7 Simple Steps to Create a Positive School Climate
    (Article by Peter DeWitt, Edweek, April 2, 2018)

5) Yes, the Social Safety Net Matters for Student Performance
    (Article by Anna Gassman-Pines and Laura Bellows, Edweek, March 29, 2018)

6) 5 Approaches to Closing the Soft Skills Gap
    (White Paper by the Avid Center)

7) Supporting Students with Chronic Trauma
    (Article by Micere Keels, Edutopia, March 23, 2018)

8) Teaching English Language Learners: A Complex Endeavor 
    (Article by Carly Berwick. Edutopia, March 9, 2018)

9) In High School, the Kids are Not All Right
    (Article by David Tow, Edutopia, March 7, 2018)

10) Using Science to Bring Literature to Life
      (Article by Amy and Edward Kang, Edutopia, February 22, 2018)


STEM / STEAM / DACA / Educational Resources etc.:

1) Free K-5 Teacher STEM Resources (Discovery Education)

2) Free 6-8 Teacher STEM Resources (Discovery Education)

3) Free 9-12 Teacher STEM Resources (Discovery Education)

4) After School Webinars (On-demand) (Free) (Afterschool Alliance)

5) Afterschool STEM Hub Online Resources (Afterschool STEM Hub)

6) Summer Learning Resource Guide Center 
    (National Summer Learning Association)

7) Summer Matters (Reports, Tools, Topics, etc.) (Summer Matters)

8) DACA Resources for families who reside in the city of Sacramento
    (City of Sacramento)

9) Immigration Unit Activity Plans (Grades 1-5)
    (Edjustice) (Educator's Guide to Pancho Rabbit)

10) Resources for Educators Supporting Dreamers
      (Edjustice)


STEM / Non-STEM Grants:

1) #SchoolsNotPrisons DIY Grant  (Sol Collective) (Due: April 16, 2018)
    (15) $5,000 community grants will be awarded) 

2) Home Depot Community Impact Grants
    (Open Until December 31st 2018) (Grant Awards up to $5,000)

3) Innovation and Research 3D Printing Grant (Open / Rolling)

4) Toshiba STEM Classroom Grants (Open / Rolling)

5 Discover Engineering Collaboration Grants (Open / Rolling)

6) Teacher Awards for Literacy (Due June 1, 2018) 
    (Grant Awards: $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000)

7) Siemens STEM Fab Lab Makeover (Due: April 27, 2018)

8) Library Innovation Grant (Due: April 15, 2018)

9) The Impact Foundry (Grants Page)

10) CAN Grants Page (Grants Page)

11) Wells Fargo Community Grants (Grants Page)


Professional Learning Sessions / Contest / Conferences / etc.

1) Artivisim (Free) (May 16, 2018) 

2) 5th Annual Beyond the Dream Conference (Free) (May 12th)

3) Operation Recognition Essay Contest (Deadline: April 24, 2018)
    ($500 Scholarship) (Available to public high school students in Sacramento County)

More to come in the upcoming weeks


Thanks again for all that you do in the field. Please keep us posted about STEM 
events / activities in your area. Please feel free to contact us at any time.

Monica Gonzalez-Williams (SCOE: Region 3: After School Regional Lead):
mgonzalez@scoe.net

Phil Romig (SCOE: Science Curriculum Specialist): promig@scoe.net

Mark Drewes (SCOE: Project Specialist II: Expanded Learning) mdrewes@scoe.net 

March is National Women's History Month: Do You Know About....

March is National Women's History Month so let us celebrate and highlight the accomplishments of the many women who have made tremendous contributions to STEM throughout the history of the United States. With that being stated here are a few amazing female STEM pioneers:

Mary G. Ross the first Native American female engineer.

1) Mary G. Ross - Mary was the first Native American female engineer. She was one of
    40 founding engineers of the Skunk Works; an official pseudonym for Lockheed
    Martin's Advanced Development Program. It is responsible for a number of famous
    aircraft designs, including but not limited to the U-2, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird,
    and the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk. Mary was known for her work at Lockheed
    Martin on "preliminary design concepts for interplanetary space travel, manned and
    unmanned earth-orbiting flights, and the earliest studies of orbiting satellites for both
    defense and civilian purposes.

Norma Sklarek was the first African-American woman architect in NYC.

2) Norma Sklarek - Norma was the first African-American female to earn an architect's
    license in the state of New York. Not only did she build a lasting career in a field
    dominated by white males, but she was also an advocate for more women in the
    field. Later in her career, she started her own all-woman architect firm. Norma's
    spirit and work left an imprint on the world as her work can still be seen nationally
    and internationally. For example, two of her most well-known projects are the
    American Embassy in Tokyo and Fox Plaza in San Francisco.

Xie Yi is a ground breaking Chinese female scientist.

3) Xie Yi - Xie was honored with a L' Oreal - UNESCO for Women in Science Award in
   2015 for creating new nano materials with promising applications in the conversion of
   heat or sunlight into electricity.

Adriana Ocampo is a Colombian planetary geologist.

4) Adriana Ocampo - Is a planetary geologist, whom in 1989, while examining satellite
    images of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Ocampo spotted the 130 mile wide
    Chicxulub crater (the scar left behind by the asteroid impact that may have wiped
    out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

Here are some links that will allow you to engage your youth in various activities that will provide the students with a variety of ways to celebrate National Women's History Month:

a) Women's National History Month (Lesson Plans, NEA, Grades K-5)

b) Women's National History Month (Lesson Plans, NEA, Grades 6-8)

c) Women's National History Month (Lesson Plans, NEA, Grades 9-12)

d)  Women's National History Month (Activity Plans, Read/Write/Think, Grades 3-12)

e) Women's History Month: A Collection of Resources
    (Scholastic: Grades Pre-K to 12)

f) Women's History Month Activities (Anti-Defimation League, Grades 2-12)


Now let's take a peek and see how a few expanded learning programs in the region have been engaging youth in STEM learning activities.



Name of Expanded Learning Program Provider: 
Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Sacramento City Unified School District

School Site: Caroline Wenzel Elementary

Grade Level of Activity: 5th and 6th Grade

Number of Students who took part in activity: 21 students

Type of Activity: Potato light bulb experiment

Learning Outcomes: Students were able to:

• Learn how a potato can create electricity
• Understand the basic concepts of electricity
• Learn about circuits and how electricity can be transferred
• Explore the different amounts of electricity that different varieties of potatoes can produce

An expanded learning student exploring circuits and electricity with potatoes.

For more information on this activity please contact Ashley Lo the expanded learning
program manager at Caroline Wenzel Elementary at ashley@sccsc.org

Name of Expanded Learning Program Provider: 

Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Twin Rivers Unified School District

School Site: D.W. Babcock Elementary

Grade Level of Activity: K-6

Number of Students who took part in activity: 23 students

Type of Activity: Process Engineer - Engineering our Own Playdoh Recipe

Learning Outcomes: Students were able to: 

• Create their own playdoh from scratch
• Use the Engineering Design Process to create the best batch of playdoh they could
• Collaborate and reflect with their teammates on what worked and didn't work

Expanded Learning students creating the perfect batch of playdoh.

For more information on this activity please contact DeMarcus Wooten the expanded learning program manager at D.W. Babcock Elementary at demarcus@sccsc.org

Name of Expanded Learning Program Provider: 

Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Sacramento City Unified School District

School Site: Tahoe Elementary

Grade Level of Activity: 4th thru 6th

Number of Students who took part in activity: 21 students

Type of Activity: Research and Presentation

Learning Outcomes: Students were able to: 

• Gain an understanding of the research process
• Learn about endangered animals from around the world
• Design and create presentations on their findings
• Present on their research topic

Expanded Learning students reporting on their endangered species  project.

For more information on this activity please contact Sophia Keen the expanded learning program manager at Tahoe Elementary at sophia@sccsc.org

Name of Expanded Learning Program Provider: 

Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Twin Rivers Unified School District

School Site: Orchard Elementary School

Grade Level of Activity: K-6

Number of Students who took part in activity: 23 students

Type of Activity: Paper Mache Volcano

Learning Outcomes: Students were able to: 

• Collaborate
• Learn about team work and ensure that everyone contributed
• Build something that they would be proud of
• Learn about volcanic eruptions
• Own their project

Expanded Learning students learning about volcanoes!!!

For more information on this activity please contact Jesus Robles the expanded learning program manager at Orchard Elementary School at jesus@sccsc.org

Name of Expanded Learning Program Provider: 

Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Sacramento Unified School District

School Site: John Bidwell Elementary

Grade Level of Activity: 1st-6th

Number of Students who took part in activity: 15 students

Type of Activity: STEAM Activity: How to engineer your own bowl

Learning Outcomes: Students were able to: 

• Learn how to utilize recycled items in the design of their product
• Learn how to engineer a bowl using the engineering design process

Expanded Learning students engineering their own bowl.

For more information on this activity please contact Teresa Hernandez the expanded learning program manager at John Bidwell Elementary at teresa@sccsc.org



Name of Expanded Learning Program Provider: 

Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center

Name of District: Sacramento Unified School District

School Site: Thedore Judah Elementary School

Grade Level of Activity: 4th Grade

Number of Students who took part in activity: 12 students

Type of Activity: Which Milk Dissolves Skittles the Fastest?
                              First Course: My Plate, Myself

Learning Outcomes: Students were able to:

• Write a hypothesis
• Observe liquid diffusion
• Observe the effects of different types of milk
• Identify five food groups and name a variety of examples from each
• Explain how My Plate serves as a reminder to eat from all five food groups
• Learn about Go slow and Whoa foods

Expanded Learning students learning about liquid diffusion.

For more information on this activity please contact Monik Vega the expanded learning program Coordinator at Theodore Judah Elementary School at monik@sccsc.org

STEM / Expanded Learning and other Pertinent Articles:

1) STEM in the Summer 

    (Report by the National Summer Learning Association, October 2016)

2) STEM Policy Brief: The Power of Summer

     (Report by the National Summer Learning Association, October 2016)

3) STEM in Summer Time: A Multi-Layered Learning Experience

     (Report by the National Summer Learning Association, February 2017)

4) How Much Do You Know About STEM Education (Education Week Quiz)

5) Summer Learning - A Smart Investment For California School Districts
    (Summer Matters Report, February 2018)

6) Sustaining Expanded Learning Programs: A Manual for Implementing Family Fees
    (Partnership For Children and Youth, February 2018)

7) #100masks Challenge (LIAS Blog, February 14, 2018)

8) Educating Stewards of the Earth (Education Week Blog, February 13, 2018)

9) Tell Congress: No cuts to after school!! (Email / Call Congress)

10) The Roots of STEM Success: Changing Early Learning Experiences to Build 
       Lifelong Thinking Skills 
       (Executive Summary by Center for Childhood Creativity)


STEM / STEAM / DACA / Educational Resources etc.:

1) Earth Echo Activity Ideas (Grades 6-12)

2) Women's History Month Science Activities / Resources (Grades K-12)

3) Top 15 Women's History Month Activities (Grades K-12)

4) 5 Content Rich Activities and Resources for Women's History (Grades 1-8)

5) A Brief History of Earth Day (with a Lesson Plan) (KQED)

6) What Legal Rights Do Undocumented Immigrants Have (with a Lesson Plan)
    (KQED)

7) QUEST (KQED Science Resources)

8) Art School (KQED Art Resources)

9) Resources to Help You Protect Your Immigrant Students (United We Dream) 

10) Local School Wellness Policy Interview (WEL YouTube Video)


STEM / Non-STEM Grants:

1) The Big List of Educational Grants (Updated on January 3, 2018)

2) Bank of The West Grants (Grant Page)

3) Wells Fargo Community Grants (Grants Page)

4) CAN Grants Page (Grants Page)

5) The Impact Foundry (Grants Page)


Professional Learning Sessions / Contest / Conferences / etc.:

1) Placer County Office of Education - STEM Expo (March 8, 2018)

2) Solar Schoolhouse Solar Primer (SMUD Workshop)
      (Date: March 10, 2018) (Fee: Free)

3) Abstract Art Exploration (Crocker Art Workshop)
    (Date: March 20, 2018) (Fee: Free)

4) State Parks in Your Classroom (SMUD: Grades K-12)
     (Date: April 4, 2018) (Fee: Free)

5) STEM-ulator Educator Conference - Be Curious
    (Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jeff Goldstein - Director of the National Center for 
    and Space Science Education) (Date: April 5, 2018) (Fee: $100)
    (Breakout sessions for expanded learning practitioners)
6) Expanded Learning Through Improv (B Street Theatre)
    (Date: April 12, 2018) (Fee: Free)


Thanks again for all that you do in the field. Please keep us posted about STEM 
events / activities in your area. Please feel free to contact us at any time.

Monica Gonzalez-Williams (SCOE: Region 3: After School Regional Lead):
mgonzalez@scoe.net

Phil Romig (SCOE: Science Curriculum Specialist): promig@scoe.net

Mark Drewes (SCOE: Project Specialist II: Expanded Learning) mdrewes@scoe.net