STEM Winter Youth Programs

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As you plan your kid’s fall/winter activities, check out JMU’s STEM winter youth programs:

College for Kids
College for Kids is an enrichment program for children in grades rising K-8. Children will work with James Madison University faculty and graduate students, as well as experts from the community and surrounding area, to try new things, explore and discover talents they never knew they had! This program will be held on 6 Saturdays, January 11th – February 15th, 2020

Technology-related sessions will also be offered. A few are:

  • Coding: Scratch Programming (Grades 4 – 6): This class lets students design their own interactive stories, games and animations while learning basic coding concepts. They will learn how to make characters move around the screen, interact with other characters and respond to sound effects.
  • Lego Engineering (Grades 1 – 5): This class is for young Lego enthusiasts who are ready to delve into the world of engineering and computer coding. Participants will work in teams to build and program their Lego creations using the We-Do Lego curriculum. Each day, students will be presented with a different challenge designed to spark their creativity and put their technical problem solving skills to work.
  • 3D Art (Grades 3 – 5): In this 3D art class, students will explore using both contemporary and classic mediums, while creating sculpture and collage pieces, out of a variety of materials, from foil, to joint compound and clay. Several modern artists will be featured. The final class will feature an “art show” of each students work on display!

For more information, please contact Melissa Heatwole at heatwoml@jmu.edu or (540) 568-4226.

More information and additional course options: https://www.jmu.edu/pce/programs/all/collegeforkids/

Register for College for Kids from Jan. 11 – Feb. 15, 2020

You Be the Chemist
JMU’s Professional and Continuing Education is teaming up with the Chemical Educational Foundation ® (CEF) to run the You Be The Chemist Challenge® in the Shenandoah Valley! You Be The Chemist Challenge is an interactive academic contest that uses the drama of competition to excite grade 5–8 students about science. The Challenge tests students’ knowledge of chemistry concepts, their real-world applications, and other topics that are included in standard science curriculum, such as:

  • the scientific method
  • properties of matter
  • chemical formulas & equations
  • chemistry in the human body

Participating schools and students have an opportunity to receive national recognition, prizes, and scholarships. The winner and one educator from each state even receive an expenses-paid trip to the national competition in Philadelphia in June! There is no cost to participate, and participation requires a minimal time commitment from schools. Study materials are provided free online to help students prepare for the competition. The local challenge for the Shenandoah Valley will be held on February 29, 2020 at James Madison University.

If you are interested in registering your school to participate in the Shenandoah Valley Challenge, please visit https://www.chemed.org/programs/challenge/. All participating schools must register by December 6, 2019.

The Challenge was created by the Chemical Educational Foundation, a national non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing science education for our youth. The competition involved 30 states and almost 25,000 students during the last school year and it continues to grow—we hope to get your school involved!

For more information about participating in future events, please contact Melissa Heatwole at heatwol@jmu.edu or 540-568-4226 or visit http://www.chemed.org/