SpringBoard

STEM Education Program

The overall goal of JEDC's education programs is to stimulate students' interest in and excitement about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), thereby increasing the pool of talented and skilled students who pursue STEM careers. The SpringBoard team supports Alaska school districts as well as individual schools and teachers with the tools and coaching necessary to engage students in learning K-12 math and science.

JEDC's STEM programs are funded in part by the US Deptartment of Defense, where top leadership realizes the importance of investing in STEM education for K-12 students as a means of inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers and problem solvers. Additional support comes from BP, the National Defense Education Program, and many other partners.

Alaska State Fair

Join the SpringBoard STEM program and volunteers from around the state at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer! Launch a paper rocket, drive a robot, mine for chocolate and more! Please visit us in the Kid Zone daily until 8 PM.

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Family Science Night a BIG Success

Over 350 people - most of them kids - came out to participate in Family Science Night on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. They joined scientists, science educators and engineers from JEDC, the US Navy, DIPAC, Discovery Southeast and others, to discover the excitement and fun of science through hands-on activities. Highlights of the of the evening included building Bristlebots, launching rockets, driving LEGO robots, building a Cartesian Diver, operating underwater robots, navigating a laser maze, and much more.

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DDR Participants Presented Symposium

High school participants from the two modules of this summer's Discover Design Research @ UAS program presented their discoveries and experiences during a symposium held in front of family, friends and faculty at the Egan Lecture Hall at UAS on Friday, June 24, 2011 from 3-5 PM.

Students traveled to either the Cape Decision Lighthouse or Glacier Bay National Park, where they were on the ground learning in an academically challenging context. Each module posed a different set of challenges and opportunities for students to explore, investigate, analyze, and learn.

Videos and photos will be posted soon. For more information please visit: http://www.uas.alaska.edu/ddr/modules/index.html

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Legomaniacs win FIRST LEGO League Corporate Challenge

Adults finally got their chance to play with LEGO robots at the 2011 FIRST LEGO League Corporate Challenge held on May 6, 2011 at the Baranof Hotel in Juneau, Alaska. The event was open to the public and participation included teachers, parents and everyone else that showed up to play.

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Statewide High School Robotics Championship in Fairbanks

With 40 teams participating, the FIRST Tech Challenge statewide robotics tournament for high schoolers was the largest in Alaska to date! Several teams participated from Southeast Alaska, including three from Juneau. JEDC's SpringBoard STEM education program coordinates FIRST activities throughout Alaska, with corporate support from BP.
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SeaPerch: a unique teaching tool for Alaska's educators

Recognized statewide for its collaborative, hands-on, inquiry-driven learning experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), JEDC is conducting two professional development workshops this fall for teachers to prepare them to use SeaPerch in their classroom curricula. The first was held in Juneau from October 21-23, and the second is coming up in Anchorage from November 3-4. SeaPerch introduces students in grades 6-12 to the wonders of underwater robotics by building and operating a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).
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Past Events

FIRST LEGO League

STEM at Sea Week 2010

LEGOs for Adults

Chill with the Family

FIRST Tech Challenge

CryoConn 2010: Teachers warmed up to winter science

Alaska Statewide Math and Science Conference comes to Juneau

SpringBoard Partners with New National Festival

2008 FIRST Lego League

Project FUN

 

STEM News

Science camp allows students to recreate underwater glider technology - Capital City Weekly, August 24, 2011

Kids learn chemistry through cooking KTOO News, August 11, 2011

Navy hosts underwater glider science camps Federal News Radio, August 2, 2011

Underwater Inventions - Juneau Empire, August 8, 2011

Kids Create Submarine Gliders (PDF) - Ketchikan Daily News, August 5, 2011

State of Alaska's capital budget funds two JEDC programs - JEDC, June 30, 2011

Sun to Sea Camp connects middle school students with scientists - Juneau Empire, June 18, 2011

Students Shadow Scientists at Sun to Sea Camp - KTOO, June 16, 2011

Robotics students successfully cap 'oil spill' - Juneau Empire, Feb 10, 2011

SeaPerch: Discovering the Beauty of Innovation (article from the National SeaPerch website)

Southeast students match minds in Robot Jamboree - Juneau Empire, Dec 12, 2010

Southeast Spotlight Report: LEGO Robotics 2010. Autonomous LEGO robots performed complex tasks at the FIRST Juneau Robot Jamboree KATH TV, Dec 11, 2010 [2:00]

Students design, construct robots to benefit science in Lego challenge - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Dec 10, 2010

'Lego League Challenge' gives students a chance to flex their robot skills - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Dec 9, 2010

An Iceberg Goes to Washington - Capital City Weekly, Nov 24 2010

Scientific American: U.S. Science & Engineering Festival culminates this weekend on the National Mall - Scientific American, Oct 2010

Mendenhall iceberg makes its way to Washington - Juneau Empire, Oct 5, 2010

JEDC sends ice berg to D.C. science fair - KTOO, October 4, 2010

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE GEARING UP - Juneau Empire, Sept 6, 2010

Discovering The Beauty Of Innovation - National SeaPerch Website, Sept 1, 2010

Flight Night - Juneau Empire, July 4, 2010

Taking Flight: Paper airplane record-holder shares his passion with Juneau - Capital City Weekly, June 28, 2010

Adults play with LEGOs in Juneau - Juneau Empire, June 27, 2010

Underwater investigation - Juneau Empire, June 15, 2010

JEDC announces 2010 Summer Science Camps - Capital City Weekly, March 24, 2010

Snow science expert visits Juneau - Juneau Empire, February 23, 2010

Robot builders shoot for high scores - Juneau Empire, February 16, 2010

Three high school teams to compete in FIRST Tech Challenge - Juneau Empire, February 14, 2010

Robot competition lets kids solve real problems - Anchorage Daily News, January 17, 2010

FIRST LEGO League robot competition returns to Anchorage - Juneau Empire, January 10, 2010

STEM Team Honored
Mary Hakala and Becca Parks of JEDC's SpringBoard/STEM educational programs will be honored as the Juneau School District's Outstanding Educational Professionals Outside the District for the 2008-09 school year at an award ceremony at Thunder Mountain High School on Friday, August 28.

JEDC Executive Director Brian Holst's "My Turn" on the economic implications of STEM educational programs Juneau Empire - October 16, 2009.

Sun to sea and everything in between - Capital City Weekly - July 29, 2009

Students explore atmospheric, marine science at camp - The Juneau Empire - July 27, 2009

Campers return from Glacier Bay, Baranof Island - The Juneau Empire - July 2, 2009

Hydro power camp wraps up with Snettisham tour - The Juneau Empire - June 23, 2009

Summer science lessons offered for high schoolers - The Cordova Times - June 4, 2009

Juneau is hot spot for summer science camps - Juneau Empire - May 31, 2009

Photos: Underwater robotics - Juneau Empire - May 19, 2009

STEM summer camps offer local kids opportunities to study local science - Capital City Weekly - May 2009

Council announces SeaPerch program - Juneau Empire - February 2009

Frozen Visions: NASA astrophysicist visits Juneau to present on local ice exhibit, 'Frision' Juneau Empire - January 25, 2009

Students learn by stealth in robotics competition: State robotics gets children excited about science ADN - January 2009

Lego League teams win in Juneau - Skagway News - November 2008

Summer "Programming" Builds Skills for Juneau Youth (PDF)
JEDC Offers Robotics Workshops for All Experience Levels

Alaska Is Site of Summer STEM Activities (PDF)

Summer science in Glacier Bay
Juneau Empire - July 2008

Alaska girls get a chance to rock the science world
Juneau Empire - July 2008 (see related photo)

Video gamers get worked
Juneau Empire - June 2008

out science ADN - January 2009

Lego League teams win in Juneau - Skagway News - November 2008

Summer "Programming" Builds Skills for Juneau Youth (PDF)
JEDC Offers Robotics Workshops for All Experience Levels

Alaska Is Site of Summer STEM Activities (PDF)

Summer science in Glacier Bay
Juneau Empire - July 2008

Alaska girls get a chance to rock the science world
Juneau Empire - July 2008 (see related photo)

Video gamers get worked
Juneau Empire - June 2008