The 2022 Girls Take Flight drone program started in January with kick off celebrations at local high schools and Spring Drone Camp. This October, another cohort of high school Juniors and Seniors acquired their FAA 107 Remote Pilot Certification. Since 2019, 34 young women have become certified drone pilots through Girls Take Flight.
Conservation Science Curriculum at EIS
This summer, EIS Program Coordinator Robyn Carlson attended a Teacher Workshop in Conservation Science at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Through this professional development training, Robyn learned the curriculum to teach middle school students all about saving endangered species, such as Rhinos, Condors, Polar Bears, and the Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog.
While at the Safari Park, Robyn also got the chance to explore the Asian and African Savannah habitats on a private twilight safari tour, as well as go behind the scenes to places seldom seen by the public. She got to visit the Frozen Zoo, where the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has over 10,000 collected specimens from endangered and even extinct species that they hope to use in the future to save species from extinction.
Robyn also got a chance to tour the Okapi Barn and the Rhino Rescue Center to see both of these magnificent creatures up close. Robyn has taken her knowledge gained at this workshop and is applying it to EIS’ newest partnership with Millennial Tech Middle School, where she is teaching approximately 60 sixth graders all about Conservation Science. So far, her students have learned what it takes to be a field biologist and fight extinction!
Native Americans in STEM: Dr. Lydia Jennings
Happy Native American History Month, aka American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month!
Meet Dr. Lydia Jennings, a Huichol and Pascua Yaqui-American. Dr. Jennings, Ph.D. is a microbiologist (the study of soil) and environmental scientist. Her work also includes American Indian Policy, land stewardship, and the reclamation of mining waste.
She collaborates with other STEM professionals to create hands-on activities with soil to teach about environmental science. You can download a soil line art activity from her website at https://nativesoilnerd.com/soil-funtivites. Her community outreach in science comes from her belief that science should be accessible to everyone.
She earned her B.S. at CSU Monterey Bay and her Ph.D. at the University of Arizona. Dr. Jennings has won numerous awards such as the 2022 Data Science Institute Data Science Fellow and the 2015 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.
The Mathemagician Homework Club Return October 1st!
If you would like to participate, email info@mathemagiciansclub.com. Include your email, your child’s grade, and math concepts they are working on (or share an attachment of their homework). Mentors will offer help, more practice problems or worksheets. This includes SAT math help as well. They will monitor this email daily so you don’t have to wait until Saturday to ask for help.
The Mathemagicians App is here! In addition to joining the Mathemagicians every Saturday for math tutoring, students can now practice math on the new app. It’s available for free at the “Apple App Store” for download. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mathemagicians/id1557607923
Have you participated in programs or volunteered at the Elementary Institute of Science?
Whether you’re still in high school, college, working or retired, we want to know what you’ve been up to and if you have thoughts about any impact EIS had on your life or career. Please send an email to our Development Assistant, Leah Oviedo at loviedo@eisca.org.
EIS alumni are invited to join our official group to reconnect and stay updated on future reunions. Facebook.com/groups/AlumniConnectEIS