Celebrate National Robotics Week
HighlightIt’s engineering, and it’s programming, and it’s inspiring—it’s National Robotics Week! From April 6–14, there will be in-person and virtual events for students from preschool to college age to introduce and celebrate robotics and STEM-related learning. Since 2010, the organizers of National Robotics Week (RoboWeek) have promoted events, activities, and media designed to showcase the wide variety of robots and their many real-world applications
Celebrate Women's History Month
HighlightMarch is Women’s History Month, and this year’s theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.” No one exemplifies this better than the women of STELAR and the women who work on the hundreds of ITEST projects STELAR has supported since 2003. “Strategies for equity in STEM education” is one of the pillars of ITEST, and ensuring equitable STEM education for young women and girls has been the goal of many ITEST projects. (See
Celebrate Black History Month
HighlightFebruary is Black History Month, when we honor and celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of some great champions of STEM—“Hidden Figures” who are hidden no more. We also celebrate by carrying their legacy forward into the future. A central goal of the NSF-ITEST program is to broaden participation in STEM fields by students from traditionally underrepresented and historically marginalized groups. Over the years, ITEST projects have
Computer Science Education Week
HighlightNative American Heritage Month
HighlightNovember is National Native American Heritage Month, which is observed through many special events presented by the Library of Congress, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, and other Federal agencies and national organizations. It’s a time to learn about the cultural values and knowledge of indigenous people and to recognize their contributions to society. The NSF is another agency that recognizes the
Dark Matter
HighlightArtificial Intelligence
HighlightSince the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, national interest in artificial intelligence (AI) tools and applications has skyrocketed. Five days after the release, it reached a million users; and by March 2023 the website reached the billion visits. Questions sparked on how to incorporate the use of AI in schools, if at all. While AI was already quotidian before November 2022, the acceleration of advancements in machine learning, generative AI
Black History Month 2023
HighlightBlack History Month is a time to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of Black individuals and to ensure that Black history is accessible to all.
ITEST Projects Inspire Students Through Mentorship
HighlightDid you know 55% of young adults with a mentor are less likely to skip school?
Celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month
HighlightIn 1945, in an effort to educate the public on issues relating to disability and employment, the government declared the 1st week of October as “National Employ the physically Handicapped Week.” In 1962, the word “physically” was dropped to include individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, it was expanded from one week to a full month and changed to National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NEDEAM). The theme for NDEAM 2022,