iON Future: Exactly What STEM Needed

Every day, professionals in STEM careers help people get better, discover new things, save the planet, build the future, solve mysteries and play with some very neat tools. Makes you wonder why getting today's youth involved in STEM can be so difficult sometimes.  Well say hello to Change the Equation's iON Future: The STEM Exploration Game!

iON Future lets you explore STEM careers, identify the ones that best match your interests and then play your way to your dream STEM future. Can you say genius?! What kid doesn't enjoy a good, engaging computer game these days. I know I can't think of one. Combining iON Future with all the other platforms designed to ignite excitement in students about STEM, the United States is moving in the right direction.

iON Future dispels notions that STEM embodies the traditional science, technology, engineering and math careers that so many students find daunting and boring. In fact, the site includes careers like 3D animator, athletic trainer, automotive designer, librarian and science reporter. Any child can find something they're interested in and then discover how it relates to STEM. It's exactly what STEM education needed to supplement classroom efforts.

Check out the website, create an account with your child or play as a guest - you may even learn something new!

Resources for Women in STEM

By now, just about everyone who's anyone has reported on the low percentage of women in STEM career fields. In 2011, the Economics & Statistics Administration found that less than 25 percent of STEM jobs are held by women, even though they make up more than half of the workforce and college degrees in the nation. 

The United State can no longer deny that a glass ceiling is looming over these industries and that men and women are like are doing their best to throw stones at it. I won't discount the progress that has been made over the past few decades, but I will say that more efforts need to be made to ensure a more equitable place for women in these traditionally male-dominated industries. This ideal is something that these 40 essentials share!

Check out 40 Important Online Resources for Women in STEM!

Energy Research in Front of K-12 Classrooms

Grad students from the University of Nevada, Reno are working with middle school and high school students this fall to present their energy-related science and engineering research to students. What better way to get students interested and involved than bringing the research to the front of their classroom?!

With a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation, students from the College of Engineering will be going above and beyond most traditional graduate school requirements by providing valuable training in teaching, mentoring and communicating science and technology to local schools. The innovative curriculum that engages K-12 teachers and students in STEM is supported by NSF's "Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education" program.

Like so many other programs being implemented recently, this three-year program is meant to inspire interest in STEM. Through inquiry and project based activities, graduate students and the schools they team up with will encourage middle school and high school students to ask questions that lead them to their own discovery of knowledge and exploration of science. I mean, can it get any better? We need programs like this funded everywhere.

This semester, the energy fellows are working on energy-efficient micro-vehicles, flight dynamics and trajectory planning of descent vehicles and earthquake and structural engineering. Research topics brought to middle school and high school students include energy harvesting using smart materials, nanomaterials for photovoltaics, hydrogen energy and storage, biomass and biofuels, geothermal, wind energy and efficient power grid systems. 

Part of the program: a traveling energy science/technology lab, the E-Mobile! The mobile lab will be outfitted with energy-related demonstrations, exhibits and hands-on projects to excite students and the community about engineering. Find out more about the partnership between the University of Nevada, Reno and Washoe County School District here.