Series 4 Episode 4: STEM 2023 in Review and Plans for 2024 - In the fourth episode of Series 4 we will be looking at the biggest news articles in science (India's Rover) & (NASA's Bennu Program via Smithsonian), Technology (ht(AI Innovation via Smithsonian), and Engineering (Uht(US Fusion Engineering via CNN)lcompleting three summer engineering challenges students can complete and share at home. In the news we will be discussing engineering wonders from the United States.

Libraries, Museums, Parks and other STEM Programs - In the third episode we will be discussing free and low cost STEM programs and activities for children. In the news we will be discussing informal science activities for children in Canada (click here). You can find information on Canada's Live-it Program here as well (https://liveit.earth/).

Series 4 Episode 2: Finding STEM in Nature: In Episode 2 of our fourth series we are going to explore STEM activities students can easily complete in backyards, local parks, and other common outdoor settings. We will be connecting our outdoor adventures in nature to science journals and other writing/drasing activities. In the news we will be talking about Audubon Bird Count (click here) and UK's Big School's Birdwatch 2024 (click here).

Series 4 Episode 1: A Summer of STEM Explorations - In the first episode of our fourth series we will be exploring summer STEM activities that teachers and students can complete on their own or with family and friends over the summer. You can download the 2023 Summer STEM bookmark by clicking the link (bookmark) on our homepage. In the news we will be looking at summer gaps and opportunities for student learning (UK Report on Education Recovery): (Podcast S4-E1 Coming Soon)

Series 3 Episode 4: Multicultural STEM with Seeds from All Around the World - In the fourth episode of Series 3 we will be examining multiculturally inclusive gardens that can be cooperatively designed by diverse students and their families working in partnership with teachers and other garden experts. Our discussion will be based on a recent capstone project by Allegra Watson at the University of California, Davis (click here). In the news we will be discussing indigenous and First Nations garden projects from Canada (click here) and Australia (click here).

In the third episode we will be discussing Exceptional STEM ideas and practices for students in special education as it relates to learning about plants and gardens. In the news we will be discussing a special school garden project from England (click here). The Lane County School Garden Resource (click here) on the benefits and challenges of exceptional gardening will be explored as well.

In Episode 2 of our third series we are going to explore common misconceptions 5, 10 and 15 year olds have about plants and food systems. In the news we will be discussing research on protecting agricultural biodiversity (click here) and the use of drones and robotics in agriculture (click here). We will also be discussing the value of school gardens in K-12 education.

In the first episode of our third series we will be exploring STEM education as it relates to seeds, school/community gardens and partnerships with farms and other food producers in STEM. Starting with simple window seed solariums that are easily constructed (see photo on website for example), we will be discussing some of the diverse school gardens and programs from New Zealand (click here) and the Southwestern United States (click here) in the news.

Series 3 (Bonus Episode): Earth Day Special Edition of (STEM)2 - What are the Mid Century Challenges and Opportunities in K-12 STEM Education? - In the first bonus episode of Series 3 we will be exploring STEM news and events related to Earth Day celebrated around the world. We will be revisiting a landmark study in education from the United States: A Nation at Risk in environmental contexts and looking at six midcentury challenges in STEM education as listed by AI. You can learn more about Earth Day events and the history of this world wide celebration at www.earthday.org. The article we discuss in this article by Hammond-Todd and Monk can be found at this link: article.

In the second bonus episode of Series 2 we will be looking at ChatGPT (click here for link to program) and whether or not it is useful in science museums, nature centres, and other informal STEM learning programs. More specifically, we focus how ChatGPT might operate as a digital assistant in teaming and finding important educational linkages between formal and informal science education. In the news we share a recent article on generative AI research by Dr. Grant Cooper (article).