Crayons to Classrooms a Great Place to Volunteer

Crayons to Classroom is a non-profit organization that has been helping teachers out since 2009. “Since opening our doors in 2009, we have distributed more than $12M in school supplies to over 13,700 teachers,” said Steve Rubenstein, the Executive Director of Crayons to Classrooms. Teachers can shop in the store full of school supplies up to two times in one year completely free. Sometimes, teachers walk away with $500 worth of supplies without paying a single dime. There are also prizes as teacher’s check out. One prize includes an entire Yoobi box, which contains pens, pencils, markers, crayons, paper, etc. 

The organization started when a group of Dayton businesses got together and decided that the teachers in the Dayton area deserved to be helped. Since then, multiple volunteers, including myself, work to make sure teachers can come in, get what their classroom needs, and be able to teach classes efficiently. The store also has multiple partners, such as Kroger. Anyone is also able to drop off school supplies. “We have to process the product donations we receive every week and it takes a lot of “behind the scenes” work in order to get the merchandise on the store display shelves. Sometimes we receive full truckloads of donations! We have two full-time employees devoted to this task, in addition to all the volunteers needed to restock the store,” said Rubenstein. 

Katie Jones, a volunteer for Crayons to Classrooms, said, “I love volunteering there after school. It is a great environment, and I love seeing the teachers walking away with an entire cart full of supplies to help their students.” Students from all over can volunteer to help them out. They are very flexible with volunteer’s hours and when they are able to work. For example, I have multiple extracurricular activities and a part-time job, but they worked with me so that I can volunteer. 

If you are interested in volunteering or want to see what Crayons to Classrooms is, contact Michelle Koogler at M.Koogler@dc2c.org.

2017 Summer STEM Opportunities

It's the time of year when we begin hearing about many local, state, and national summer camp opportunities, particularly those involving STEM programming. Below is a compilation of the ones we have heard about. If you have additional opportunities to add to the list, please email Arch Grieve at arch.grieve@wright.edu.

Air Camp

Air Camp is proud to announce the following immersive STEM experiences for students and educators in 2017:

• Teacher Camps Serving Educators in the 14 County Dayton Region K-12: June 7-9 and June 12-14
•  Day Camps Serving Students entering Grades 4, 5, and 6: June 26-30 and July 17-21
• Residence Camps Serving Students entering Grades 7, 8, and 9: June 18-23, July 9-14, and July 23-28

All programs include STEM-affiliated immersive, hands-on experiences that are also aligned with STEM and career technology content standards. The overall objective of Air Camp, Inc. programming is to expand the number of students who pursue STEM education and career opportunities with an emphasis on skills related to scholarship, leadership, and citizenship.  

On-line applications will be accepted from February 1 through April 30 via the Air Camp, Inc. website at www.AirCampUSA.com. On the site you can also view an amazing YouTube video that features some of the highlights of our programming. Please visit the website or contact the Director of Operations at aircampdirector@gmail.com!

Dayton Regional STEM School

RASPBERRY PI CAMP

A "Raspberry Pi" is a credit card-sized computer designed for education.  Students will learn the basic input and outputs of a computer while building one of their very own.  The class will also include programming with Python fundamentals, which will allow students to build a fortune telling game to play with friends and family. This 3-day class will allow each student to build a Raspberry Pi to take home and keep!

The $60, non-refundable per student fee for the course includes:
A Raspberry Pi, an LED kit, keyboard, mouse, and coding knowledge
A DRSS Raspberry Pi T-Shirt
Lunch will be provided to all students each day

PLEASE NOTE:  Enrollment is limited to the first 20 students who enroll and pay.  If there is enough interest, we may offer a second Raspberry Pi Camp later in the summer.

Update: 4/4/17 (sold out!)

For additional details and to register, visit this secure website:  Raspberry Pi Camp Registration

Duke University

Duke University has both Summer College and Summer Academy programs available for students who will be in grades 10-12 for the 2017-18 school year. The application deadline is April 14th and there is a $50 application fee. Please visit http://summersession.duke.edu/high-school-students for more information.

 

Sinclair Community College - Women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Institute

The 2017 Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (WiSTEM) Institute is an amazing opportunity to learn about STEM fields. WiSTEM is open to girls who are entering grades 10-12. Learn more at http://www.sinclair.edu/academics/divisions/sme/k-12-outreach/women-in-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-wistem/

 

University of Dayton STEM Programming

Below are some local summer opportunities to help you explore your interests in STEM!

The University of Dayton has three exciting residential engineering camps available this summer. APPLY EARLY BECAUSE SPACE IS LIMITED!

• METEC: Minority Engineering and Technology Enrichment Camp for Young Men. Applicant must be a minority young man/senior in the fall of 2017 and have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Application deadline is May 18. Camp runs from June 18-24th ($200 covers everything).
• Women in Engineering Summer Camp: Open to young women entering grades 10-12 in the fall of 2017. Application deadline is June 1st. Camp runs from July 9-14th. ($700 covers everything) -
• Summer Honors Engineering Camp: Open to students entering the 10th-12th grades in the fall of 2017 who have a minimum of 3.5 GPA. Application deadline is June 1st. The camp runs from July 16-21st. ($700 covers everything)

*The METEC camp is offered at a reduced fee due to sponsorship, and need-based financial assistance is available for all three camps.  

For more information please visit:  

www.go.udayton.edu/metec  

www.go.udayton.edu/wie  

www.go.udayton.edu/engr/honors_camp 

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base 

STARBASE Wright-Patt and the National Museum of the United States Air Force is excited to offer the opportunity of 4 unique summer camps to ALL Greater Dayton Area 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Graders.

Camps will be held at the National Museum of the United States Air Force and at STARBASE Wright-Patt. Our June Camps will be for students that will be in 5th or 6th grade for the 2017-18 school year. Our July camps will be for students that will be in 7th or 8th grade for the 2017-18 school year.

Please see the attached announcements for complete information.

Interested registrants should apply through the link provided on wpafbstem.com

Sign-ups will begin on Tuesday, April 4 at 8:30 a.m. via the links provided at wpafbstem.com for STARBASE Summer Camps.

Adventures Await DRSS Students in Yosemite National Park

Beautiful scenery like this awaits students in Yosemite National Park.

By Chloe Johnson

STEMmersion is just around the corner. With only six weeks left until the school year ends, teachers are preparing for their STEMmersion courses. These courses are two-weeks of immersive study into subjects outside of regular school instruction. Students can participate in STEMmersion courses that are about topics ranging from cooking to engineering. This year, a new STEMmersion has been introduced. The Yosemite STEMmersion is where 25 middle schoolers and 25 high schoolers explore Yosemite National Park located in California for five days. The teachers accompanying the students during this STEMmersion are Mrs. Curran, the 7^th grade wellness & fitness teacher; Ms. Lydy, the 7^th and 8^th grade science teacher; Ms. Murakami, the 6^th grade STEM foundations and engineering teacher; Mr. Pant, the 9^th grade American history teacher; and Mr. Slone, the technology coordinator. This is the first time DRSS students have traveled to Yosemite as a STEMmersion.

Before students leave for Yosemite, they will have two field trips and participate in team building exercises. Some of these exercises will teach students how to pack their day pack, suitcase, and the TSA rules for flying with luggage. The purpose of the field trips is to teach students about the geology and hiking opportunities in Dayton. According to Ms. Curran, “there is a campaign through the National Park Service called “Find Your Parks,” and we are trying to make that kind of connection between our local area and Yosemite.”

DRSS students will experience the educational program through the national parks which is called Nature Bridge. According to Ms. Curran, “Nature Bridge has different programs that they offer in different national parks. In our trip to Yosemite, we are doing geology, water shed, climate change, ecology, and human history.” Before embarking on their journey through Yosemite with “its dramatic waterfalls, giant sequoias, abundant wildlife, and awe-inspiring cliffs,” according to Yosemite’s official website, the group will be flying into San Francisco. The students will spend the night in San Francisco and part of the next day. Then, it is a three and a half hour bus ride from San Francisco to Yosemite. In San Francisco, the students will be doing more sightseeing and not specific educational programming.

According to Ms. Curran, “I am most looking forward to the hiking in Yosemite just because I have never been to Yosemite or any of the National Parks out west.” Also, Ms. Curran hinted that the springtime is the best season to see the waterfalls because of all the snow packs melting. On the other hand, junior, Kyle Campbell said, “I am most looking forward to when it is nice and quiet to just listen to the animals.” In the interview, Ms. Curran also talked about what she believed students could look forward to during this STEMmersion. “I think it’s going to be the absolute natural beauty of a national park of that scope and size because it’s not something that we can replicate here in Ohio at all. I also hope that kids find that they can push themselves to do things that they never really thought were possible in terms of hiking and sleeping in platform tents that don’t have electricity or places to plug their phones in.” She hopes that students will be able to disconnect from modern technology and really find themselves in peace and quiet. Kyle Campbell stated, “I am mostly excited for the experience and learning more about nature.”

The educational program, Nature Bridge, will focus on climate change and its impact on the parks, the geology of Yosemite, ecology (different flora and fauna), and water shed. This is a really science based STEMmersion. The educational section of this STEMmersion will be taken care of by Nature Bridge. For exhibition night, students in this course will be showing off displays related to the concept “Find Your Parks.” The displays could focus on connections between Yosemite and Ohio parks, things they learned about themselves or parks. The students will even have the opportunity to use the Go Pros to take in depth pictures and videos of Yosemite. Ms. Curran stated, “Hope for good weather. The temperature will change during the day. It will be cool in the mornings.”  The Yosemite STEMmersion will definitely be an interesting course where students will be exploring the beauty of nature.

Kona Ice Truck Visits DRSS

Students enjoying Kona Ice

On Thursday, March 9, 2017, a lovely treat was brought to the Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS) when the Kona Ice Truck visited DRSS. 

The Kona products are dairy-free, gluten free, and peanut free. They also provide sugar-free options and dye-flavors upon request. The cost per cup ranges from $3-$5 depending on the size. The students voted on Schoology, a computer software that connects the students to their teachers, to choose where 25% of the proceeds would be donated to. The majority of the students decided to donate the funds to 4 Paws for Ability. 

Students donated $253.25 to 4 Paws for Ability

This organization “specializes in training and placing task-trained service dogs to enrich the lives of children with disabilities.” Also, some of the training dogs work with veterans who returned from recent tours and have lost their limbs or hearing while in active combat.

It is very expensive to teach and take care of a service dog. According to 4 Paws, “At 4 Paws for Ability, it costs at least $34,000 to train and place a service dog with a disabled child.” Also, according to 4 Paws, “The fee for a service dog is $17,000.” The money that has been raised due to this fundraiser will help change families’ lives who need it the most.

Furthermore, the students really enjoyed this event. For instance, McKenna Toler, a junior, stated, "It was fantastic,” and that she "would love to attend this event again." So would junior Katie Saine. She stated, “The flavors were very tasty. Of course, I would love to have this again. It was a really great idea, and it was nice to get outside and have a break. The fact it was going to charity made the experience even better.” 

We are so happy to have the amazing Key Club who set up this event. Maybe, this is the start of a new tradition for the years to come.

DRSS College & Career Fair Has Meaningful Impact on Students' Future Careers

By Maya Quale

KETTERING, OH - On Tuesday, March 14, 2017, the Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS) hosted its annual college and career fair, providing students the opportunity to explore various career options from 50 local colleges, businesses, governmental organizations, and non-profits.

Career fair is a unique opportunity that is provided to all students at DRSS. Wright State University Department of Biology Chair and DRSS Board President, Dr. David Goldstein, said, “I see a lot of first year college students who don’t have a lot of awareness of the options that are available to them. They know what field they want to go into, but they really don’t know the range of careers within those fields, and I think that’s the value of career fair; starting to open your mind to other careers.”

Gold Level Sponsors for the event this year included:

Production Control Units, Inc.

Sinclair Community College

University of Dayton School of Engineering

Wright State University College of Engineering and Computer Science

Wright State University College of Science & Mathematics

A representative from one of our gold level sponsors, PCU, said, “We are really excited about the STEM school and have been really impressed with the STEM school students. Everyone at PCU is always excited to work with students from the STEM school. I think Career Fair is a fantastic idea because it gives students an opportunity to see the different career fields, what education you need for those fields, and what opportunities are available in the Dayton area.”

The Silver Level Sponsors this year included:

App Architecture

Brown & Bills Architects

Eastman Kodak Company

Bronze Level Sponsors this year included:

Clark State Community College

The Dayton Section of the American Chemical Society

This year, Career Fair partner turnout was the largest in the school’s history, with 50 organizations participating, including:

American Chemical Society - Dayton Section

American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics - Dayton/Cincinnati Section

American Institute of Architects, Dayton Chapter

AIC College of Design

Air Force Research Laboratory

App Architecture

Boonshoft Museum of Discovery - Education Department

Boonshoft School of Medicine

Brady Ware & Company

Brown & Bills Architects

Central State University

Clark State Community College

Dayton Cooks!

Dayton Metro Library

Discovery Lab Global

Eastern Michigan University

Eastman Kodak

Emerson

FASTLANE - Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Five Rivers MetroParks
Fronana 

Kettering Recreation Department

LexisNexis Risk Solutions

MacAir Aviation

McGohanBrabender

Montgomery County Development Services

Ohio Air National Guard

Ohio EPA

Orbital ATK

Premier Health

Production Control Units, Inc.

Projects Unlimited, Inc.

Resonetics

Reynolds and Reynolds

Sinclair Community College

Solid Blend Technologies

U.S. Navy

University of Dayton - School of Engineering

Vectren

VFO 

WilmerHale LLP

Wright State University - College of Education & Human Services

Wright State University - College of Engineering & Computer Science

Wright State University - College of Liberal Arts Center for Liberal Arts Student Success (CLASS)

Wright State University - College of Science & Mathematics

Wright State University - College of Nursing & Health

Wright State University - Educational Resource Center

Wright State University - Office of Disability Services

Wright State University - Office of Undergraduate Recruitment

Wright State University - Urban Affairs & Geography/Master of Public Administration.

Students talk with representatives of LexisNexis Risk Solutions about the work they do right here in the Dayton region.

Career Fair is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn from experts in their career fields about what it takes to be successful. When asked about Career Fair from a middle school student’s perspective, Sara Riley, Class of 2022, said, “Career Fair a place where you could get a potential future job or learn more about a college, but it still seems pretty far off in the future to me. I think I want to be an engineer because I really enjoy designing and making things. Career Fair gives me the opportunity to wander around and see what Ohio has to offer.” 

Students had the opportunity to speak directly with representatives from the companies who participated.

Not only does it expose them to many different careers, it also allows students to build connections with industry professionals who could potentially serve as their internship site, a 72-hour graduation requirement. Career Fair is an exciting event that all students have the opportunity to partake in. Jillian Dascalos, Class of 2020, said “I think this helps [students] learn what colleges they’d like to attend. I, for example, don’t know, so I think that this will be really beneficial to me.” 

Students had assignments they had to complete during the event, but students also had plenty of time to simply talk with practicing professionals in a variety of different industries.

For the first time, DRSS alumni were able to continue exploring various career options as well. Career fair is just one of many examples as to how the Dayton Regional STEM School prepares students for the real world. DRSS Superintendent/Chief Administrative Officer Robin Fisher said, “Career Fair is another opportunity for our students to make connections with businesses and industries in the Dayton Region, helping our students be more prepared for their future choices and career. What’s different about our Career Fair is that we do it during the school day and take time from class because we feel it’s so important. On top of that, we also have an assignment that’s affiliated with the event, so students have an objective and mission. We also specifically target 6-12 grade students, not just high school students.” 

Many DRSS partners participated in the event, including Vectren, which powers the DRSS Engineering Career Tech Pathway.

Finally, thank you to all of our sponsors for participating in an event that prompts students to really assess their future career goals. For more pictures, please visit our Career Fair album on Facebook or search for #DRSSCareerFair2017 on social media!

Fisher-Strickland Chapter of National Junior Honor Society Inducts 2017 Members

The 2017 inductees and current NJHS members.

On Thursday, March 9, 2017, the DSSS chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), the Fisher-Strickland Chapter, inducted its new members for 2017. Eighth grade language arts and engineering teacher, Mandi Schultz, was the guest speaker for the night. Ms. Schultz explained to the students that they were the leaders of the school and serve as role models for their peers. "These students have done over 809 hours of community service collectively and 78 A's as a group, which is very impressive," explained Ms. Schultz.

Mrs. Murakami then explained the selection process the students went through in order to receive an invitation to join. The process included having straight A's, as well as demonstrated service and leadership characteristics.

The following students were inducted by Superintendent Fisher:
8th Grade: Riana Chen, Kyle Eskew, Avi Patel
7th Grade: Ben Hughes, Chloe Kuntz, Madalein Logan, Ally Miller, Rebekkah Mobley, David Noel, Rilo Oberg, John Wright

Principal Strickland closed the evening by congratulating the students on their achievements and invited them to celebrate their achievements with their families.

Congratulations to all of our students, and we look forward to seeing what you do during the course of your time at DRSS and beyond!

The following pictures from the event were taken by Pooja Shirahatti.

 

Students Shine a Light on Slavery

Mollie Emrick, one of the End It Movement organizers, stands next to the sign advertising "Shine a Light on Slavery Day"

By Chloe Johnson

March 2, 2017

Life is full of important movements for change and freedom. Several ninth graders have made it their mission to create awareness in the DRSS community about the hidden world of modern day slavery. According to a CNN article, in January of 2015, “The second annual edition of the Walk Free Foundation's Global Slavery Index has found that globally, almost 36 million people are subject to modern slavery.”  

These statistics may have changed in the past several years. However, the problem is still out there. The End It Movement is an organization that holds an event every year to continue the conversation about how to prevent human trafficking. According to Mollie Emrick, a ninth grader who is promoting this organization, stated, “We noticed that a lot of people at our school didn’t know about it. We wanted to raise awareness to show that modern day slavery still exists.”

The significant feature of the event is the red X. People wear the red X on their hands to show their support for victims of human trafficking. Specifically, this event was on February 23, 2017, but the students commemorated it on March 2nd. Mollie stated, “They mostly wear red Xs, and they also sell clothes that are not made with the use of slavery. It has the name of the person who made the shirt on it.”  People from every country are being taken and forced into this world of uncertainty. Even close to home, there have been several reports about human trafficking being a huge problem near the I-75 and I-70 intersection.

Instead of calling this day the name of the organization, the students decided to call this event, “Shine a Light on Slavery Day.” The students made announcements, stating facts about what is happening in the hidden realm of slavery each day. Also, they encouraged students to wear red and showed statistics about modern-day slavery on the TVs located around the school.

Mollie stated, “The first step to action is awareness.” The group of ninth graders who assisted with this project include: Mollie Emrick, Kylie Sauer, Emily Ritchie, Kimberly Branham, and AJ Davis. It is inspiring to see DRSS students starting conversations about subjects that truly are not talked about enough.

Students Connect with Mostar Counterparts in International Internship Exchange

Students "hangout" (via Google) with their counterparts in Bosnia & Herzegovina in preparation for international internship exchange.

By Bri Perkins

In May of 2017, five students who currently attend (or have attended) the Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS) will be participating in an international internship experience in Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) this summer.

The five students are Victoria Cockrell, Gloria Campos, Bri Perkins, Austin Davis, and DRSS alumna Bethany Wilson. These students are a mix of DRSS sophomores and juniors, and Bethany is a freshman at Sinclair Community College, having graduated from DRSS in 2016. 

The students who are attending are excited about the internship. “I’m most excited about the entire thing. It is going to be really cool to go out of the country with my friends from school and gain a new experience. It will also be interesting to live in someone else’s house who are native to the country,” says Gloria Campos, a junior at DRSS. Other students, such as Bethany Wilson are “excited about furthering my education in CNC machining and leaving North America for the first time.” During the internship, students will get the chance to work with INTERA Technology Park (while in BiH) and The Entrepreneurs Center (in Dayton) to discover more about entrepreneurship and even more possibilities. For example, Victoria Cockrell might get the chance to visit a local marketing agency while in BiH.

Not only are American students getting to go to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but Bosnian and Herzegovinian students are also getting to come to Dayton. They will be staying in some of the American students’ homes, just as we will be staying in some of their homes. This allows for students from both countries to fully immerse themselves in the other culture. 

Recently, students from both the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina got the chance to meet each other via Google Hangout. The two student groups talked about what they want to do in each other’s countries, their favorite hobbies, and even their favorite colors. This was the first time the students have had the chance to meet each other. Mateo Cubela, a Bosnian and Herzegovinian student, said, “I am looking forward to going to the World A'Fair [in Dayton].” While both American and Bosnian students are in America, they hope to do things together, such as visiting the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Editor's Note: If you are interested in helping to sponsor a trip for the visiting students from BiH during their stay in Dayton, please contact DRSS Community Outreach Director, Arch Grieve, at arch.grieve@wright.edu.

Students Have a Blast at 7th Grade Social

Students gearing up for some games during the 7th Grade Social

By Katie Jones

Last week, on the 24^th of February, the Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS), held a social for the 7^th graders of DRSS. The social was a reward for the 7^th graders because they submitted the most ACE nominations during the 1^st semester. ACE nominations are nominations for any student or teacher who has displayed positive character. For every 50 ACE nominations a grade level submits, they receive special incentives. Examples include a theme day such as Hat Day, lunch time movie, and a special treat at lunch.

Along with these incentives, there is also the DRSS ACE Challenge. The grade level that submits the most ACE Nominations receives a large grade level incentive at the end of 1st and 2nd semester. Scores are kept track of and posted on the TV screens for students to see. There are a few rewards for winning this challenge. Similar to the prizes offered for submitting 50 ACE nominations, these include treats at lunch. There is also the possibility of having a pizza party, afterschool fun night, outside game day, grade level assembly, or a grade level talent show. In this case, the 7^th graders had a social. 

Students had fun playing a variety of games, including Jenga!

At the social, there were a variety of activities for the students to do. Video games were projected onto the walls to play, ranging from Pokémon themed to racecar driving. There were also board games that could be played, including Apples to Apples, Jenga, and other card games. Some of these games were played by a mix of 7^th graders and the volunteers for the social. 

Students played video games on the walls of the school too!

But the game that most people were excited for was the dodgeball game in the fitness classroom. In total, there were 6 different teams. Each team played against a different team, with the winners going on to the next round. The overall winners were a group of seventh-grade boys.

In addition to games, the cafeteria was made into a dance space. The parent of one of DRSS’ students volunteered as DJ, keeping those who wanted to dance entertained with upbeat music. Food was also provided in the form of pizza, chips, and an assortment of soft drinks.

Overall, the social was success, and definitely an incentive for the rest of the grade levels to keep submitting ACE nominations.