Get Ready for the San Diego Science Festival in April
The 2009 San Diego Science Festival is the first and largest celebration of its kind on the West Coast. Celebrating this year's theme, "The Science of You," the festival will provide more than 500 free and entertaining science outreach activities to greater San Diego County throughout the month of March. Programs include on-site activities at local schools, once-in-a-lifetime field trips, and science workshops at local businesses and research facilities suitable for all ages. The Festival concludes with Expo Day, a day-long celebration in Balboa Park on Saturday April 4, 2009. On Expo Day, science takes over the museums, cultural centers, and the central corridor of Balboa Park with over 300 hands-on activities, demonstrations, experiments, contests, and performances. San Diego Science Festival is a collaboration of over 100 leading science organizations and is facilitated by BioBridge, a program of UC San Diego.Visit the official SDSF website for more information on our sponsors, our events and ways you can get involved: www.sdsciencefestival.com.
Real World Examples Needed to help Students
The Education Trust-West estimates that one in three students in California drop out of high school. In San Diego, an estimated 40 percent of students drop out. In a report conducted for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, students reported the main reasons why they dropped out of school: 47 percent reported classes weren't interesting. When asked what would have kept them in school: 81 percent called for more "real world" learning opportunities.
The Science Education Speakers Bureau is an innovative program that matches industry professionals from business, research and higher education with K-12 classroom volunteer teaching and speaking opportunities. We have identified the first lessons that we will take into 7th grade middle school classrooms. We could use your help coming up with some real world examples specific to the life science industry here in San Diego.
If you are interested in helping out please email Kristie Grover kgrover@biocom.org with examples for the concepts below.
Lesson #1
Concept: All cells (plant, animal, bacteria) have DNA, DNA can be extracted. DNA is the same in all cells, it's the order of base pairs that makes things look different.Students will extract DNA. Definitely from wheat germ, and also from other things (strawberries, cheek cells) if available.
"Real Life Application"- How do scientists use this sort of information? Provide any examples- the more specific, the better. Or if you know of a particular website that provides an example, please email Kristie Grover kgrover@biocom.org.
Lesson #6
Concept: Genotype/phenotype and patterns of inheritance.
Students will test themselves and their families for ability to taste PTC (a dominant trait)
"Real Life Application"- How do scientists use this sort of information? Provide any examples- the more specific, the better. Or if you know of a particular website that provides an example, please email Kristie Grover kgrover@biocom.org.
Lesson #11
Concept: Levers in the body.
Students will take measurements of several mammalian jaws, and calculate the mechanical advantage at the molar and incisor.
"Real Life Application"- How do scientists use this sort of information? Provide any examples- the more specific, the better. Or if you know of a particular website that provides an example, please email Kristie Grover kgrover@biocom.org.
SDSU Offers Advanced Programs in Regulatory Affairs and Information Technology
Professional Science Master's (PSM) programs have been identified as among the best and most industry aligned graduate programs in the nation. California leads the country in PSM programs in the life sciences. Now, these programs are being made available online (a) for current and prospective employees of life science companies and (b) for individuals leaving active military duty who have strong backgrounds in science and technology. Two new online programs are beginning in the spring, with the first courses starting on March 23:
Regulatory Affairs 601-The Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, and Medical Devices Industries
http://www.neverstoplearning.net/regulatoryaffairsindustry.html
Computational Sciences 601-Business Skills for the Information Age
http://www.neverstoplearning.net/compscienceindustry.html
These courses can be taken alone or as part of a Certificate or Science Master's program. They are well-suited to meeting internal training needs, and the web sites provide information about them for interested individuals and for Human Resources staff and Division heads.
Paid Interns for the Summer
NSF MESA Summer Team needs companies to participate in their internship program. The STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP) Partnership of San Diego (SPSD) was awarded a 1.9 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help increase the number of Science and Engineering graduates getting a baccalaureate degree. This grant will provide stipends of $1,250 to 36 student interns for 100 internship hours each, this summer. They would like to pay their students to work for you! That's right! Each intern can do 100 hours of FREE work for you this summer 2009!
The program is currently identifying the top MESA students from San Diego State, Southwestern College, and City College who will participate in this year's summer internship program. The students will be ready to begin working immediately at your company around late May or early June 2009. Each company can also have complete control over the hiring process, reviewing resumes, interviewing, and making an offer. Please contact Angeline Villanueva Yang at ayang@projects.sdsu.edu to identify your company's interest and to receive program developments and updates.