Douglas County Partners for Student Success and the Umpqua Valley STEAM Hub are committed to connecting children, families and educators with resources to build the skills needed to identify problems and create solutions that lead to social and economic stability.
The Umpqua Valley STEAM Hub sits under the umbrella of DCPSS and offers an approach to teaching and lifelong learning that emphasizes the natural interconnectedness of five separate STEAM disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. This integrated approach to learning creates problem-solvers, innovators, critical thinkers and collaborative team players.
Our partnerships extend beyond our community and connect to a statewide movement known as STEM Oregon. STEM Oregon is a collaborative of 13 different STEM or STEAM Hubs that serve all youth of Oregon. A yearly event happens in May known as STEM or STEAM week. The mission of the week is to promote: Design, Invent, Inspire – to raise awareness, celebrate and engage in hands-on learning for all. The seventh annual event will take place May 8 – 16 and is free to participants.
This year, STEM Week Oregon is partnering with ReMake Learning Days, a national network that ignites engaging, relevant and equitable learning and brings national partners together to create hands-on learning for families and students in grades PreK – 12 throughout the spring.
STEM Week Oregon is actively recruiting hosts, activity leaders and participants. We are looking for ways to include multigenerational, diverse and underserved groups.
Any organization or individual hosting a public event during STEM Week may apply for Remake Learning Days mini-grant funding, totaling up to $250. Public events must be open to any and all participants (in-person or virtual), but may include event size limits. Public events that qualify for mini-grants include but are not limited to: academic clubs, arts organizations, community centers, early childhood learning centers, libraries, museums, non-government agencies, parks, post-secondary institutions, schools, science centers, etc. Mini-grant funding will be awarded on a rolling basis January 14 through May 1, 2021. Grant priority will be given to applicants that plan to engage underserved populations.
Activity leaders are welcome to base their projects on weekly challenge themes: Make it Monday, Take it Apart Tuesday, What are you Wondering Wednesday, Think about it Thursday: Field Trip Friday, Sounds and Shadows Saturday and Soaring Sunday. Some activity ideas could include: building a bridge of uncooked spaghetti to see how much weight it can hold; taking apart a clock to see how it works; creating musical instruments from balloons, rubber bands and containers. However, activities can extend beyond the suggested challenges.
Visit www.stemoregon.org/stemweek2021 to apply for a mini grant and/or to register your family, classroom, school, organization or yourself to host and lead a public or private event.
All entrants are eligible to win prizes donated by generous sponsors such as REI. The more activities planned means more chances to win. The mini-grants are only available to events that are open to the public.
Industry leaders are also invited to register and lead virtual or in-person tours of work sites.
Registered public (virtual and in-person) events with summaries of planned activities will be listed on the STEM Oregon calendar and online map with the dates and times. In the coming weeks, we will also share upcoming STEAM events that will occur locally during STEM Week Oregon, such as drive-thru events to provide socially-distanced options with lots of exciting activities for youth and their families. These events will be our annual STEAM Extravaganza with a new twist. We look forward to 2022 when we can be back on the UCC Campus in full swing. In the meantime, STEAM Thinking continues!
Please join us to promote STEAM Thinking and to support students and families with collaborative and innovative resources.
STEAM Resources
Umpqua Valley:
Douglas County Partners for Student Success and the Umpqua Valley STEAM Hub provides professional learning opportunities to educators and innovative solutions to promote STEAM Thinking such as a lending library and lesson plans: www.dcpss.org
Southern Oregon:
Talent Maker City is located in Talent, Oregon, a non-profit serving Southern Oregon to promote inclusive, creative and economic innovation: www.talentmakercity.org
Statewide:
STEM Oregon is a network of STEM Hubs throughout the state: www.stemoregon.org
Oregon Connections connects students with industry professionals who offer virtual field trips and trainings: https://oregonconnections.nepris.com/home/v4 *Find resources for students or present your industry to students.
National:
Remake Learning Days is a national network of partners that promotes innovative hands-on learning: www.remakelearningdays.org
Call to action:
Community centers, libraries, educators, child centers, cultural centers, nonprofits, business and industry leaders:
Apply for a mini grant and/or register your family, classroom, school, organization, business or yourself to host and lead a STEM Week Oregon event: https://stemoregon.org/stemweek2021
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