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Patriots’ Path Council STEM Newsletter
April 2015
STEM NEWS
STEM Leaders Honored
Committee member Kevin Alton and Kean University President
Dawood Farahi recognized for their contributions to STEM
Upcoming STEM
Events
STEM Monthly Lecture Series
Kevin Alton – Exoplanet Research in
the Milky Way
May 22 from 7:00-9:00
Council Service Center
Tradeshow of Scouting
Come visit our booth
June 1 from 5:45-9:00
Birchwood Manor, Whippany
STEM University
June 6 at Kean University
Patriots’
Path
Council
recently recognized Kevin
Alton and President Farahi at
the second annual STEM
Dinner.
In his speech,
President Farahi spoke about
the importance of STEM
education.
In his speech
President Farahi also spoke
about their recent opening of
a Kean campus in China. He
invited sixteen Scouts from
our council to be his personal
guests on the China campus.
Additionally,
President
Farahi announced he would
be giving a full scholarship
to Kean University to a Scout
in Patriots’ Path Council.
Stay
tuned
for
more
information!
STEM Institute
July 6 – August 14
“All adventures, especially into new territory,
are scary” –Sally Ride
Join us for the first STEM University
Join us on June 6 at Kean University for the first ever
Boy Scout STEM University. Scouts who attend will
work on requirements for the Shoot! Nova Award.
Additionally, participants will have rare access to the
various Kean University STEM facilities including the
Kean Planetarium and “the cave” – a 3-D virtual
environment that allows participants to experience
scientific research in a whole new way. Since this is
the first time this event will be held, there will only be
50 slots available. For more information please see
www.ppbsa.org
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April 2015
Patriots’ Path Council STEM Newsletter
Summer STEM Institute
Neil Armstrong.
Marie Curie.
Alexander Graham Bell.
Before they changed the world, they played. They let
their curiosity loose. They explored their world.
At the Summer STEM Institute (SSI), boys and girls
have the ability to do just that. Work in teams, meet
new friends and perform hands-on experiments that
make science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) come alive.
The SSI program has been designed and vetted by
STEM educators and professionals to be fun and
age-appropriate. Hands-on activities help students
learn the academic concepts behind the experiments.
We have a staff to student ratio of 1:4 and there is a
maximum of 40 students per week. The Summer
STEM Institute is located at Patriots’ Path Council, 1
Saddle Road, Cedar Knolls. The program operates
in six weekly sessions (July 6 – July 10, July 13 – July
17, July 20 – July 24, July 27 – July 31, August 3 –
August 7, August 10 – August 14). The STEM
program runs Monday to Friday from 8:30 am until
5:00 pm. Before care and after care is offered
beginning at 7:00 am and ending at 6:00 pm.
For
more
information
http://www.ssi.ppbsa.org/index.htm
go
STEM Nova and Supernova Awards
The Boy Scouts of America developed the
Nova Awards program to excite and
expand a sense of wonder in our Scouts.
By working with an adult counselor or
mentor, the various modules allow them
to explore the basic principles of STEM
and discover how fun and fascinating
STEM can be. For more information about
STEM and the Nova Awards program,
visit www.scouting.org/stem. Discover
how the Nova
Awards program
helps youth be
"Prepared.
For
Life."
Each award covers
one component of
STEM—science,
technology,
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engineering, or mathematics.
Nova awards are available to Cub Scouts,
Boy Scouts, and Venture Scouts.
The Supernova awards have more rigorous
requirements than the Nova awards. The
requirements and activities were designed to
motivate youth and recognize more in-depth,
advanced
achievement
in
STEM-related
activities.
Patriots’ Path Council is proud to have 21
Supernova recipients. For a list of those Scouts
and
their
units
please
visit:
programs.ppbsa.org/stem/Supernova_awarde
es.html
to
Patriots’ Path Council STEM Newsletter
April 2015
Some information about the STEM committee
Patriots' Path Council has begun local implementation of BSA’s STEM Nova program. “STEM” is a rather
universal acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Across America various STEM
initiatives focus on enhancing STEM education and improving our youth’s competitiveness in areas that are
projected to have both employment and interesting challenges that benefit the nation.
STEM is part of an initiative the Boy Scouts of America has taken on to encourage the natural curiosity of
youth members and their sense of wonder about these fields through existing programs. From archery to
welding, Scouts can't help but enjoy the wide range of STEM-related activities. To support this initiative,
the BSA developed the Nova Awards program so that youth members have fun and receive recognition for
their efforts.
For more information about STEM in Patriots’ Path Council please visit: programs.ppbsa.org/stem/
If you would like to get involved with STEM programs within the council or know someone who might be
interested, please contact Brian Vohden, STEM committee chairman at brianvohden@popejohn.org .
STEM Lecture Series
Interested in Astronomy?
Kevin B. Alton, an avid amateur astronomer whose own scientific studies were
recently featured in NewsWorks
(http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/thepulse/item/78507-working-fromtheir-couches-amateur-astronomers-make-real-scientific-contributions) will be
discussing “The Current Status of Exoplanet Research in the Milky Way”. Thanks
to the Kepler space telescope, the discovery of planetary systems orbiting other
stars has enjoyed an explosive growth over the past six years. To date
astronomers have confirmed the existence of over 1500 exoplanets, some of which
orbit their host sun in a so-called Goldilocks zone that is “not too hot or too
cold”. The potential presence of liquid water has far reaching implications
regarding the habitability of alien life forms. Please join Kevin at 7:00 PM on May
22 in the Patriot’s Path Council Meeting Room and together we can explore this
most exciting field of study that may lead to the discovery of life in another star
system within the next decade.
All scouts and scouters are welcome. Suggested age is 15 or older. Adult leaders are welcome. 3