Bear Essential News January 2023, Phoenix Edition

News Highlights

SciTech Festival— Gears for the Future!

Get in on the fabulous futuristic fun as the Arizona SciTech Festival kicks off its 2023 STEM events at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale on Jan. 21 & 22.

This is the dozenth year of the SciTech Festival and its second year kicking things off on the worldfamous auction block with Barrett-Jackson, where millions of dollars worth of collectible cars are sold. Arizona SciTech has an entire concourse surrounding dozens of these dream cars. But with huge INNOVATIONS in transportation, SciTech’s theme at the auction is “Gearing for the Future.”

There will be dozens of Science, Tech, Engineering and Math-related booths you can be INSPIRED by, plus a SciTech stage where prizes will be awarded and interesting people will share their STEM stories. Much of SciTech’s focus at Barrett-Jackson will be on opportunities right here in Arizona in the booming industry of electric vehicles!

“This year we launch Gearing for the Future’ along with the Barrett-Jackson community at WestWorld in Scottsdale,” explains Kelly Green, Chief Operating fficer for SciTech. “We’re teaming up the goal is to focus on the future of automotive engineers and technicians.”

Green is thrilled that our state is a hub for the

blossoming field. “The future of electric vehicles is here, and it’s especially here in Arizona with Nikola trucks, all of the semiconductor industry here, the data centers to store all that information on your vehicle.

It’s really amazing,” she emphasizes. Companies like Lucid Motors, Ford, Blue Origin Aerospace and the University of Advancing Technology will have exhibits. Kids 12 and under get in free with a paying adult as part of the auction’s Family Day on Saturday, Jan. 21.

The SciTech Festival has more than 2,000 events happening now through March throughout Arizona. Like last year, the festival is doing a hybrid model that includes in-person and online events. The festival is for those from 3 to 103. For a list of AZ SciTech events in your area go to AZSciTech.com.

Freezing Weather Brings Tragedy to the US

Winter Storm Elliot brought hazardous weather and chaotic conditions to much of the United States just days before Christmas.

The winter storm brought blizzard conditions to several states, as well as strong winds and brutally cold temperatures to the majority of the country. The conditions were severe enough that Elliot became a BOMB CYCLONE!

More than 200 million people were under some sort of warning or advisory due to the storm, including blizzard and winter storm warnings. The coldest temperature on Dec. 22 in the continental United States was recorded in Elk Park, Montana. It hit -50°F with a wind chill of -74°!

The storm knocked out power to about 1.7 million people, and several power companies created rolling blackouts to reduce energy demands. Holiday travel was also affected, with about 12,000 flights cancelled due to bomb cyclone.

Sadly, at least 64 people lost their lives due to the storm. People died in 13 states, and the majority of

the fatalities were reported from Erie County, New York, which includes Buffalo. The city is no stranger to heavy snow and FRIGID temperatures, but this storm brought hurricane-force winds and whiteout conditions.

Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer described it as “one of the most extensive, most intense blizzards I’ve ever covered.” For comparison, Buffalo officially received more than 100 inches of snow by the end of December 2022. The city’s seasonal average for the entire winter is 95.4 inches. Wildlife across the country was also impacted by the cold and wind. Wildlife rescues in several states saved cold-stunned turtles during the storm. If ocean temperatures drop, sea turtles can become hypothermic and semi-conscious, causing them to float, defenseless to predators or oncoming boats. Fortunately, in South Texas, more than 150 of the turtles were released back into the wild the week after the storm once temperatures warmed up enough for them to safely return home!

Huge Meteorite Has Two New Minerals

Have you ever heard of elaliite and elkinstantonite?

ou’re certainly not alone if you haven’t because they were just recently discovered on Earth! Scientists IDENTIFIED two minerals that have never been seen on our planet from a slice of meteorite that was discovered in Somalia in 2020. The meteorite, weighing in at 33,510 pounds, is the ninth-largest meteorite ever found!

The two new minerals were found in a small slice of the meteorite that was sent to the University of Alberta for study and classification. There is a third potential mineral being considered as well. Chris Herd, a professor in the Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences and curator of the

NEW MINERAL FACTS:

• Location of discovery: Somalia

• Year meteorite found: 2020

• Weight of meteorite: 33,510 pounds

Credit: University of Alberta

University of Alberta’s Meteorite Collection, believes that more new minerals might be found in additional samples of the meteorite!

“Whenever you find a new mineral, it means that the actual GEOLOGICAL conditions, the chemistry of the rock, was different than what’s been found before,” says Herd. “That’s what makes this exciting: In this particular meteorite you have two officially described minerals that are new to science.”

Elaliite gets its name from the meteorite itself, which is called the “El Ali” meteorite, because it was found near the town of El Ali.

The other mineral, elkinstantonite, is named after Lindy Elkins-Tanton, vice president of ASU’s Interplanetary Initiative. Herd said that Elkins-Tanton has done a lot of work in the field and it made sense to recognize her contributions.

Andrew Locock, head of the University of Alberta’s Electron Microprobe Laboratory, was brought in to help analyze the sample from the meteorite. Herd said Locock’s rapid identification was possible in this case because the minerals were previously synthetically created, meaning scientists have created the minerals in a lab before. This meant that Locock was able to match the composition of the newly discovered natural minerals with the human-made minerals scientists had already created.

Photo: David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Boomer Bear and Nova watch the robot parade.

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Morris Loves the Magic of Theater

by Reporter Georgiana Readhead, Homeschool

I sat down with Tanner Morris to talk about his theater experience and the recent production he directed, “Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus” at East Valley Children’s Theatre. He gave me a fun sneak peek into “The Frog Prince” coming Feb. 16–26.

“I’m stepping away from directing and going back to stage managing the next show. It’s the winner of EVCT’s playwriting contest. It’s a musical, and there’s basketball in it!” says Morris.

Morris started theater 10 years ago when he was in high school. He saw there were auditions for the Neil Simon play “Rumors.” After not getting a part, he managed to get through another audition and did his first show, Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” Despite being a challenging show, he loved being in the theater. After that, he got involved with EVCT when one of his friends brought him along to audition for the show “Little Red Riding Hood,” and Morris got a role.

Morris’s favorite shows include EVCT’s junior production, “The Jungle Book,” because of its cast, and “The Lost Boys of Neverland,” his original composition!

Morris enjoys working with some great people at EVCT, including choreographer Breona Conrad, costume designer Nicole Tatro, and Shyanne French and

My Experience on the Polar Express

by Elite Reporter Brett Eymann

Ian Pelczarski, who are stage managers. He is excited about EVCT’s new Artistic Director, Bryanna Blanco.

Morris loves the creative process, building a story and the teaching aspect. “Because I’m working with young actors...I come in and teach them about motivation and energy and expression,” says Morris.

Morris thinks EVCT is special because of its focus on kids. “It’s about the kids and you’re the ones on stage you’re the ones having this experience, and I feel like EVCT is the best place for that,” he says.

For more information, visit evct.org.

News Stories

Written by Kids— for Kids

Honoring MLK

by Reporter Dan Bukundja Arizona Desert Elementary

To many people, Martin Luther King Jr. was a brave leader. King helped lead the Civil Rights movement. Today, many Americans honor him on the National Day named after him, this year on Jan. 16. Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986.

In the book “Martin Luther King Day” by Ciara Cella, the author recalls that King worked for change, to fix all that was unfair through passive resistance. Some disagreed with King.

Born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, King was shot and killed in 1968 at a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. ing’s tombstone reads, “Free at last, free at last, Thank God almighty, I’m free.” This is a line from his famous “I Have a Dream” speech he gave in 1963 in Washington, D.C.

Adviser: Karen Golden

Book Depicts Bears, Mail & Fun

by Reporter Ezekiel Perez, Homeschool

On Dec. 7, my mom and I went on the Polar Express train ride at Grand Canyon Railway. While waiting for our train to arrive we went looking around the gift shop to choose souvenirs to remember our trip. I even bought four pressed pennies to add to my collection.

Next we put on our matching pajamas and went down to the depot. We waited for the Polar Room to open. While waiting in line to see Santa, the conductor gave me a ticket and punched in my initials. When it was our turn to see Santa, I gave him a card I made and we got our picture taken. We also got our picture taken with Mrs. Claus.

We had dinner at a buffet called Fred Harvey Restaurant. There was a train track above us and a model train traveled around the top of the restaurant. Once we go on board the Polar Express, Chef Tyler was in charge of our car. They were playing some of the scenes from “The Polar Express” movie over the loudspeaker. The author of “The Polar Express” read the book and we followed along in my book.

When we arrived at the North Pole, Santa gave everyone a signature sleigh bell. My mom and I really enjoyed our ride on the Polar Express and we stayed the night at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. Riding the Polar Express was a dream come true for me. It’s a memory I’ll never forget.

“Dear Polar Bear...” by Barry Ablett is one of my favorite books. It is great for learning about different types of bears from around the world, their habitat and their environment. Polar Bear writes letters to his friends in other parts of the globe, and Postman Penguin delivers them. I love it because I also like to write letters to my friends!

The book starts with a big colorful map. It shows where the bears live and the mode of transportation used by Postman Penguin to deliver mail. There is a short description of each bear, its favorite food and fun facts.

The story tells how Polar Bear feels in his home and the challenges of his environment. He starts thinking of how differently his friends live, and he writes to them asking for help to improve his life and to make his home fun. They send him packages. For example, he is a little bit lonely, so his friend Brown Bear, in Alaska, sends him a pet fish. This is how Polar Bear begins to receive great surprises!

The book comes with pull-up letters, packages that can be opened, and a great pop-up surprise at the end! I recommend this book to every reader that likes bears, mail, and fun stories!

Teresa Cabrera teaches fourth grade at Desert Mirage Elementary. This is her fifth year in teaching. She also did her student teaching in fourth grade, and says she enjoys this age group.

“They’re still fairly young but they’re starting to know themselves,” Cabrera explains. The kids are starting to discover the subjects and activities they love, Cabrera says, and “It’s just a fun age...I love my fourth-graders!”

Cabrera grew up in California. Her parents moved to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 6 years old. They moved to Arizona her senior year of high school.

When her family moved to the states, Cabrera says she was inspired by the teacher who made her feel welcome, her own fourthgrade teacher, Mr. Rickets.

“He made me feel included,” Cabrera says. “He’s a big part of why I am doing this.” She says that she strives to build relationships and “create an environment where students feel safe, feel welcomed.” She wants to make sure she gives her students confidence as well as lessons in math, reading and writing.

Cabrera was nominated by her student Eddie, who notes that his teacher “wants to help all of her students succeed and is so kind and caring.”

When she is not in the classroom, Cabrera enjoys doing arts and crafts, spending time with her family and being involved in the community.

You may have heard the phrase, it tastes like chicken. Well, don’t tell Cabrera that! “I am not big on eating chicken,” says Cabrera, who adds that people will give her funny looks when she divulges this culinary quirk.

Carera shares that when she was younger, she already had an interest in teaching. She would gather up the neighborhood kids to play school, and she was tutoring by middle school. She also had a musical bent, and played flute, piccolo and clarinet.

Her advice for students is: “No matter where you come from, no matter what life throws at us, there is light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to work hard and keep believing.”

SciTech Institute is excited to announce the 2023 Arizona SciTech Festival season to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) across Arizona. Participants of all ages can enjoy fun and engaging events with a variety of activities o ered during this annual celebration while building their STEM knowledge. AZSCITECH.COM

This year, in person Signature Events return to communities around the state while additional hybrid and online options will be o ered to continue the celebration of STEM in Arizona and beyond. The annual Festival is a statewide celebration of STEM that aims to inform, engage and inspire all Arizonans. It was designed to advance STEM awareness and highlight its economic importance by o ering participants a variety of events and hands-on learning opportunities. Over the past 11 seasons, these events and activities have provided individuals of all ages the chance to experience STEM first-hand and see how it impacts their lives.

Spearheaded by the Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Science Center, Arizona Technology Council, Arizona Board of Regents, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, the Arizona SciTech Festival is a wildly successful grassroots STEM collaboration.

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In collaboration with 100+ Signature Event Leads, we present the following ways to have fun with STEM this season!

ANYTIME: explore hundreds of STEM activities and resources by grade or topic at AZSciTech.com.

LIVE: register for special online events to meet STEM professionals and connect with others throughout Arizona via Zoom.

IN PERSON: attend a variety of Signature Events and SciTech Adventures hosted by collaborators across the state. Check the website for the most up to date event details at AZSciTech.com today!

FEBRUARY

Buckeye Air Fair

In 2015, the City of Buckeye joined the Festival by creating two events. The first was a city-wide SciTech crawl that focused on water, medical and astronomy. Participants learned about the science behind forensics and fire apparatuses at the Buckeye Firehouse 703, the latest medical training equipment at the Buckeye Banner Medical facility, astronomy at the Buckeye Sundance Library and a behind the scenes look at how water is cleaned at the Buckeye Wastewater plant. The second opportunity was integrating about a dozen STEM based exhibitors into the Buckeye Air Fair.

Now in 2023, these experiences will be 3 full days of STEM at the Buckeye Airport. The planning committee for the Buckeye Air Fair is excited to increase the number of field trip attendees on Friday and celebrate aviation careers during the weekend. Buckeye has welcomed visitors from across the state and are anticipating even more participation this year. The City of Buckeye has enjoyed the collaboration with the Arizona SciTech Festival over the years and look forward to many more!

Cave Fest

Over the two day event, participants at Cave Fest engaged in a variety of activities hour by hour, viewed special displays, and listened to presentations about the science of the cave! Many even took a tour inside and met amazing new friends.

This event was able to connect the public with the wonders of a pristine underground world!

Kartchner Caverns State Park is a state park of Arizona, featuring a show cave with 2.4 miles of passages. The park is located 9 miles south of the town of Benson and west of the north-flowing San Pedro River.

Little Free Library STEM Kit Project

In collaboration with the Rural Activation Innovation Network, Southwest Human Development, and public libraries around the state, our team is having a blast compiling STEM kits for the sponsored LFLs.

The support from Avnet and Literary Society of the Southwest has been crucial to our growth of the program!

Over the past year, 1000 themed STEM kits and more than 200 books have been shipped to LFLs in Show Low, Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Sedona, Cornville, Sa ord City and Graham County!

Join us at ASU’s annual open house for an exciting behind-the-scenes look at the most innovative university in the nation!

ASU Open Door is an opportunity for visitors of all ages to participate in hands-on activities and explore laboratories, living collections, museums and innovative learning spaces.

To get your FREE tickets and more information visit opendoor. asu.edu.

Each of ASU’s campuses has a unique identity and we invite you to visit all locations!

Downtown Phoenix: Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, 1–5 p.m.

West: Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, 1–5 p.m.

Polytechnic: Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, 1–5 p.m.

Tempe: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, 1–5 p.m.

To learn more about Cox’s commitment to bridge the digital divide, visit cox.com/digitalequity.

Bronze Green Living Magazine | Arizona Technology Council

Copper idloom

Gold Foundational Partners Presenting Platinum Silver Every home should have an internet connection.

Girl Scout Cookie Program Is Bigger and Better!

Each year, Girl Scouts in Arizona participate in the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world: The Girl Scout Cookie Program. This year’s cookie season is bigger and better than ever, and longer, too. For the first time in the history of Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, the local cookie season will take place for seven full weeks from Jan. 16 to Mar. 5, 2023.

“As in years past, all the Girl Scout Cookies’ proceeds stay local to help girls fund impactful projects to benefit the community embark on amazing girl-led troop adventures provide

programs in STEM, the outdoors, life skills and entrepreneurship maintain and improve four camp properties and provide financial assistance that keeps Girl Scouting available and affordable for all girls,” says Mary Mitchell, coCEO of GSACPC.

In total, over 7,000 girls grades K–12 in more than 90 communities across central and northern Arizona will take part in the 2023 Girl Scout Cookie Season.

“Now our community has more time to support girls and stock up on their favorite

cookie flavors,” says Christina Spicer, co-CE of GSACPC. Favorites like Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas and Do-si-dos are just some of the cookies offered at local booths around the Valley and through Digital Cookie.

A new cookie, Raspberry Rally, will be offered online direct shipment only from Feb. 27 to Mar. 5 while supplies last, enhancing girls’ e-commerce sales and entrepreneurial skills.

Digital Cookie lets girls build a custom website so they can invite friends and family to purchase cookies, with the option of having cookies delivered in-person or shipped directly to their home. It introduces lessons about online marketing, application use, and eCommerce to Girl Scouts, from building their website to managing virtual sales.

Updated Financial Literacy badges offer entrepreneurial playbooks for every age level. From the Cookie Goal Setter badge earned as a Daisy to the Entrepreneur Accelerator for girls in high school, the Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches girls financial literacy, planning, budgeting, teamwork, innovative thinking and confident decision-making.

To find a cookie booth near you, just visit girlscoutsaz.org/cookiefinder and enter your ZIP code.

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CSO Passing Down Leadership Skills

by CSO Ben Doerksen, Phoenix

I have been a Chief Science fficer for seven years. I was elected towards the end of my fifth-grade year and attended Leadership Training Institute in the summer of 2016. Now, I am a senior at Verrado High School in Buckeye.

Throughout my involvement in CS , I have had many exciting action plans that increased STEM awareness. Some years, I stuck with one. ther years, I had help from fellow CS s at my school to collaborate and create many action plans. My eighth-grade year included action plans such as creating a field trip for the fifth graders, inviting SUNI the robot to be a guest speaker, and hosting hands-on STEMonstrations with elementary students. ne of my favorite action plans was one that I started last year.

I helped to found my school’s Green Hand Club. We are a garden club on campus that focuses on horticulture and environmentalism. Every week, we would water our plants and discuss club expansion. I was able to use my passion for video making to create weekly update videos. The videos have accumulated over 35 thousand views on Instagram and we have grown to be one of the most prevalent clubs on campus.

This year, I am focused not only on expanding the club as we plan to create a permanent garden, but also equipping the other members of the club with the important leadership skills that I have received through the CS program. I have taught the club reporter how to create the weekly update videos. I have recommended the treasurer to take a leadership role as the fundraising committee chair, and I have shown the Vice President how to organize and run the club. It will be difficult saying goodbye in May, but I am so thankful for every single opportunity.

Doerksen at the 2022 SciTech Festival