INVENIAM v! iam AUT!faciam! F I N D A WAY O R M A K E O N E . !
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science.boyslatin.org
At Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, teachers and students are teaming up with families and members of the community to build a science program that nurtures a generation of citizens capable of, confident about, and committed to making contributions to the world around them. ! ! !
BECOME A STEM MENTOR
! A number of opportunities are available to organizations and individuals who would like to support students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at Boys’ Latin. Possibilities include:! ! • Guiding students as they conduct independent research! • Coaching students as they prepare for competitions! • Mentoring robotics teams for the US FIRST Tech Challenge and the Greater Philadelphia SeaPerch Challenge! • Helping students tend a community garden! • Supporting students as they learn computer programming! • Speaking to students about experiences in STEM fields! !
Whether you are a family member, a college student, a STEM professional, or simply a supporter of science education, we believe that there is a role for you in our effort to create the spaces for learning that our students deserve. ! ! Please review the following pages and contact Trey Smith, Science Department Chair, at jsmith@boyslatin.org to support STEM at Boys’ Latin.!
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Our students have questions.
! Students and teachers at Boys' Latin have established a
monthly guest speaker series in science that focuses on research and engineering in the real world.! ! !
!As part of the program, a special guest speaker shares an engaging talk on a science issue or topic in 20-25 minutes. Students listen to the speaker and ask questions for 20-25 minutes.! ! The Science Speaker Series is inspired by traditional guest lectures that occur at universities throughout the world and the high-energy TED talks popularized in recent years.! ! Find out more about our speaker series at ! http://science.boyslatin.org/speakers.!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
! September – June! ! Give a 45-minute talk to a group of students about an area of research or interest in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Include time for questions and may involve use of presentation slideshow.! ! Times and dates are flexible depending on the schedule of the speaker.! !
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Our students learn by doing. !
Students at Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia design and conduct independent science investigations. Students submit a formal research report and slideshow presentation on a science project that involves collection and analysis of experimental data. ! ! !
!Students present the findings of their research at a
Science Symposium, the George Washington Carver Science Fair, the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Sciences (PJAS) Region 1C Fair, and a convention sponsored by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).! ! Find out more about our science research projects at http://science.boyslatin.org/research.! !
HOW YOU CAN HELP
! September – February! ! Provide feedback and guidance to 1-2 students via email, Google Docs, or in person regarding experimental design, collection of data, and strengthening a research paper. ! ! Weekly times and dates are flexible. A mentor should expect to check in with a student at least once a week via email and Google Docs. A visit to the school to meet with a student can also be arranged.!
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Our students are competitive. !
Students at Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia form teams to face off against students from other schools in regional and national science and mathematics competitions. ! ! !
!Students compete in a Science Bowl with oral question and answer rounds sponsored by the US Department of Energy.! ! Students participate in Science Olympiad, which consists of a series of 23 team events with 15 team members who cross-train for a variety of events.! ! Students also compete in math competitions sponsored by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and city-wide organizations.! ! Find out more about our competitive teams at ! http://science.boyslatin.org/nsbe.!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
! September – February! ! Coach students and encourage them to master key ideas and skills in science, mathematics, and engineering that can be tested in both quiz bowl and hands-on competitive environments.! ! Teams convene on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays from 4:00 – 5:00. ! Teams may also meet and compete on weekends. A practice schedule will be built based on availability of coach.!
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Our students engineer solutions. !
Students at Boys’ Latin design, program, and build robots to address a proposed challenge for two different competitive programs at local, regional, and state levels. ! ! !
!Students collaborate to build and program a robot for the US FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). The team then partners with and competes against other teams in the region to complete a common challenge. ! ! Students also build an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) as part of the Greater Philadelphia SeaPerch Challenge sponsored by Drexel University and the US Navy. ! ! Find out more about our robotics teams at ! http://science.boyslatin.org/nsbe.!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
! September – April! ! Mentor students in electrical and mechanical engineering principles as well as computer programming using RobotC or LabView! ! Teams convene on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays from 4:00 – 5:00. The FTC team also meets from 3:00-4:00 Monday-Thursday as a class.! The day of the meeting will depend upon availability of the coach. ! Teams may also meet on select Saturdays for competitions.! !
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Our students are innovators. !
With the guidance of volunteer coders, engineers, techies, and change-agents in Philadelphia, students will learn to use computer coding to program applications and websites.! ! !
!In 2013, a corps of students will constitute the school’s first Code CREW. Students will convene throughout the year for school-based hackathons and will be connected to citywide communities of coders. ! ! Students in the Code CREW will also serve as ambassadors to other students and members of the community, sparking enthusiasm about and interest in opportunities available in technology fields.! ! Find out more about our Code CREW at ! http://science.boyslatin.org/codecrew.!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
! August– June! ! Provide support to students in person or via email as they learn how to program and code. Specific programs and projects will be determined by students and mentors.! ! Dates may be set for hackathons and training sessions as needed and as determined by mentors.!
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Our students value community. !
Students at Boys' Latin will build a garden at the school that can be used for teaching and learning in classes as well as in the surrounding community.! !
! Students and faculty are in the process of building and tending a community garden. The possibilities for learning are endless. For instance, students in our AP Environmental Science class will help tend the garden. However, it will take the guidance and participation of invested community members to make the garden flourish. All ideas and materials are welcome.! ! Find out more about our community garden at http://science.boyslatin.org/hortus.! !
HOW YOU CAN HELP
! August– July! ! Provide guidance and support as students cultivate a garden! ! Students meet on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays from 4:00 – 5:00 as well as during class each day (TBD). The days of afterschool meetings will depend upon availability of the availability of mentors and gardeners. ! Students may also meet on Saturdays for community events as needed.!
About Boys’ Latin !
Boys' Latin of Philadelphia is a public, charter, and college preparatory high school in West Philadelphia. Our school offers a rigorous education that is both classical and contemporary. Our students value academic success and hard work as they strive to develop their intellectual, moral, social, creative, and athletic potentials.! ! Contact Trey Smith, Science Department Chair at jsmith@boyslatin.org to find out how you can support STEM at Boys’ Latin.!
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INVENIAM v! iam AUT!faciam! FIND A WAY OR MAKE ONE.!
! science.boyslatin.org
5501 Cedar Ave | Philadelphia, PA 19143 | 215-387-5149!