View the Spanish translation of our newsletter here. |
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Hello and happy fall-
I hope that you all are doing well and that your back-to-school season is off to a great start! Last month, I shared that the Hub recently celebrated its two-year anniversary and that I’d be devoting my next several Director’s Desk contributions to highlighting the great folks behind the scenes on our staff. To that end, this month I’d like to introduce our newest full-time addition to our terrific team.
Meet Forrest Johnson, Makerspace and Lending Librarian
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Forrest has built - and continues to curate - our growing collection of STEAM and CTE tools and resources that are available to any educator in the region. You can check out a classroom set of microscopes or micro bits, hammers and measuring tapes, or books featuring trailblazing steminists…and he can provide you with lesson planning to bring these great hands-on activities into your curriculum! Forrest also oversees our makerspace resources and can help you
get one off the ground if you’re looking to bring a makerspace to your school or organization.
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Thanks to all of you for your support of our work these past two years. We truly cannot do this without each and every one of you.
Sarah Whiteside
Executive Director
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Mobile Makerspace Kicks Off in Philomath! |
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Our Mobile Makerspace recently held its first event at the Maxtivity Creative Space in Philomath. The event took place during Maxtivity’s open house and on their inaugural
STEM Friday program.
For this event, we set up three stations: straw rockets, paper airplanes, and LEGO ziplines.
In October, we have three events scheduled where participants will build cardboard haunted houses.
Our MMS brings STE(A)M supplies, tools, and technology to provide underserved students, communities, and schools in Linn and Benton counties with hands-on building, tinkering, and learning experiences that are oftentimes unavailable. Our mission is to help students develop
a “maker mindset:”
“The idea of the maker mindset is that students develop creative confidence and a sense of agency — that they have the ability to creatively solve problems on their own and with their peers. Maker-centered learning teaches life skills — critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. Other aspects of education encourage and cultivate these skills in students, but one of the unique things about maker-centered learning is that it teaches students these particular skills in an interdisciplinary way.” (Source: Stephanie Santoso, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Citizen School).
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Making Progress on the Future Home of the MILL |
Space update: We are making good progress on the MILL space and hope to be able to start offering open hours to the LBCC community by month’s end. |
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September 8, 2022
Previously the LBCC nursing lab, T-225, 227, and 229 have been used as storage for years.
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September 28, 2022
T-225, 227, and 229 are all cleaned out now and ready to be transformed into the MILL Makerspace!
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In the next few weeks, we will be working hard with LBCC’s Facilities Department to seal the concrete, add a temporary wall at the edge of the ceiling tiles for fire code compliance, install
a utility sink, patch and paint the walls, and prep for occupancy. Then, we'll be moving in and gearing up for our first phase of programming and we welcome your input!
on the space and to participate in our maker community!
We held our first MILL Design Challenge at the LBCC Welcome Day event. Participants were asked to take 6(ish) LEGO bricks and make an LBCC Roadrunner. Here is what they came
up with:
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MVSCH and our scholarship recipient, Colby Hill, recently got recognized by LBCC. Read the article HERE! |
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Essential Employability Skills |
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Develop in-demand skills for today’s workforce through STE(A)M |
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The word soft is commonly used to refer to skills like teamwork, time management, and adaptability. The Oregon Department of Education’s Workforce and Talent Development Board (WTDB) calls these skills, more accurately, essential employability skills.
The WTDB created the Essential Employability Task Force to survey employers about what skills they deemed most important to their workforce. The survey results in the 2020 Oregon Talent Assessment, show that employers surveyed want employees to start the job with these soft skills. They were willing to train on technical skills, but preferred employees enter with skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication.
The good news is that essential employability skills are transferable across all occupations.
So, how do you build them into a school curriculum as early as elementary school?
One way is by bringing STE(A)M activities into the classroom. Our STEM Hub has materials you can borrow from our Lending Library or you can request one of our STEAM coaches to facilitate an interactive activity in your classroom. Browse our Lending Library to see the exciting activities we have available. Request our participation in your classroom or event with our new request form.
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Closing the Gap
The third season of Closing the Gap is in full swing! The inaugural episodes with Missy Smith, Associate Athletic Director at Oregon Episcopal School, and physicist, Amber Barber just hit the airwaves! Amber’s episode was released last week, and in it, Amber discusses knowing your worth in the workplace and in the classroom.
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In October, tune in as we talk to a couple of women starting their careers in engineering.
On 10/10, we speak with Breanna Allen, an automation engineer at Precision Castparts in Portland. Then on 10/24, Crystal Vue joins us on the show. Crystal is an OSU graduate and bioengineer working in the pharmaceutical industry. Join us as we find out what makes these two engineers tick!
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As always, you can listen to the show on Spotify, you can also find the entire library of
Closing the Gap episodes on our YouTube channel!
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If you are a woman in STEM, or have a career in manufacturing or a skilled trade and would like to talk about your experience, contact Kacey Montgomery at montgok@linnbenton.edu.
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The Hub’s 2022 matching campaign for the Oregon Community Foundation’s Ignite STEM Education Fund capacity-building campaign is underway! We’re seeking new support from community partners and industry to help build capacity for regional STEM-CTE initiatives centered around creating a culture of equitable prosperity for Oregon youth. Programs include integration of STEM-CTE programming in regional K-12 schools and our out-of-school mobile maker space programs in surrounding communities.
Please reach out to Janice Hardy (hardyj@linnbenton.edu) to learn more about contributions (in-kind and monetary) that may qualify.
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Lending Library News & Updates |
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Recently added to the Educator's Lending Library
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The new online catalog is live! The start of the term is the perfect time to peruse the catalog and start thinking about ways to incorporate the Lending Library into your lesson plan.
Our Snap Circuits Jr. sets are perfect for learning basic electronics at any age!
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Snap Circuits are perfect for elementary age
students to collaborate on and learn at
their own pace.
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Middle school students hard at
work with our Snap Circuits sets at
Lebanon Boys and Girls Club!
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Kanoe Bunney uses Snap Circuits with her pre-service early education studentsat LBCC |
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Don’t have a Linn Libraries account or LBCC X number? Fill out the short registration form here!
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Completely confused or curious to learn more? Need strategies for using these resources with your students? We can help! Reach out to our Makerspace and Lending Librarian, Forrest Johnson at johnsof@linnbenton.edu today! |
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Check out our Lending Library today!
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Shout out to Chris Singer! |
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Recently, our Program Coordinator, Chris Singer, wrote an article for Whymaker on how play may be the best way for students to learn. This is a concept Chris has coined as "playology". Learn more about playology by reading his Whymaker article, HERE!
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Resources, Events, & Upcoming Opportunities |
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STEM/CTE Community Bulletin Board |
What's happening in your school/business/organization? Send us your news items for the Community Bulletin Board in our monthly newsletter and we'll help you spread the word! We ask that submissions be regional, non-commercial, STEM/CTE germane, and be limited to one sentence and a link. Submissions are due by the third Monday of each month. |
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ODE Offerings October 2022 |
Every Thursday from 3:45-5:00 pm. We will cover a variety of themes and topics
of interest each week, as well as provide discussion opportunities, professional development, and technical support.
Pick a weekly session you’d like to join monthly or feel free to register for them all.
Upcoming Office Hour Sessions - October and Career Awareness!
Connect, reconnect, share, ask questions, listen, and prepare for the new school year. ODE will create a space to learn together while we work to ensure that all students are prepared for, and engaged in meaningful Work-Based Learning (WBL) experiences.
Learn what’s available through current Oregon CIS offerings and what’s coming with new supports and access as Oregon CIS, Willamette ESD and ODE partner to support you and your students.
October 27th - YouScience Getting Started Tips, Tricks and Q&A
Fourth Thursday Office Hour will focus on supporting current and new users of the YouScience platform.
Association For Career & Technical Education (ACTE) WBL Professional
Development Webinar
October 27, 12-1 pm - WBL Marketing 101
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Samaritan Health Services is offering flu shots at drive-through sites on selected Saturdays this fall. |
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To help you and your family avoid the flu this year, Samaritan primary care clinics will host drive-through flu vaccination events on the following Saturdays.
No appointment needed. Flu vaccines are available for ages 6 months and older. Everyone ages 2 years and older, please wear a face mask. Regular and high-dose flu will be available.
Albany – 400 Hickory St. NW.
- Oct. 8, 8 a.m. to noon
- Nov. 5, 8 a.m. to noon
Corvallis – 2555 NE Belvue St.
Lebanon – 35 Mullins Drive, next to Samaritan Urgent Care.
- Oct. 1, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Oct. 22, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lincoln City — 3011 NE 28th St.
Newport – Center for Health Education, 740 SW Ninth St.
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Oregon Student Opportunities Hub
This resource is intended to accompany the
AEC opportunities in Oregon including programs, internships, scholarships, mentorships, and more.
If you ever have an opportunity that you would like
listed on the Hub, you can submit the program information using this form.
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ABOUT US
Visit the Mid-Valley STEM-CTE Hub
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Mailing Address:
Mid-Valley STEM-CTE Hub
Linn-Benton Community College
CC-212
6500 Pacific Blvd SW
Albany, OR 97321
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To keep up on the latest MVSCH news, follow us on our
social media networks:
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