Collaboration in Action
You can participate in the National Girls Collaborative Project network in many ways. Here are just a few: enter your organization or program in the Program Directory to network, share resources, and collaborate on STEM-related projects for girls. If you don't have a local collaborative, you can find project partners via this online resource matching service. Use the free resources in the webcast archives in which practitioners and researchers from across the country share effective strategies for working with girls in STEM.

NGCP Announces Collaboration Award Recipients
In recognition of our first Collaboration Conference, NGCP project leadership created the Collaboration Awards to celebrate and bring attention to the important work of special individuals and organizations that live and breathe collaboration to achieve their vision. Congratulations to our inaugural award recipients: Kate Pickle, National Program Manager, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), Girl Scouts of the USA and the Motorola Foundation.
http://www.edlabgroup.org/about/pressrelease/pr38.html.

NGCP Webcast Collaboration Conference Highlights
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
11:00 AM Pacific
The National Girls Collaborative Project held the first national NGCP Collaboration Conference on October 20-22 in Washington, D.C. Over 160 participants engaged in meaningful networking and professional development activities, all focused on engaging more girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This webcast will feature highlights from the conference. Participants will share perspectives of the event and outcomes for their projects or organizations.

Register for the webcast: http://www.ngcproject.org/events/events.cfm?eventid=183

NGCP Regional Collaborative Mini-Grants
NGCP mini-grants are designed to enhance access to and build collaboration between programs and resources. Mini-grant application resources, including a sample application, research based strategies, and evaluation requirements are available online at http://www.ngcproject.org/mini-grant/app-resources.cfm. These collaboratives are currently offering mini-grants:

• Michigan mini-grants close December 15, 2010.
• Midwest mini-grants close January 30, 2011.
• Wisconsin mini-grants close December 15, 2010.

Tea for Two and Buds & Blooms
Tea for Two and Buds & Blooms served middle school girls and their mothers in rural middle Tennessee. The events used fun hands-on activities as a way to introduce girls to STEM careers. Both events were a collaboration between GRITS (Girls Raised in Tennessee Science), University of Tennessee Extension Services, Three Rivers Community Health-Hickman, and Perry County Medical Center. Women in a variety of STEM related professions served as role models. Girls were introduced to science and chemistry by making personal beauty products using everyday household items. In addition, they discovered the effects of UV rays when reacting with a photochromic substance in nail polish. Girls reported these events opened their mind to science as something fun and accessible as a career choice.

Computer Science Education Week
December 5 - 11, 2010
CSEdWeek seeks to raise awareness of the critical role computer science education during a week of events, sponsored activities, and public pledges to participate. Participate to help:

• eliminate misperceptions about computer science and computing careers
• communicate the endless opportunities for which computer science education prepares students within K-12, and into higher education and careers
• provide information and activities for students, educators, parents, and IT professionals to advocate for computer science education at all levels

Cyberlearning Tools for STEM Education
Berkeley, CA
March 8 - 9, 2011
The goal of this conference is to bridge the research to practice gap and address important trends and issues on how cyberlearning tools can improve and reform K-12 STEM education. Day one will focus on research and development and day two will explore implementation and integration of cyberlearning tools in STEM learning environments.
http://cyberlearningstem.org

National Science Teachers Association National Conference
San Francisco, CA
March 10 - 13, 2011
This year's theme is "Celebrating the Joy of Science: Imagine and Create". Conference strands include:

• Embracing Technology in the 21st Century Classroom
• Accessing Language Through Science and Mathematics Content
• Exploring Earth, Wind, and Fire
• Building Scientific Minds: Inspiring Teaching and Effective Learning

International Technology & Engineering Educators Association (ITEA) Annual Conference
Minneapolis, MN
March 24 - 26, 2011
This year's theme is "Preparing the STEM Workforce: The Next Generation". A sample of sessions topics include Engineering by Design Labs, educational industry tours, grant writing, and teaching the design process to grades K-6.

Gotta Have IT is an all-in-one computing resource kit designed for educators. Gotta Have IT is for all students, and is especially focused on building awareness and inspiring interest in computing for girls. The resource kit includes high quality posters, information on digital media, and information on computing and careers. Gotta Have IT is a resource produced by the National Center for Women & Information Technology.
http://www.ncwit.org

Disney's Planet Challenge
Disney's Planet Challenge is a project-based environmental competition for grades 4-6 and encourages conducting field research, formulating solutions to problems, and promotes community involvement. Program collaborations include the National Science Teachers Association, the WESTEd K-12 Alliance, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Education. Grand prize winners will travel to Disneyland. The program is free and registration is open until December 17, 2010.

Scitable
Scientific American and Nature magazines have launched Scitable a free science library and personal learning tool concentrating on topics such as genetics, ecology, and cell biology. The site also offers information on career paths for budding scientists.

Online Interactive Math Resources for Middle School Youth
The STEM Collaborative project includes four Web sites where real-life math comes alive for middle school students. Math by Design allows users to create virtual environments using geometry and measurement skills; Proportion Land is an amusement park that uses reasoning skills to solve fun challenges; Scale City is a virtual road trip through Kentucky, where youth learn about the mathematics of scale; and Rock n' Roll Road Trip allows for mastery of measurement, ratio, and proportion while traveling the globe. The STEM Collaborative project is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

NOAA Resources
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a federal agency focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere. NOAA offers educational gaming, field guides, eBooks, and resources for both kids and educators. The newest educational game series "Water Life"provides challenges for students in fourth through seventh grades to learn science content about human impacts on ecosystems and marine species.
http://www.noaa.gov

STAR_Net Is Ready for Launch!
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded the Space Science Institute's National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL) a $2.5 million grant for its national program to bring science and technology exhibits to libraries. NCIL's STAR_Net Project (STAR stands for Science-Technology, Activities and Resources) is based on a successful pilot program for Colorado libraries called Discover Space. STAR_Net will develop interactive traveling exhibit and education programs with a focus on hands-on learning:

• Discover Earth will introduce local earth science topics, such as weather and water resources, as well as a big picture view of our changing planet for a global context.
• Discover Tech is designed to show how technology is constantly changing our lives, while also providing solutions to important human problems. The topical areas addressed include: My Robot, High Impact Technology, and Green Energy.

African University of Science and Technology (AUST) Pilots STEM Program
AUST will begin piloting a STEM program in three secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. AUST will provide university students as volunteers to enhance the current STEM offerings of local teachers. These volunteers will supplement the curriculum with hands-on real life applications to provide engaging experiences for learners. The AUST STEM Program is additionally focused on shifting the culture for girls, who traditionally take non-science related courses because of fear and perceived difficulty of science and mathematics. AUST plans to host a one-week math camp to address this issue, thanks to generous support from Texas Instruments and Working for the Advancement of African Women Foundation.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201011030606.html

American Association of University Women (AAUW) members across the country are serving as Regional Liaisons for the National Girls Collaborative Project. These Regional Liaisons help the people involved in the NGCP to make connections - to one another, to resources on gender equity, and to AAUW.

AWE is the Assessing Women and Men in Engineering Project, which provides exportable assessment instruments, literature resources, and methodologies for Women in Engineering and similar programs. AWE is developing resources for use by K-12 STEM programs as part of NGCP services.