Hello KATS!

The results of the Vice-President election are in! Wendy Calderwood has been elected by the membership with 37 of 39 votes in favor. 

Congratulations Wendy!

In other news, please save the date for a KATS Fall event at the Cosmosphere on Saturday, October 15th. The KATS board has been hard at work this summer to bring the best professional development and networking opportunities to you this fall. The theme will be "Life in Space". The program has not been set, but look forward to some cosmosphere special activities and stellar (pun intended) presentations! We need 20 participants for liftoff so be sure to save the date!

The KATS Board of Directors will meet in a few weeks for our summer board meeting. Be on the lookout for updates of our meeting in the middle of August!

If you have questions or would like to reach out please contact Secretary@kats.org and CC: President@kats.org.

Your's in science,

Robert Hamilton,  KATS President

• Opportunities for Re-licensure and College Credit
  • KSDE Summer Academies: https://www.greenbush.org/ksde-summer-academies/
• K-2 Science SEL/Careers Pilot with the DeBruce Foundation
  • June 9th Link: (Link)                                       June 16th Link: (Link)
     

Click here (LINK)to read the entire June edition of the KSDE Science newsletter and please let me know if there is anything I can do to better support you.

--Meg Richard

 

[Covington, KY] (May 3, 2022) – The National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) has opened the application period for the first annual Lt. Governors’ STEM Scholarship Program, sponsored by ACT, to award up to $1,000 to 12 schools nationally to support STEM-related activities for youth. Applications will be accepted until May 31, 2022, with award recipients announced and funded in Summer 2022.

 

“The lieutenant governors and seconds-in-command in state and territorial government are uniquely poised to lead on STEM Education,” said NLGA Director Julia Brossart.  “By supporting STEM-related activities in schools across the country, lieutenant governors can encourage a long-term interest and passion in STEM education in America’s youth, while building the workforce of the future.”  NLGA will award three scholarships to states and territories in each of the four NLGA regions in 2022, for a total of 12 scholarships worth $10,000 total. The Scholarship Program is administered by NLGA, the nonpartisan, nonprofit association for the nation’s seconds-in-command, and sponsored by ACT, the education and career readiness nonprofit.

 

“As the only major college admissions test provider to include a science assessment, ACT believes that a high-quality STEM education is important to enable all learners, including and especially young people from underserved populations, to graduate high school ready to succeed in a STEM career,” ACT Chief Executive Officer Janet Godwin said. “We are proud to sponsor this program and equip all students for the economy of today and tomorrow.”  Teachers in all public, private, and tribal schools in the 50 states and five U.S. territories are invited to apply at nlga.awardsplatform.com. Funding will be awarded to schools to support STEM-related activities, programming, curriculum, equipment, and other expenses.

 

“The need for increased educational opportunities in STEM is bipartisan and an area of consensus for the nation’s lieutenant governors,” said NLGA Associate Director Kellie Rittershausen. “NLGA has adopted STEM Education as a pillar of work for the association on behalf of Members, who see the importance of educating students in STEM to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow.”

 

Applications will be reviewed in June 2022, with award winners announced at the NLGA Annual Meeting, July 20-22, 2022. Additional information on the STEM Scholarship Program, including instructions for applying, can be found at https://nlga.us/strategies/nlga-state-strategies-in-stem/.

###

Julia Brossart, Director

National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA)

525 W. 5^th St. Ste. 226 – Covington, KY - 41011

(859) 283-1400

www.nlga.us

Still available if you attended KATS Kamp:   Earn 1 hour Graduate of Kansas State University credit for $200  Details 

 Twenty-four teachers will be selected to attend an exclusive From Lab to Classroom Professional Development Workshop, presented by Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom July 26-27.  Details: 

https://ksagclassroom.org/happenings/pro_workshop/

Scientific Specialties.biz - Serving Kansas' schools with quality science & STEM resources since 1987!  

I will have a Conference Special for the lines I represent. 

1.) Microscopes & Balances = Buy 5, Get A 6th Free!  - You can promote this if you wish. 

2.) Onsite Microscope & Balance Service (free quote) 

3.) Science Safety Resources & Training (free upon request)

4.) Science Essentials Funding Inventory (free upon request)

5.) ESSER Funding for Your Science & STEM program (free proposal upon request)

I hope this finds you well and in celebration of Spring. It's a wonderful time to get students (and teachers) outside to marvel at the changes in the world around them. The bees are beginning to buzz, we can anticipate the flowers blooming, the promise of summer brings joy... and gearing up for the KSDE Summer Academies! 

 

I'm excited to share the April KSDE Science Newsletter with you (LINK). 

 

Included in this month's issue;

 

• KSDE Summer Academies and Teacher Treks
  • Academies: https://www.greenbush.org/ksde-summer-academies/
  • Treks: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSE_m5olrx83W-Em6g7OcCO4kUuYH1syczz6ygBkyw2Tca_A/viewform?usp=sf_link
• Kansas Association of Teachers of Science Conference
  • https://kaotos.wildapricot.org/2022-KAMP 
• State Assessment- CALL FOR REVIEWERS
  • https://kusurvey.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cvIlDB74lFWjWJM
• And much more here.... https://sites.google.com/ksde.org/ksde-stem-newsletter/science/22-april

•  

• Click here (LINK)to read the entire April edition of the KSDE Science newsletter and please let me know if there is anything I can do to better support you.

Thank you for all you do for Kansas Students and Science,

Meg

From Meg Richard, KSDE

Good afternoon,

I am very excited to share this KSDE Perkins Secondary Reserve Fund (Grant) application with you. This grant is intended to provide stipends to teacher teams who meet the criteria to develop lessons / units for an elective STEM course alligned to CTE / Work-based pathways. 

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Meg

------------------------------------------------------

Middle School: Searching Career Opportunities through Research and Exploration (SCORE) Grant #06080

 

The approved Kansas State Plan for Career and Technical Education (CTE) includes a Perkins Secondary Reserve Fund, established to provide support for innovative CTE programs, program delivery and/or CTE program expansion to meet critical workforce development needs. Reserve funds are distributed through a competitive grant 

process, with the total amount available for FY 2022 at approximately $22,000 and must be expended by June 30, 2022, Applications are due by 5 p.m. on March31, 2022.

This grant will provide funds for the specified teacher groups to develop course supports that align, integrate and elevate multiple career pathways and work-based connections.

 Full application is available here.

Information Webinar Link: March 24th , 3pm-4pm: 

https://ksde.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEscuivqD4rE90OAtxLhctQXXZPZSFXU0Dc 

 

Samples of intended outcomes will be provided at the offered webinars.

THE WENDELL G. MOHLING SILENT AUCTION RETURNS TO KATS KAMP

The Wendell G. Mohling Foundation will be hosting its annual Silent Auction at KATS Kamp in Olathe on Saturday, April 23. The auction will be open from 10:00am-1:00pm. All proceeds benefit The Mohling Foundation. The Foundation awards one K-12 Kansas science teacher $1000 to use to attend an NSTA conference of their choice in the year they win. Since 2006, these scholarships have been awarded to a KATS member. The award is named in honor of Wendell G. Mohling, a Kansas high school biology and student naturalist teacher, who was also president of KATS and NSTA. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Math in 1983 and the NASA Teacher in Space from Kansas and Space Ambassador in 1985 plus numerous other awards. But he never forgot his Kansas roots or his love of teaching science and valued the experiences he gained attending national science teacher conferences. When you come to KATS KAMP in April, if you have contributions for the auction, please contact Carol Mohing.  As usual, you are encouraged to “bid high and bid often”.  As always, there are a variety of items to bid on, including a 2 night stay in an Alaskan Cabin, wood bowls by Mike Erickson, jewelry from Carol Mohling, original paintings, and Betsy Betros’ “Butterfly Identification Book”.  You must be present to pay for and pick up the item(s) you win between 1:30-2:00pm after the auction closes.  There will also be a direct sales table where you can purchase Kim Poor Space Prints, Mohling Foundation limited edition wine glasses, and jewelry.  Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted.

However, a  4% transaction fee for credit card purchases is charged to cover The Foundation’s fee. 

Keep in touch via : Facebook: Wendell G Mohling Foundation. Website: wendellmohlingfoundation.com Email: mohlingfoundation@gmail.com. 785-764-9625 Carol Mohling

 

Our luck finally ran out. Because of the snow storm,  there will be no in-person telescope viewing this Thursday, March 10th. However, Mindy Townsend has agreed to give her talk, “Mess-ier Around and Find Out: A Guide to Astronomy’s Most Sought-After Treasures" through zoom. Please see the information below to join the zoom at 6pm this evening (3-10). If you have passed the previous flyer for this month’s meeting along to anyone, please let them know of the update.

Thank you.

https://kansas.zoom.us/j/94670173890

Meeting ID: 946 7017 3890
Passcode: 1234

Messier Objects are the Target for KU Telescope Night this Week  --Poster