We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

STEM

30 Day Nova Challenge for Cubs!

by

It’s been over two months of lockdown for most, and so here we have it – two 30 Day STEM Challenges!

This calendar is designed to help your Wolf, Bear, or Webelos Scout complete some NOVA Award Requirements. Please contact your Council/District STEM Committee to get in touch with a registered NOVA Counselor and complete the remainder of the award. If your youth is in NCAC, and seeking a Nova Counselor, please contact stem@ncacbsa.org and be sure to include your District so we may help connect you!

The downloadable PDF and PNG for each Nova Challenge is available here!

Special notes: Use proper safety precautions for hands-on activities. There are resources and ideas for most awards included in the requirements links at the start of each week. Extra Research is HIGHLY encouraged. Have fun!
#STEMatHome #Nova #scoutingAtHome

How can your Scout STEM at Home?

by

“Seriously, STEM Labs, Nova, and Supernova are each different creatures. We need them all towards giving our Scouts the tools and opportunities to be the best they can be. STEM literacy is tantamount for future leaders. The labs are not a part of regular scouting. It’s not for everyone but for those that are interested, it should be a viable option.”

Marcus J Martin is the Associate Lab Manager of Junior Lab 9941, which pre-social distancing, would meet at the USPTO in Alexandria, VA. The sponsor organization for Lab 9941 is the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers – USPTO chapter.

STEM Scouts Labs
STEM Scouts is a BSA program focused fun ways for girls and boys to learn more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics in tandem with character development, leadership training, and ethical decision-making. Through hands-on activities delivered to you, this program is challenging, thought-provoking and fun.

Program Structure: STEM Scouts has programming organized in 2 divisions: Junior Labs for grades 3-5 and Technology Labs for grades 6-8. Every meeting starts with the Scout Oath & Law, involves a hands-on experiment, and wraps up with discussion of a STEM Innovator.

Youth Leadership: Youth work in teams of three and rotate through roles of Principal Investigator, Co-PI and Project Manager.

What can you do during Covid-19?
Start this in your family or neighborhood, provided you are complaint with social distancing guidelines. Safety first! Activity kits are shipped in bundles for 5 youth, and lessons and lab journals are online in the STEM Scouts portal. Once you get the kits, host your virtual Lab through ZOOM!

Need help getting started?
NCAC STEM is here to help! To find out more, visit www.stemscouts.org or contact stem@ncacbsa.org.

Nova Awards
Nova Awards offer activities and recognition for youth in traditional programs: Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venture Scouts, Varsity Scouts and Sea Scouts. Read the requirements at www.scouting.org/stem.

What can you do during Covid-19?
Join NCAC’s STEM@Home program: https://scoutingevent.com/082-STEMatHome
STEM Committee volunteers and Nova Counselors are offering virtual STEM Nova events so your youth can advance in pursuit of Nova Awards.

Can you also work on Novas within your unit?
Absolutely! Be sure to work with a registered Nova Counselor. Contact supernova@ncacbsa.org with questions.

Supernova Awards
Supernova Awards offer recognition for youth in traditional programs who go the extra mile in their pursuit of STEM. Read the requirements at www.scouting.org/stem.

What can you do during Covid-19?
Check out the requirements online, then connect with a registered Supernova Mentor to get started! Contact supernova@ncacbsa.org to identify a Mentor

You can also join a STEM@Home Speaker Series event .

Note: Conversations with scientists or engineering professionals fulfills requirement 7 in Dr. Luis W. Alvarez Supernova for Cub Scouts and Dr. Charles H. Townes Supernova for Webelos. The conversation partially fulfills #6 in Dr. Bernard Harris Supernova for Scouts BSA and Dr Sally Ride Supernova for Venturers and Sea Scouts.

NCAC Eagle Scout Earns Dr. Bernard Harris Supernova Award

by

Eagle Scout Tyler Schroder, of Troop 577 in Clifton, VA, has been awarded with the Dr. Bernard Harris Bronze Supernova Award. Schroder becomes one of less than twelve scouts in all of NCAC to have earned this award.

The Boy Scouts of America developed the STEM Nova Awards program to excite and expand a sense of wonder about STEM in scouts. By working with an adult counselor or mentor, the various modules allow scouts to explore the basic principles of STEM and discover the fun and fascinating world of STEM. There are three levels to the Supernova program: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

Tyler Schroder is a junior at Centreville High School. He is a junior assistant scoutmaster to Troop 577, a member of Amangamek-Wipit Lodge, Order of the Arrow, and a member of Venture Crew 893.

Schroder’s Supernova journey started in 2019 with his mentor by working on three Nova activities. These covered topics such as programming, water conservation, and rocketry. He also earned merit badges touching on STEM topics such as composite materials. Earning the STEM merit badges is the first step toward earning this award as four STEM merit badges are required. To complete the requirements, Schroder helped teach Cub Scouts Can Code and hosted a lunchtime talk about the Supernova at the first NCAC STEM at home event.

What makes the Supernova program stand out from the regular Nova awards are the research requirements. A part of that requirement is the Supernova activities. These are deep dives into the four different STEM (Science, Technology, Mathematics, & Engineering) areas. Schroder chose Mathematics and Science for his two. When asked what his favorite activity was, “Mathematics was by far my favorite and proved to be a great area for a real-world experiment on voting methods”[1]. Schroder also participated in his regional science fair in engineering mechanics, and shadowed a Cybersecurity professional as part of this requirement.

Learn more about the Nova and Supernova awards program from Tyler himself at the NCAC Capital Camp-In on May 23rd.

[1] You can view a copy of Schroder’s Supernova report, A Paradox of Counting: Voting Methods and Fair Decisions, online at https://www.rts2.us/assets/SupernovaReport1.pdf.

STEM@Home Speaker Series: Join the Conversation!

by

Every Thursday at 7PM, you can join our virtual STEM@Home Speaker Series!

We will host conversations with STEM professionals, activities and virtual games (including one with virtual reality!). The first two presenters’ bios are below and we hope you join the conversations!

Read more about the upcoming speakers, see how these conversations tie into your awards, leap into STEM career exploration, and secure your spot here: https://scoutingevent.com/082-STEMSpeakers.

April 30: Science Night: A Conversation with Dr. Stanley Fricke

Dr. Fricke loves to take things apart and put them back together. He also loves measuring stuff: lengths, speed, time, volumes. You name it he will measure it. He is also likes optics and photography. His passion for these things is currently being used to create new x-ray and MRI machines.

May 7: Technology Night: A Conversation with Dave DuHadway

Dave is a pilot for United Airlines, is a former Scoutmaster of Troop 1345 in Burke, Virginia and currently NCAC’s Vice President for Leadership and Governance. “I loved math and science when I was in school but I also enjoyed sports, hiking, camping, and working with my hands (like playing the guitar). I learned to fly after joining the Air Force in college, and they are always on the lookout for people with an interest in STEM. Learning to fly was a lot of studying the technical aspects of flight, combined with a lot of “hands on” work in the airplane, learning to takeoff and land, and learning how airplanes handle in the air. I’ve been flying since 1989, and I’m trained in eight different airplanes, including Remotely Piloted aircraft, like the Predator drones that the Air Force used to fly (they now have bigger and better versions).”

Image Credit for Dr. Stanley Fricke: Children’s National Hospital
Image Credit for Dave DuHadaway: NCAC

STEM-TASTIC SUMMER FOR A LOCAL CUB SCOUT!

by

This summer has been STEM-tastic, for local scout, Marco J. Martin. During the summer of 2018, Marco spent countless hours working on the Boy Scouts of America NOVA and Supernova STEM program and on Friday, June 14, 2019 all of his hard work was recognized when he received the Dr. Luis Alvarez Supernova medal, a plaque, a NOVA patch and a variety of congratulatory letters from his Senator, Congressman and County Executive to mark this momentous occasion. What an awesome way to begin a STEM-tastic Summer.

His next STEM adventure would take place as he participated in his first Cub Scout Summer Day Camp in Hughesville, MD at the Kings Landing National Park. He had an opportunity to present a STEM project to his fellow Scouts and complete the NOVA section: Uncovering the Past with the help of his camp Den Leader, Amanda Zimmerman.


Once Cub Scout Camp came to a close, he continued to explore the world of STEM by attending a STEM Fair at the Community Center in Alexandria, VA which was sponsored by an organization named Fly Minds. At this event, he was the grand prize winner of a STEM door raffle. He won his very own VEX Robot. Later in the summer, he attended 2 of 3 free STEM Day programs by Fly Minds where he was a part of team that built and programmed their own robot. Now that’s cool!!

Just when you thought his STEM-TASTIC Summer couldn’t get any better, a new STEM Scout unit was forming in Alexandria, VA which he became a part of. His Cub Scout Pack 539 was taking a break during the summer and his STEM Scout unit Lab 9941 led by Burt Wagner was just getting off the ground. His new uniform was a lab coat, disposal gloves and rubber goggles. The first three weeks his unit did science experiments that made Slime, a Bouncy Ball and Silly Sand. Each experiment required Marco and his lab mates to read lab instructions, gather the necessary ingredients and mix various items to get different results as the project called for. It was funny watching the kids learn by measuring and modifying the experiments to see if more or less of an item made a difference towards the end result.


Marco’s last STEM adventure for the Summer would involve the DMV NSBE Jr Chapter located at Howard University. He became a new member and membership has privileges. During the school year, he will be a member of the Lego Robotics team. Each weekend, he will have the chance to learn Spanish and work on Advance mathematics. What I thought was the coolest thing that NSBE Jr had to offer was Marco could talk to an Astronaut and get all of his science and space questions answered.

STEM summer days are over and Prince George’s County schools are be back in session. Hopefully, this article will encourage other Scouts to learn more about STEM and to see what activities occur during the school year! Have a STEM-TASTIC day!

STEM University 2019

by

Creative minds filled the Microsoft Technology Center as the various STEM professionals spoke about space, flight and the endless possibilities that STEM could bring the world.

STEM in Scouting provides Scouts with the fundamental skills and education necessary in preparing today’s youth for life in the 21st Century.

Throughout the morning, Scouts presented their well-planned science fair projects during the Einstein Science Fair while Scouters helped. Scouts enjoyed courses such as Meet a STEM Professional, a class on the scientific method and were able to work on the newest STEM NOVA award, Up and Away.

For more information on NCAC’s STEM program, please visit our events page and we hope to see you at the next STEM U!