Newsletter Archive

Newsletter May 2007

YOUR INVITED!!

by Tara Neumann

It is the end of the year and the girls of WIBIT are ready to show off what they have been doing all year! WIBIT, Women In Biotech & Information Technology,is a grant funded program from the Department of Education, Woman's Educational Equity Act. It is an after-school program for middle school girls to be engaged in science and technology in fun, creative ways and to explore the career opportunities that exist. The program is broken up into two areas of focus:

7th Grade WIBIT: Soda Pop Rocks, RazzaDazz Soda Pop and Jungle Soda are just a few of the business names that the girls have created this year.Participants create their own brand of soda, and learn how to design an ecommerce website to market and sell their products. They learn how each member of a team contributes to the overall success of a business.

8th Grade WIBIT: The Case of the Wine Glass and Murder in Spokane tell the story that the 8th grade CSI WIBIT teams have solved. The girls used scientific methods and deductive reasoning to solve the mystery. They learned how to tell a story and the science that is behind crime solving. They have an understanding and appreciation of all the hard work that goes into making a computer game and the many career opportunities that exist in the world of game development.

WIBIT will be showcasing all the hard work that the girls from East Valley Middle School and Centennial Middle School have done this year! Please come by and taste the sodas, see the websites and play the games!

WHERE: The University of Phoenix, 8721 E Mission, May 31, 2007 from 4:30-6:00pm

WIBIT Website

UPDATE on Tincan's NSF School Project

by Fred Joslin

Students participating in Tincan's National Science Foundation science and technology program gathered at Riverside High School on May 18 to show their work and discuss their future plans. Students from Riverside High School presented modeling and simulation projects using NetLogo, while students from Inchelium High School presented their scientific investigations on the environment. The group from Phoenix Alternative School in Nine Mile Falls presented their plan to map noxious weed cover and the impact of weed eradication efforts. Colville High School showed GIS maps of their school grounds, and detailed their plan to develop a simulation of carbon monoxide pollution caused by cars idling at the school. The presentations were followed by a GIS activity that sent students around the world to uncover clues to solving a final environmental puzzle.

The project is now is recruiting Grade 7-12 Science teachers to participate in this summer's RSSIT science and technology workshops. The recruitment area has been expanded to include all of Washington State and northern Idaho. This National Science Foundation funded project will add the technology of game development to the roster of GIS and Modeling and Simulation workshops this summer. Teachers unable to hold follow-up summer camps at their own schools will be able to practice their new skills at one- week student camps for each technology hosted by Tincan at East Valley High School in Spokane.

RSSIT Website

The Inland Northwest Memories Project

by Elisha Durrant

The Inland Northwest Memories Project (INMP), an online local and regional history archive, began two after school programs with Chase Middle School and Sacajawea Middle School. Students are learning how to conduct oral histories and interview older area residents. This is a prefect opportunity for intergenerational communication. We hope to expand the program this fall. INMP is also looking for individuals that would like to share their story, photographs, letters, etc that relate to Spokane, especially the downtown area. Please contact Elisha Durrant at 509-744-0972.

The Inland Northwest Memories Project Website

Teen Video Wins Award

by Hannah Whitmore

Teens participating in Tincan's video production program won the Regional 2007 National Student Television Award for documentary for their film "The Circle Documentary." The documentary explores teen parenting through interviews with Spokane teens who are parents, and looks at public attitudes toward teen parents. Teens who produced the documentary include Ian Petrofski, Sophia Lawhead, Nora Taylor, Anya Klyukanova, Jessica Hammil, Amanda Edwards, Zac Kelty, and Stephanie Cooper. Nora Taylor said about the project "I learned a lot about film and teen parenting and met a lot of cool people. It changed my perspective and inspired me to pursue film." The award will be presented at the Northwest Regional Emmy Awards ceremony held in Seattle on June 2. Tincan Media Integration Coordinator Hannah Whitmore will attend the ceremony with four of the teens. Tincan's video production program also won an honorable mention in the news category for their video segment "Scene Kids". There will be a showing of the videos on Tuesday June 12 at 4. p.m. at 827 West First Ave, Suite 110.