I hope no one minds, but I would like to take liberty here with the words of Dean Kamen, the Founder of FIRST^® Robotics. Kamen developed the vision for FIRST^® which is for all young people – but I want to focus on young women today. My revision goes like this “Robotics can transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young women dream of becoming science and technology leaders.”

This summer, Virginia students and teachers in grades 4-6 explored the possibilities of life on Mars as part of the Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA) Summer Camp and Teacher Training Institute. VISTA is a partnership among 69 school districts, six universities and the Virginia Department of Education. The goals of VISTA are to improve science teaching and student learning in Virginia.

Mountain bikes are great, but would one work on the face of the Moon? NASA engineers and VCU’s School of Engineering students know better. The Moon’s rock-and-roll face is not a mountain trail. Special engineering skills are needed to design and build a vehicle humans can ride across the moon’s alien environment. 

Nuclear science is part of our everyday lives – from the energy that powers our world to applications in medicine and food safety.

This summer, Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Engineering is again collaborating with the Virginia Section of the American Nuclear Society, and other professional societies, to conduct a four day Science Teacher Workshop on the “Science of Nuclear Energy and Radiation.” Now is the time for teachers in grades 6 through 12 across the US to apply for the 2012 summer program.