Gifted Atlanta

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology invites anyone interested in birds or citizen science to take part in its October Big Day this Saturday, October 9.

By participating, you’ll be joining thousands of other birders around the world who are making note of birds they see. As with other citizen-science birding events, October Big Day helps scientists see patterns in bird populations and migrations.

You can be part of Global Big Day by watching for birds for as little as 10 minutes, anytime during the day, at any location — although if you’re looking for a birding hot spot, the Cornell Lab can make suggestions. You’ll log the birds you spot through the free eBird mobile app. I use this app myself. It’s not completely intuitive, but it’s pretty easy to learn using the online tutorial. Once you learn to use it for October Big Day, you can continue using it anytime to submit lists of the birds you see, as often (or as rarely) as you like.

If you’re new to birding, you may want to also download the Cornell Lab’s Merlin app, which can help you identify birds by size, by coloring, and even by song.

The CEISMC program at Georgia Tech will host STEAM Workshops for students in grades 6 through 12 and K.I.D.S. Club classes for students in grades 2 through 5 on Saturday, September 25. Both programs are taking place on the Georgia Tech campus.

The sessions for elementary and middle-school students focus on various aspects of coding. High-school students will learn the basics of computer-based 3-D automotive design.

Gwinnett Alliance for Gifted Education will host its Saturday Exploration Program for elementary and middle-school students online this fall.

Class topics include digital storytelling, animation, drone engineering and 3D modeling.

Classes will meet weekly for five Saturdays, October 16 through November 13. Cost to enroll is $125 for GAGE members, $150 for non-members. Registration deadline is October 9.

The Math Circle program at Emory University is now registering for its fall 2021 classes, which will be a mix of online and in-person sessions.

Middle-school sections will be held online, via Zoom. Lessons have been reworked for the online format. Each online session will be 40 minutes long.

Two sections for high-school students will be held in person, on the Emory campus. In-person classes will meet for 75 minutes. Students enrolling in the high-school sections must show proof of vaccination and must wear masks in the classroom, in accordance with Emory policy.

A separate online section will be offered for high-schoolers who prefer the virtual format.

Math Circle is a free enrichment program for middle-school and high-school kids who are fascinated by mathematics and who want to explore math topics beyond what’s taught in the typical classroom. Classes meet twice a month on Saturdays. The fall 2021 session starts in mid-September and runs through mid-December.

Sora Schools has granted public access to a repository of activities they’ve used in their classrooms, on topics ranging from oceanography to philosophy to world history, and much more.

To use the activities library, you’ll need to provide your email address, which will subscribe you to the school’s newsletter. You’ll then have access to all the activities, free of charge.

Sora is a fully-virtual, accredited high school with an emphasis on project-based learning and skill mastery, rather than letter grades. Its academic program options include a full-time school with a broad curriculum, and a part-time program in STEM or humanities that can be used to supplement a home-school curriculum.

Kinase Academy offers programs for students in grades 6 through 9 who are interested in science and scientific research. Its next two programs (both virtual) are:

• Pathway to STEM. This one-hour session connects young people with college students, who give them guidance about how to find mentors and pursue a college education and career in a STEM field. The program will be held March 27. Attendance is free, but advance registration is required.
  
• Be a Cancer Researcher. In this four-week course, which will meet online twice each week, students will learn the basics of cancer biology and data research. Then, working in small teams under the leadership of a college-student mentor, they’ll learn how to access cancer patient data online and conduct their own research. The class begins April 6; application deadline is March 29.

Kinase Academy was founded by two cancer researchers at Emory University, and Emory students frequently serve as assistants in Kinase classes; however, the academy has no official connection to the university.

The program offers scholarships for students with financial need.

Executive director Jackie Valett welcomes your questions. Her email (deconstructed here to foil spambots) is jackie.valett AT emory DOT edu.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra invites serious musicians who are currently in grades 4 through 9 to apply for next year’s Talent Development Program (TDP).

Students selected for TDP receive weekly lessons with an ASO musician, financial assistance for music summer programs, performance opportunities, audition coaching and other benefits.

This is a selective program, accepting only 25 young musicians for the year. TDP aims to bring diversity to high-level musical education; therefore, to qualify for TDP, a student must have at least one parent who is Black or Latinx.

An information session about the 2021-2022 TDP and the applications and audition processes will be held today, March 1, at 6 p.m. on Zoom. (Sorry about the late notice — I only received word of this today myself.) You must sign up to attend.

Applications for TDP are due March 7.

If you’re looking for STEM activities and content, here are four things to check out:

1. Georgia Tech’s CEISMC K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshops are registering students in grades 4 through 12 for workshops that will take place on March 13. CEISMC also is signing up students in grades 6 through 8 for the next round of its after-school STEAM Whistle Workshops, which will begin March 9. All workshops are being held virtually.
   
2. The annual Atlanta Science Festival returns March 13-27. Many events this year will be virtual. Some are being held in person outdoors. As usual, there is a vast slate of programs. Go to their website to search and sign up. This year’s festival will not include the Exploration Expo, which is usually held on the final day of the festival in Piedmont Park.
   
3. The Georgia Research Alliance has launched a YouTube channel called Xplorers, with videos featuring real college students who talk about what it’s like to work in some of the leading scientific laboratories at Georgia universities.
   
4. STEM Gems, a company (with an associated book) aimed at encouraging more girls to pursue STEM careers, will host its STEM Gems Summit on March 20. This virtual event will allow girls (and boys, too), parents and educators to meet women working in STEM fields and learn how to prepare for STEM careers. Tickets to the event are $30 and up.