2023-24 Hybrid K-5th Grade Programming

Baby Scientist, Inc: Discovering the "S" in STEM w/Dr. Kristy

Facilitated by Dr. Kristy McDowell, Molecular Biologist, scholars will conduct monthly hands-on activities including in-person AND virtual interactive experiments like DNA Extraction with Strawberries, Aerospace Bottle Rockets; Mechanical Buoyancy Boats; Chemical Jelly Marbles & Elephant Toothpaste!

Learn more about how Dr. Kristy will inspire one young mind at a time at Baby Scientist and Conquer All.

FIRST Lego League, Jr. (FLL, Jr)

Baby Scientist, Inc: Discovering the "S" in STEM w/Dr. Kristy

K – 3rd Grade

Teams of 3-6
Real-world scientific concepts
Research, teamwork, construction, imagination
Build a moving model of LEGO bricks
Develop a poster display of their work at the Regional Lego Expo AND NSBE’s Annual Convention

It is never too early to discover STEM!FIRST® LEGO® League Junior was developed to introduce children ages 5-10 years to STEM and engineering topics by the colorful Lego bricks many already know.
Students will explore real existing problems such as resources, recycling, energy, or the coexistence of humans and animals. They create a Show Me poster that presents their discovery and their team, and they build a motorized model of LEGO bricks.

Is FLL, Jr. Fun? https://youtu.be/cS81pRz1yuA

Elementary Competitions & Programs

FIRST Lego League

Microsoft Code Academy

4th & 5th Grade

Teams of 4-5
Real-world engineering challenges
Build LEGO-based robots
Compete at regional competitions AND NSBE’s Annual Convention

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) is a program that introduces children to science & technology in a fun, energized atmosphere of sportsmanship.

The objective is to:

foster enthusiasm about science and technology in young children.
equip the participants with the idea of team spirit
encourage children to solve complex tasks in a creative way

Students will research a given topic within a team, as well as plan, program and test an autonomous robot to solve a mission. FLL Teams have the opportunity to experience all steps of a real product development process: solving a problem under time pressure with insufficient resources and unknown competitors. FLL is a small micro-cosmos of real business life in all of its aspects.

FLL In Action!

Microsoft Code Academy

Grades K-5

Facilitated by Blacks at Microsoft (BAM), students will be able to jump start their future in STEM by choosing from coding classes ranging from Scratch, HTML and JavaScript to app development and game design.

The virtual coding classes will teach computer programming skills through interactive and exciting projects especially for kids who have great imaginations, like figuring out how things work or simply love technology.

Students will have so much fun creating video games, animated stories and bringing their imaginations to life not realizing all the cool skills he or she is learning along the way: basic coding and programming, problem solving, logic, physics and more!

Scheduling

Team Practices, Enrichment Classes & Workshops: When Do They Meet?

Many children in the DC Metro Area love STEM but may not want to be an engineer (or even know what engineers do). For this reason, DMV NSBE, Jr. will offer a variety of STEM programming & other enrichment classes to our members. To ensure that our members can not only participate in any of our chapter's programming AND outside extra-curricular activities; weekly team practices, enrichment classes, workshops and monthly chapter meetings will occur on the weekends:

Saturday's: 10am-6pm

Sunday's: 12:00pm-6pm

**The exact time & day is determined by the coach/facilitator and agreed upon by the team parents.

Chapter Meetings: 1st Sunday of Each Month (5pm-6:30pm)

Our student-led chapter meetings are hands-on intended for BOTH the student members AND their parents.

Scheduling our programs on Saturday's & Sunday's gives students, parents & coaches the flexibility to have an enriching NSBE, Jr. experience while also giving them time to spend with family & nurture their non-STEM interests.

The new 2024-25 Program Schedule is being finalized & will be emailed to members once finalized!

How Can We Juggle It All?

Schedules for team practices & enrichment classes will be determined by the dedicated volunteer coaches & mentors serving our children. From our experiences, the most successful NSBE, Jr. chapters also have a high percentage of parent-coaches who have children in the chapter. We hope you consider serving as a coach for one of your child's math or technical teams. Besides exploring engineering together & having fun guiding your child (& their teammates) in exciting hands-on STEM adventures - YOU, your co-coach and the parents on your child's team get to decide the practice meeting schedule! Ex: Will our FLL team practice on Saturday's from 1pm-2:30pm or Sunday's 2pm-3:30pm. Does this time work well for everyone on our team? Does it conflict with my son's football & karate schedule? Will my daughter be able to do FIRST Lego League, a coding class and also gymnastics with her travelling club program?

Consider Being a Coach! Coach & Mentor Training Coming Soon!