Our Mission
MESA's unique mission is to encourage, motivate, support and prepare students for success in the pursuit of undergraduate degrees and careers in mathematics, engineering, science and technology. MESA serves all students but has a particular interest and focus on students from groups that are historically underrepresented in science, engineering, and other math based careers. MESA students in elementary, middle and high schools prepare for and explore these professions through collaborative projects focused on building math, science, technology and communication skills.
La Misión Principál de MESA
La misión principál de MESA es animar, motivar, apoyar y preparar estudiantes para el éxito en la búsqueda de titulos universitarios y vocación en matemáticas, ingenieria, ciencias y tecnologia. MESA sirve a todos los estudiantes pero tiene un interés particular y se enfoca en estudiantes de grupos que son históricamente poco representados en ciencias, ingenieria y otras bases vocacionales de las matemáticas. Los estudiantes de MESA en escuelas primarias, intermedias y secundarias se preparan para explorar esas profesiones a travéz de proyectos colaboradores enfocados en construir matemática cientifica, technologiá y capacidad de comunicación.
Lyons Middle School MESA Flies High!!
Lyons middle school students participating in the Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) program visited Skyventure in Denver on Saturday, March 15. Skyventure is an indoor skydiving facility that uses a vertical wind tunnel and certified instructors to simulate a relatively safe skydiving experience. Thirty-two students and several parents participated in the activity. Each participant went through a brief training session with a certified instructor, who then accompanied them into the wind tunnel for two minutes of flight time.
Casa MESA Team Brings Home Outstanding Teamwork Award and Qualifies for the Colorado FIRST LEGO League Championship Event!
A team of enthusiastic middle school MESA students from Casa de la Esperanza competed in the 2007 Boulder FIRST LEGO League Qualifier Tournament at the University of Colorado at Boulder on Saturday, November 17. The rookie team prepared for the Qualifier by designing and building robots that pushed miniature wind turbines or performed other tasks related to renewable energy. They were expertly guided by MESA advisor, Michael Lozano, and retired IBM engineer, Wayne Bauer. The team was rewarded for their efforts by receiving a trophy for the "FIRST LEGO League Challenge Outstanding Teamwork Award Boulder FLL Qualifier 2007". The team will advance to the Colorado FIRST LEGO League Championship Event at the Auraria Event Center on December 15. Join us for the Championship Event and cheer for the Casa MESA FIRST LEGO team!
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This year the FIRST LEGO League Power Puzzle focus was "Global Resources-Meeting the World Demand". Students explored how energy production and consumption choices affect the planet and our quality of life today, tomorrow, and for future generations. They investigated how our personal energy choices to heat our homes, fuel our cars, charge our cell phones, power our computers, or even download music to our iPods impact the environment, economy, and life around the globe. Click "Play" below it view a short video.
Casa MESA Team Brings Home Outstanding Teamwork Award and Qualifies for the Colorado FIRST LEGO League Championship Event!
A team of enthusiastic middle school MESA students from Casa de la Esperanza competed in the 2007 Boulder FIRST LEGO League Qualifier Tournament at the University of Colorado at Boulder on Saturday, November 17. The rookie team prepared for the Qualifier by designing and building robots that pushed miniature wind turbines or performed other tasks related to renewable energy. They were expertly guided by MESA advisor, Michael Lozano, and retired IBM engineer, Wayne Bauer. The team was rewarded for their efforts by receiving a trophy for the "FIRST LEGO League Challenge Outstanding Teamwork Award Boulder FLL Qualifier 2007". The team will advance to the Colorado FIRST LEGO League Championship Event at the Auraria Event Center on December 15. Join us for the Championship Event and cheer for the Casa MESA FIRST LEGO team!
Click here for more pictures
This year the FIRST LEGO League Power Puzzle focus was "Global Resources-Meeting the World Demand". Students explored how energy production and consumption choices affect the planet and our quality of life today, tomorrow, and for future generations. They investigated how our personal energy choices to heat our homes, fuel our cars, charge our cell phones, power our computers, or even download music to our iPods impact the environment, economy, and life around the globe. Click "Play" below it view a short video.
Coal Ridge MESA Students Take Off with NASA!
What do balloons and beach balls have to do with rocket science? How fast must a rocket travel to escape the gravity of Earth and launch into space? What factors must people consider if they want to send a rocket into space? Jose Matienzo answered questions like these when he visited MESA science students in Colorado earlier this year. Jose is an engineer from NASA (National Aeronautic and Space Association) who works with teams that design and build rockets. Jose also loves to visit with young people! This fall he visited science students at a variety of schools, including Coal Ridge Middle School in Firestone, Colorado. The pictures show him with some of the MESA students from Coal Ridge. The students have just been learning about the Bernoulli effect, and the fact a rocket (even a heavy, loaded rocket with supplies and people) must be able to travel 18,000 miles per hour!
Mary Magee, Coal Ridge MESA Advisor
MESA Approved as a Science Elective in St. Vrain's Middle and High Schools!
Skyline High, Altona and Coal Ridge Middle Schools will continue to offer MESA as a science elective this year. Students will earn .5 hours credit per semester. If your school would like to offer MESA as a science elective, please see Advisor Information for specific course numbers. Check with Jeremy LaCrosse, Science Coordinator, for details about establishing MESA as a science elective.
Please see Advisor Information
St. Vrain MESA Expo to Be Held on April 29th!
Mark your calendars for the April 29th St. Vrain MESA Expo at Heritage Middle School from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. MESA students will highlight their projects and recognize community members, corporations, and university partners.
Join the celebration!
St. Vrain MESA Goes Green!
Living Green will be a main theme for the 2007-2008 school year. MESA students will participate in projects focusing on renewable energy, sustainable development, ecology, and other related topics. We are also excited about the prospect of a new and innovative project - the development of a "green building" science laboratory for K-12 MESA students to be constructed at Casa de la Esperanza in Longmont, Colorado.
Pictured are Diana Silva and Chris Bonilha, Multicultural Engineering Program students from CU Boulder, building a model wind generator.
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Casa de la Esperanza/MESA Team Wins Special Trophy at the Western Regional FIRST Robotics Competition!
After more than 100 hours of intensive work designing and building a robot for the FIRST Robotics Competition, the Casa MESA FIRST Robotics team was awarded a special trophy: "FIRST Robotics Competition Highest Rookie Seed Award" for points scored during the competition in January, 2007.
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St. Vrain MESA Students and Programs Recognized for Achievements!
In addition to Casa/MESA's FIRST Robotics award, several MESA students and programs received scholarships and special recognition during the '06-'07 school year.
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MESA in Head Start
If you can, imagine over 150 children (under age five) eagerly engaged in hands-on math and science activities during their Head Start classes at four Longmont locations including the Powell Building, Casa de la Esperanza, United Methodist Church, and the Seventh Day Adventist Church. While participating in a Latino Parent Leadership Training Project Class, Dulce Gonzales, Head Start parent, asked the simple question, "Is there MESA in Head Start?" This question prompted a flurry of grant writing to purchase hands-on math and science kits and Head Start MESA became a reality. Thanks goes to Dulce. Gonzales for raising the issue and others for supporting it, including Amgen, The Education Foundation for the St. Vrain Valley, the Youth Asset Fund, the Longmont Children's Council, St. Vrain MESA, El Comité de Longmont, Boulder Community Action Program, parents of Head Start students, and the amazing Head Start teachers.
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Science is Everywhere!
On March 11, 65 fourth and fifth grade MESA students from Columbine, Spangler, Lyons, Loma Linda, Indian Peaks, Burlington, Rocky Mountain, and the Erie Girl Scout/MESA group participated in Science is Everywhere at Columbine Elementary. Seven local science organizations including: CU Science Discovery; Thorne Ecological Institute; National Center for Atmospheric Research; National Institute of Standards; The Watershed Approach to Stream Health; CU Fiske Planetarium, CU College of Engineering’s Integrated Teaching and Learning Lab provided hands-on activities on a variety of topics.
Science Really is Everywhere!
MESA Family Night at Fiske Planetarium Draws a Large Crowd!
On March 18, approximately 190 MESA students and family members headed to Boulder for a special Fiske/MESA Family Night. The program at Fiske featured demonstrations and activities that were presented by the local science organizations for the MESA students at the Saturday Science is Everywhere Event. Families visited each activity station giving students the opportunity to teach their families what they learned at the week before. Tito Salas presented a bilingual star show in the Planetarium Theater. Attendees enjoyed a delicious dinner catered by a Casa Alvarez.
Pictured is The De'Leon-Guiterrez Family
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WB2 Mile High Skies Program Presentation
WB2 Meteorologist Dave Fraser and Julia Pirnack, College in Colorado and Longmont's Mayor, present WB2 Mile High Skies program for Sunset MESA students!
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IBM brings Mindstorm Robotics to Columbine MESA program
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Featured Student
Diana Silva is one of MESA's success stories. Diana became involved with MESA as a junior at Skyline High School. She was both a MESA advisor and MESA student. Diana inspired MESA students at Spangler Elementary and Heritage Middle schools. Through her work with MESA, Diana was introduced to the Aerospace Engineering program at CU Boulder and she is now in her second year in engineering. Diana continued her work with MESA through CU's Aerospace Engineering Outreach Program, Citizen Explorer.
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MESA Project Hosted by Xilinx
Xilinx Colorado hosted “Operation Montserrat” for the Lyons Middle School MESA program (Math Engineering and Science Achievement) on Friday afternoon, February 25th. After two months of learning about vulcanism, hurricanes, disaster planning and collecting and interpreting data, the 7th & 8th grade students participated in a two-hour electronic mission. 17 students used their math and science skills, as well as problem solving, teamwork and communication skills, in an authentic crisis situation. The students worked in four teams--volcano, hurricane, evacuation or communication.
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