'05-'06 MESA Projects Supported by Collaborative Partnerships!
A wide variety of MESA projects would not be possible without support from partnerships with Amgen; Challenger Learning Center; Colorado Energy Science Center; Denver Zoo; Education Foundation for the St. Vrain Valley; IBM; Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics; Multicultural Engineering Program, CU; Optical Society of America; Science Discovery, CU; Space Grant Consortium, CU; St. Vrain Valley Schools; and Xilinx.
Schools/Organizations served [*new programs in '05-'06]:
Elementary Programs:
- Casa de la Esperanza
- *Head Start MESA
- *Latino Parent Leadership Training Project MESA
- *Erie Girl Scouts MESA
Middle School Programs:
- Lyons, Westview, Sunset, Heritage, Erie, Longs Peak
- *Trail Ridge
High School Programs:
- Silver Creek, Longmont High, Skyline High
All projects both continuing and new are designed to promote student achievement in math, science, engineering, and technology. The MESA Expo is scheduled for May 4, 2006 and will highlight programs described above. The MESA Expo is designed to let the pubic know about MESA's accomplishments for the year.
Continued sponsorship of existing MESA Projects:
Colorado Energy Science- Elementary, Middle, and High
- Provides curriculum, materials/supplies, and professional development for the Colorado Home Energy Project.
CU/Boulder- Space Grant Consortium- Elementary
- The Citizen Explorer Project provides units on space science for elementary students. Aerospace engineering students facilitate the provide curriculum, materials and supplies and facilitate the unit/learning module.
CU/Boulder- Integrated Teaching and Learning Lab- Middle and High
- IT'LL has supported MESA in a variety of ways including professional development for MESA advisors, conducting seminars for MESA students, providing guest speakers and field trip opportunities.
Denver Zoo Young Scientist Program
- Students are engaged in authentic research as they use data collection methods practiced by scientists. Research is conducted at the zoo and during MESA classes at school. The end product is a presentation that makes recommendations for habitat enclosure improvement for selected zoo animals.
Jason Project- 5th-8th
- The Jason Project will be continued by the Denver Zoo. The topic will be Mysteries of Earth and Mars. Provides curriculum, materials/supplies and professional development for the MESA advisor.
Science Explorers- 5th-8th
- This year's topic is natural disasters. Provides curriculum, materials/supplies and professional development for the MESA advisor.
The Watershed Approach to Stream Health (WASH) Project- City of Boulder and others
- Provides water education programs for all grade levels.
Projects New to MESA for the 2005-2006 school year:
Mindstorm Robotics/IBM-Elementary
- 4th and 5th Grade MESA at Columbine and Indian Peaks- provides all materials/supplies for a robotics program; includes mentors from IBM.
Hands-On Optics/Optical Society of America and others- 5th-8th
- 5-8 MESA students- provides kits, professional development for advisors to conduct units focusing on optics.
Project BEAR (Builds Environmental Awareness and Respect)-Thorne Ecological
- Provides environmental education activities for elementary programs.
Science Discovery/CU-Elementary
- Six Elementary MESA Programs-provides programming from CU's Science Discovery Kits; facilitator included.
Science is Everywhere-Elementary
- 4th and 5th Grade MESA programs-provides a Saturday program and a field trip for students and parents to Fiske Planetarium.
Challenger Learning Center of Colorado Springs-Elementary, Middle and High
- "Moon, Mars, and Beyond" for grades 3-5 [New for 2005-06 school year].
- Rendevous with a Comet 5th-7th
- Voyage to Mars (8th-10th)
- Operation Montserrat for 7-9
- Space Station Alpha for 10th-12, Operation Montserrat in Spanish.
Voyages Through Time/Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics-High School
- Provides a 6 week unit on the origin of the solar system includes facilitators and a field trip to the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.
