CENI Newsletter — April 2023

Happy springtime to our CENI community! We are having a busy time hosting field trips, preparing for ICAT Day (May 1), and celebrating all the great work happening in our networks - Campus Engagement Network, Educator Liaison Network, and our fabulous Student Network. School children, museum visitors, college students, and even faculty are learning new things, seeing new possibilities, and strengthening networks because of our work together. Thanks for continuing to inspire, connect, and impact with us. 

Phyllis Newbill
Associate Director of Educational Networks

ICAT Creativity + Innovation Day

ICAT Day 2023 is approaching! The Institute of Creativity, Arts, and Technology has hosted an annual celebration of creativity and innovation by students and faculty through a public showcase in the Moss Arts Center for a decade. This year’s theme is Beyond, where we will focus on the kinds of work people do beyond a transdisciplinary education, how disciplines and identity are intertwined, and how that relationship can help and transform. It will be held on Monday, May 1, 2023. Exhibits will be open at the Moss Arts Center from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., followed by a panel discussion that features ICAT graduates at 3:00 p.m. and a reception to close out the event at the CID Building. We encourage you to join us for a full day of inspiring interactions and fun at the intersections of science, engineering, arts, and design. 

Publication alert

Stemming from a Robot Musical Theater 2021-2022 ICAT Major SEAD Grant with a matching grant from the Center for Human Computer Interaction, Virginia Tech students and faculty recently published “A Child-Robot Musical Theater Afterschool Program for Promoting STEAM Education: A Case Study and Guidelines” in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. The manuscript offers insights into an afterschool program led by Myounghoon “Philart” Jeon and Koeun Choi in partnership with Eastern Montgomery Elementary School and the Boys and Girls Club that increased children’s interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and the arts by connecting social robots and theater production. The collaboration included a multidisciplinary team of faculty, staff, and students from Industrial and Systems Engineering, Human Development and Family Science, the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology, the Center for Educational Networks and Impacts, and the School of Performing Arts. 

Phyllis Newbill Receives Girl Scout Appreciation Pin

For their hard work and dedication to the troops, Phyllis Newbill and her camp colleague Amy Hudson received Girl Scout awards at the Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council's annual volunteer recognition event. The Appreciation Pin that Phyllis received represents her going above and beyond for the local Girl Scout troops and campers. 

Meet the Campus Engagement Network: Dr. Kim Lester

This month, CENI would like to call attention to Dr. Kim Lester. Following her passion for veterinary medicine that developed during her youth spent in upstate New York on a dairy farm, Dr. Lester obtained her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University. Dr. Kim Lester also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the College of Santa Fe. At Virginia Tech, Dr. Lester combines her passion for STEM and teaching by making K-12 students aware of all the opportunities that come with a STEM degree. She is especially passionate about reaching underserved and underrepresented student communities. As a part of her work, Dr. Lester coordinates the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED) pre-college programs for a wide range of students. These programs include Imagination (7th and 8th grade students), BLAST (9th and 10th grade students), C-Tech2 (rising 11th and 12th grade young women), BEE VT (rising 11th and 12th grade African-American students), and Women’s Preview Weekend (women admitted to the College of Engineering). Dreaming of her perfect day outside of the classroom setting, Dr. Lester would like to spend that time hiking in a forest in a foreign country with her fam

Service Learning Course Update

Thank you to Dr. Jake Grohs and Matthew Norris for offering a guest lecture on Wicked Problems and Systems Thinking in Dr. Chelsea Haines' ENGE 2524: Exploring Service Learning through STEM/STEAM Educational Outreach.

Several of the educational outreach projects being organized by the service learning students were pictured in this Annual kids camp explores STEM video.  

Broader Impacts

Broader Impacts 101
Thursday, May 4, 1:30-3 p.m.
Creativity + Innovation District (CID) Multipurpose Library

Many funding agencies now require impacts that extend beyond an academic audience to benefit broader society. The Center for Educational Networks and Impacts (CENI) housed within the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) collaborates with university researchers to develop and evaluate broader impacts plans that are mutually beneficial to researchers and the public. CENI leverages established networks of university faculty and staff who do educational outreach, as well as formal and informal educators from organizations such as preK-12 school districts, museums, maker spaces, and the Virginia Tech Science Festival. These networks help faculty share their research with public audiences in ways that benefit communities. In this session, Drs. Chelsea Haines and Phyllis Newbill will share processes and support available to Virginia Tech researchers, followed by a panel that will share their experiences with successful collaborations.

Contact: Chelsea Haines

CENI and Partners in the News

• Virginia Tech researchers receive National Science Foundation award to secure vegetable production in a changing environment - Congratulations Lisa McNair and Chelsea Haines! 
• Using art and innovation to solve industry’s problems - Congratulations Ben Knapp, Tom Martin, and Lisa McNair! 
• Alexandria City middle schoolers become NASA engineers during Project Red Rover. Baibhav Nepal, a general engineering major, one of CENI’s undergraduate data analysts, helped with this project. He shares a bit about his experience: “The efforts we put behind creating this project were worth it when the children built the robots, coded them, and made them efficient enough to collect blocks (soil samples from Mars). The excitement with which they presented their robots in front of their parents was a moment when I realized that we have inspired at least a few kids to probably pursue STEM in the future.”
• Reynolds Homestead hosts a splendiferous Seuss celebration
• Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz earns Fulbright scholarship to study pollution in the Amazon rainforest
• Computer science researchers lead the defense against the dark side of tech
• Faika Tahir, a doctoral candidate in sociology and one of CENI’s summer graduate student employees, was featured in the Pathways spring newsletter for her work with difficult conversations in undergraduate education.
• Annual kids camp explores STEM features Kristy Collins and Kids-Tech University.
• ICAT Playdate - Future Technologies as Portals to the Past received a special guest on March 17, 2023. Virginia Tech Doodler, Steven White, was there to sketch a snapshot of the event speaker, Derek Ham, in a Doodle. This ICAT Playdate focused on the ways in which VR and AR can be used to better understand society’s complex history. If you did not get a chance to attend but want to hear more about using mixed reality as a tool for understanding the past, watch the recording for this ICAT Playdate.

• Collaborative art exhibit: ‘The Underwater Wonders of Toms Creek,’ a product of a major SEAD grant from ICAT, remains on display in the Perspective Gallery of Squires Student Center until May 10. The Perspective Gallery (Second floor of Squires Student Center) is open every Monday 6-9 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday 12-9 p.m., and Sunday 1-5 p.m.

CENI Educator Liaison Corner

Montgomery County Public Schools

6th-grade gifted students from across MCPS had the opportunity to explore several different jobs that food scientists do while touring the Food Science lab. They even received a lesson on how ice cream becomes ice cream which they will utilize in their upcoming engineering unit. Once they finished their lesson and “samples,” the students headed over to the Fralin Life Sciences Institute and learned how to extract DNA from strawberries. Science sure is tasty! 

Shawsville Middle School 6th-graders enjoyed a day at Newman Library learning about space and coordinate planes. Students got to look at some of the space-themed items in the archives, including an astronomy book from the 1800s. They used their knowledge of coordinate planes and angles to send rockets into orbit, to the moon, and even to Mars in the prototyping lab. While learning about coordinate planes, students were amazed to learn that math is used in music while visiting Virginia Tech Digging In The Crates. To round out their visit, students learned how VR is still a new technology and can be used for way more than games.

Interested in partnering with MCPS? Contact Amy Guerin. 

Floyd County Public Schools

FCPS fifth graders experienced what it feels like to be a Hokie for A Day with a college orientation experience provided by the Center for Educational Networks and Impacts and the College Access Collaborative. While on campus, students received an overview of college life and possible majors while also being immersed in hands-on experiences, inspiring them to consider a multitude of college and career paths. Special thanks to the Geology Department for their content-focused involvement!

Pulaski County Public Schools

Fifth grade students from Snowville Elementary enjoyed a day at Virginia Tech learning about life as a college student. Students toured the Ware Lab and learned how engineers use math and science to develop vehicles to compete in races. They learned how musicians use math to build songs with Virginia Tech’s Digging in the Crates. They got to see physics in action with the Department of Physics, built Robot sculptures to take home with them, and were able to tour the Follow your Heart Wholeheartedly 2 gallery exhibit by Anne Samat at the Moss Arts Center.

Tenth grade students in Driver Education at Pulaski County High School participated in the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s outreach program called Sharing the Road with Trucks to help them remain safe while driving around larger commercial vehicles. 

Students interested in engineering as a career pathway attended the Virginia Tech College of Engineering’s Open House.

Students in Culinary Arts and Vet Science visited the Virginia Tech Meat Lab for a tour of the facilities and to learn more about livestock production and food safety.

Sophomores and Juniors considering a career in teaching Agriculture Education, Business and Information Technology, Family & Consumer Science, Marketing Education or Technology Education were able to attend the CTE Experience Day at Virginia Tech to learn more about becoming a teacher in these subjects.

Sixth graders at Pulaski County Middle School taking Technology Education were able to visit the Qualcomm Thinkabit lab to learn more about STEM.

Pulaski County Public Schools is excited to collaborate with students, faculty/staff, departments and organizations at Virginia Tech. Please email Megan Atkinson, if you would like to be connected with an educator or student group from Pulaski County.

Science Museum of Western Virginia

Registration for SMWV’s 2023 Summer Camps is open. This summer’s programming will be offered to children in grades K-5, with a shorter weekday program for middle schoolers (Monday-Wednesday). Camps will feature STEM experiments and activities; live animal demos; visits to the Virginia Tech Roanoke Center for coding and design programs; and speakers from Virginia Tech, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and elsewhere! Dates and themes for Summer Camps can be found below:

• 6/12-6/16: Sea Explorers (Oceanography)
• 6/19-6/23: Engineer for a Week (Engineering)
• 6/26-6/30: Dino Dig (Paleontology)
• 7/10-7/14: Going Green (Environmental Science)
• 7/17-7/21: Out of this World (Astronomy/Space Exploration)
• 7/24-7/28: Get a Clue (Forensic Sciences)
• 7/31-8/4: Camp Coders (Robotics/Computer Science)
• 8/7-8/11: Fantastic Forces (Physics)
• 8/14-8/18: Imagination Station (K-2nd) (Design) | Camp Candy (3rd-8th) (Chemistry)

Please direct any questions about camp programming to the Director of Education, Katie Brooks, or Assistant Director of Education, Lesley St. Clair. 

Highlights from the Campus Engagement Network

Virginia Tech Office of Youth Protection

This office now has a live website. Organizations and individuals involved with coordinating programs and activities for minor youths should use this website as a resource to uphold the protection of these students. On the website, they have included access to forms and registration links for trainings. 

Fralin Life Sciences Institute

CENI's friends at the Fralin Life Sciences Institute are looking for volunteers to help out at the International Street Fair on Sunday, April 23. Set up begins at 10:30 a.m. and the main event will be held from 12-6 p.m. Fralin Life Sciences Institute needs volunteers to sign up and assist the kids with the arts and crafts. 

Wonder Universe

Wonder Universe hosts weekly Toddler Time on Wednesdays, bi-weekly Story Time events, and monthly Tiny Explorers sensory art programming. Check our Facebook page for all the latest information on upcoming programming.

Wonder Universe continues to seek STEM Saturday volunteers for the winter and beyond. Please email if interested in volunteering to host a Saturday morning STEM exploration activity at the museum. (It's a great way to address your broader impacts!)

Moss Arts Center

Up 86: Guest Curator Series
Location: Moss Arts Center, Cube

Shirlette Ammons brings a new perspective to the Moss Arts Center’s lineup, creating a focus on Black Southern artists who effortlessly cross genres and revitalize time-honored music traditions. These spring performances are the culmination of a new collaboration between the Moss Arts Center and North Carolina artist Shirlette Ammons, who is serving as the center’s first independent guest performing arts curator. 

Shirlette Ammons
Friday, April 7; 8 p.m.
Poet, musician, and emcee Ammons interrogates her own relationships to gender, Blackness, and Southernness.

Sonny Miles
Friday, April 14; 8 p.m.
Gospel, funk, and neo-soul influences come together with the staggering musical gift of North Carolina’s newest soul-stirring son.

Virginia Tech Center for Rural Education

CENI’s partners at the Virginia Tech Center for Rural Education are seeking Virginia Tech undergraduate students to fill counselor positions at their summer camp "SEE VT." SEE VT will be held from June 25-June 30. This camp caters to gifted middle school students from rural areas, so undergraduate students with an interest in rural communities or working with youth are highly encouraged to apply. Additionally, if the student has experience as a Residential Advisor (RA), camp counselor, or teacher they are also encouraged to apply.

Counselor Description: 

• Supervise campers for the week in the residence hall and D2
• Plan/facilitate social activities
• HAVE FUN!

Benefits of Counseling:

• Receive specialized training
• Facilitate community
• Be a role model
• Gain experience as a counselor
• $1,000

The application for becoming a counselor is due by mid-April, but if questions arise during the application process or students want to know more about SEE VT they are instructed to contact the camp by email. 

The Museum of Geosciences at Virginia Tech

Derring Hall 2062
Thursday, April 13; 6-8 p.m.

Come join the Museum of Geosciences for its first-ever paint-in event! At this event you will get to paint minerals from the Museum. Snacks will also be provided for guests that attend. Please understand that space is limited, so be sure to RSVP to save your spot. 

Upcoming Deadlines and Events

• April: Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month
• 3/15-4/15: Jewish Cultural Month
• 4/1-4/7: Pride Week
• 4/5 and 4/19: Final Hokie for a Day Field Trips
• 4/7 (8:30-9:30 a.m.): ICAT Playdate: Kernel: A Collaboration with Steelcase
• 4/7 (8 p.m.): Shirlette Ammons Performance
• 4/13 (6-8 p.m.): Museum of Geosciences Paint Night 
• 4/14 (8:30-9:30 a.m.): ICAT Playdate: Broader Impacts for NSF CAREER Grants: How CENI Connects University Researchers and the Public
• 4/14 (8 p.m.): Sonny Miles Performance
• 4/21 (8:30-9:30 a.m.): ICAT Playdate: Playing Covid Proteins
• 4/23: Fralin Life Sciences Institute will host the Global Kids Zone booth will be at the International Street Fair. To volunteer, you must register first. 
• 4/28 (8:30-9:30 a.m.): ICAT Playdate: Acoustic Invasion
• 5/1: ICAT Day
• 5/4 (1:30-3 p.m.): Broader Impacts 101

Please submit newsletter items to ceni@vt.edu.