​ Plant polymers as plastic alternatives Published: Plastics are cheap and versatile but have a long-lasting environmental impact, and the race is on to roll out effective alternatives. Professor Jeffrey Catchmark and his team at Pennsylvania State University in the US believe they have one such solution, using common plant-based materials to create sustainable food packaging. Talk like a biological…

​ A little friendly math competition never hurts anyone, which is especially true for math. Children who participate in mathematics contests and competitions with other students their age can see some real benefits from their participation.  Math contests reinforce the math knowledge participants have already accumulated, teach them to problem-solve faster, and enjoy the camaraderie of working with a team…

​ I promise your planning is going to be so much easier with this revelation I found with planning and my youngest engineers!   It’s almost like peanut butter and jelly! Books and STEM just go together! It’s the greatest discovery ever. Let me share some ways that you can try today! I have pairs of picture books set and…

​ If your students have the “Wintertime Blues” I have a perfect solution! A Winter Sports Breakout and STEM Challenge! One day in the midst of the wintertime a group of 5th-graders asked me when we would be doing another Escape Room.  They actually cheered when I told them I was working on a new one. It’s based on all…

​ Cyber security for the AI age Published: As the digital world grows in power and complexity, so do the threats it faces. There is a constant arms race between cyber security and cyber criminals, both rushing to outcompete the other in sophistication. This means that the field of cyber security is rapidly growing and hungry for new talent that…