Lenovo FabFinder is Looking for Girls that Love STEM

FabFinder-Gold

Lenovo has partnered with FOX and the all-new FabLab show, to help encourage young women to pursue their dreams in STEM fields, and turn NERD into the most awesome, most beautiful moniker a girl can have. I think this is an amazing opportunity for girls age 13 and older to pursue their passion and let the world know. The FabLab crew and some very special hosts (including Mayim Bialik!) recently announced the Lenovo Fabfinder initiative. The FabLab is looking for girls at least 13 years of age to submit videos in the hopes of becoming a Fablab STEM correspondent or reporter. Visit the FabLab website for more information. I’ll share some key highlights from the press release below.

FabLab has one mission: to get girls enthused about STEM by drawing the connections between STEM innovations and making the world a better place. Why? Studies have shown that illustrating how STEM inventions and breakthroughs have the power to change the world for the better, really motivating young women to engage with the sciences. FabLab is produced in partnership with the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). The show also partners with 15 additional organizations inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.

The FabLab hosts are Kerri Doherty, popular on YouTube for her comedic approach to all things geeky; Cara Santa Maria, a hipster science broadcaster; newcomer Aysia Bell; Madi Vorva, a Teen Choice Pro-Social award winner; and the sole male host, Nick Uhas, a former Big Brother contestant and a YouTube science guru. Celebrity co-hosts and guests will populate the series, each week taped in a new locale to augment that week’s topic. Mayim (The Big Bang Theory) said, “As a neuroscientist who was encouraged to enter the field in high school, getting girls involved in science (or STEM ) is a personal passion of mine. Through my interactive ‘Ask Mayim’ segment, I hope to get more young women excited about getting into the field that I love so much.”

It is a myth that girls don’t gravitate to STEM. Statistics support the fact that 74% of girls show at least as much interest as boys in the sciences. High school girls, in particular, surpass the percentage of boys interested in Algebra II and Calculus, for example. But along the way, young women tend to be drawn to fields that have social impact and make a difference. FabLab is highlighting amazing STEM discoveries that are mind-blowing and world-changing to help reframe STEM and allow young women to see those fields as a creative outlet for improving their world. FabLab isn’t just reaching the audience on the television show; it will have an active and innovative online and digital presence with exclusive programming for its own YouTube channel and interactivity through social media, all driving home the same message of STEM making the world better for people, pets and the planet.

Corporate partners who share the vision and have jumped on board to assist in attracting girls to science, technology and innovation include Samsung Electronics America, Lenovo, Motorola Mobility Foundation, Ally Bank, Brocade and L’Oréal USA. “Inspiring the next generation of girls in STEM is a key component of the L’Oréal USA For Women in Science program,” said Lauren Paige, L’Oréal USA’s Vice President of Public Affairs & Strategic Initiatives. “We are proud to partner with FabLab and look forward to featuring the exciting work of our For Women in Science fellows to help encourage girls to explore scientific careers.”

Please visit the FabLab website for additional information about the FabFinder initiative like general information, submission guidelines, what they are looking for, eligibility and complete contest rules. GOOD LUCK to all the future female STEM Leaders!

Recap: Tween Academy – Tweens & Communication

I had the pleasure of co-hosting Tween Academy: Tweens & Communication on October 4th with The Motherhood, led by best-selling author and parenting expert Roaslind Wiseman along with five additional blogger co-hosts. Being a Tween is one of the most difficult times in a child’s life. They are at that in between stage. They may be too old for one thing but, not old enough for something else. As parents we may struggle to communicate effectively with our children as they begin to blossom in front of our eyes. Some children tend to get a little more reserved as they get older not wanting to share much with parents because it may start to feel awkward to them and there are times that we keep the lines of communication open but, don’t know if we are being heard.

The Motherhood stated: As a parent, it can be easy to think your child isn’t listening to you, but they are, and they need to know that you’re listening, too. According to the Unilever Tween Confidence Index, commissioned by fabulous Tween Academy sponsor Unilever’s partnering deodorant brands, the more tweens value talking to their parents, the higher self-confidence they’ll have.

Here are some of the key things we discussed during out chat – The Motherhood Talk Summary Keeping Open Lines of Communication

Focus on listening. Often children confide in their parents to vent, not to get advice. Unless there is immediate physical danger, when your child tells you something, really listen. Many children are reluctant to share problems with their parents because they’re worried their parents will “freak out.”

Start with the small stuff. If you can talk to your kids at the start of puberty about growth spurts, body odor and deodorant, they will come to you later for bigger life moments and issues. Supporting research shows that confidence and self-esteem begins to decline as tweens transition to their teenage years (age 13-17), underscoring the importance of continual communication.

Thank them for sharing their problem with you. Reaching out to their parents is difficult for many kids, so it’s important to recognize this effort as you want to be a resource for your child in the future.

We also talked about: Overcoming communication challenges, Letting Tweens know you’re on their side, Competing with technology for attention, Privacy is a privilege, Tough Conversations, Being there when they need you, Keeping your cool, and Remembering NOT to limit communication. To read the full Summary and get links to resources please head on over to The Motherhood.

Surprise Giveaway: A gift pack from Unilever which will include a Vera Bradley bag; one sample each of Dove, Degree Girl and Degree Men deodorant; and Rosalind Wiseman’s books Queen Bees and Wannabes and Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials.

Mandatory Giveaway Entry: How do you communication with your tween?
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Giveaway ends on Monday October 17th (My Birthday) at 11:59 pm, Good Luck!

Tween Academy Series: Tweens & Communication

I am privileged to be participating as co-host on a panel with six great bloggers with our discussion on Tweens & Communication being led by Rosalind Wiseman, author of the New York Times bestseller Queen Bees and Wannabes (which the movie Mean Girls was based on) to cover how to maintain an open line of communication with our tweens. The class takes place on Tuesday October 4th at noon, on TheMotherhood During this real-time, text-based class, we can exchange ideas and address questions about the importance of maintaining uninhibited family communication … even when it isn’t easy. It’s all part of Tween Academy on TheMotherhood, brought to you by Unilever. Please take a moment and “Like” the Unilever Facebook Page.

Speaking from experience, I was told that I talk at my children (This holds true when they’ve upset me) and I don’t talk to them. I don’t stop my ranting to see if they even understand what they did wrong, not taking the time to listen to hear their feelings and they just classify me as being a fussy mom. When I talk at them, it makes them shut down and not want to talk to me, leaving them to run to their dad, aunt, grandparents or friends etc. to talk and express their feelings bout the situation and NOT me. This is something that I have been working on so that no matter the situation, my children feel comfortable enough to come and talk to me about anything. As our children grow they tend to become more reserved and self-conscious when they enter into adolescence. It’s definitely up to us to give them a sense of security and that shoulder to lean on. Does this sound like anyone else?

Awesome Giveaway! During the Talk, we will randomly give one participant a Vera Bradley tote bag filled with these items: momAgenda Desktop Planner; momAgenda Chores Pad; momAgenda Love Post-It Notes; one sample each of Dove, Degree Girl, and Degree Men deodorant; Rosalind Wiseman’s Queen Bees and Wannabes; Rosalind Wiseman’s Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials. You have to be present to win! So please join me along with Carmen Mom to the Screaming Masses, Michele Scraps of My Geek Life, Kailani An Island Life, Kristin Only Parent Chronicles and Dwan MommaDJane as we talk Tweens & Communication. Hope to see you there! For information on the other classes and topics head on over to TheMotherhood and jump right in!

Facebook Guide For Parents Review

This guide is a must have for any parent that has a child with a Facebook Social Networking Page. I’m a tech savvy momma and my eyes were opened to some features that I’ve never really paid any attention to. I have a teenage daughter that has a Facebook page and I am cool enough to be her friend on Facebook. *smiles*

The first thing that I loved about this book is it’s very descriptive and has image guides to show you exactly where everything is located. It shows you how to get started if you are not a Facebook user and walks you through everything from start to finish. Any product that is user friendly gets an A+ in my book. I am familiar with the Facebook layout and where most applications or commands are located, so it was super easy to follow along. I’m confident that if I was clueless about Facebook I wouldn’t have had a problem creating a page or customizing it to my liking.

I really loved the privacy setting content. It shows you how to set your privacy settings for who can write on your wall, see your pictures or even if they are able to find your profile in a search. I was really taken back by how many children may post their phone number or the actual school they attend in their profile information. I immediately had an urge to look over my daughters Facebook Page and make sure that all her privacy settings were what I thought they should be. I also liked how you can make groups, I am planning on using it for family, friends, co-workers and networking colleagues. I’d like everyone to be in their proper groups and I will share what I want with each group.

I was really unaware of cyber bullying! I’ve heard the term used, but I’ve never personally experienced it or knew how severe the issue was online on social networking sites or in the blogosphere. I do monitor my daughters Facebook status updates and if I feel something is inappropriate I’ll tell her in a private message. If I write on her wall I make sure I’m not embarrassing her in front of her peers. I also watch which groups my daughter becomes affiliated with on Facebook and if it’s not a group I approve of she has to remover herself from the group along with monitoring her friend requests and making sure they are all people she actually knows personally.

Overall, I really loved this guide! It makes me want to reevaluate the way I have my page set up as well. There are so many online dangers that we don’t think about from identity theft to sexual predators. We really need to pay attention to what personal information we put on the internet for other people to see. I urge every parent with a tween or teen with a Facebook page to get this and it’s also great to use with your own personal pages. This guide is a must read! For more information go to  Facebook Guide For Parents Website

error: Ask And You Shall Receive!!