2012 Middle School Student Essay and Art Contest: Our Oceans
Presented by the Asian Pacific Fund and the California Academy of Sciences
Middle school students can share their wonder of and desire to protect one of our most precious resources by entering our essay and art contest!
Growing up Asian in America is an annual essay and art contest. The contest always has a theme, and prizes are awarded each year. This year there is an added program with prizes for a science contest about oceans.
Prizes
First Place: $500
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Honorable Mention: $100
Get Inspired!
- Visit the Academy for free with your family. The first 100 registered participants for the contest receive a free family pass to the Academy! You can also visit for free with the Check Out San Francisco Pass available at San Francisco Public Libraries or the Discover and Go Pass available at Oakland Public Libraries.
- Come face to face with the creatures in the Philippine Coral Reef and California Coast exhibits.
- Delve deeper into ocean ecosystems with the library resources and specimens in the Naturalist Center.
- Participate in the Dive into Coral Reefs program at public library branches. Dates, times and locations to be announced soon.
Growing Up Asian: Our Oceans Contest 2012 >>
Our Oceans Contest Rules and Entry Form >>
Contest made possible through the generosity of Loretta Huahn and the support of the Oakland and San Francisco Public Libraries.
The California Academy of Sciences is launching two new summer programs where youth will engage in science-based storytelling through digital media
For Middle School: Pearson Young Scientists Program
- For rising 5-8th graders
- Located at the California Academy of Sciences with two one-day trips to Mount Tamalpais to engage in a variety of citizen science activities
- June 18-29 (including the weekend), 10 am-4 pm every day
- Participants will learn about citizen science and create an interactive mobile game experience for visitors to Mount Tam that teaches them about the natural landscape and how its changed over the years
For High School: Science in Action
- For rising 9th-12th graders
- Located at the California Academy of Sciences
- July 16-27, Monday through Friday, 10 am-4 pm
- Youth will work with our Digital Learning team and Visualization studio to create short 1-3 minute long stories about current topics in science to air in the Science in Action exhibit and on the Academy website
To qualify youth must be able to attend and participate fully every day of the program
ARE YOU INTERESTED? For more information or an application email pdasari@calacademy.org. Applications are due Saturday, May 19th 2012. Accepted participants will be informed by May 25th.
Digital Learning is support by generous grants from the Pearson Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
The University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP), the National Center for Science Education, and the Beacon Center for the Study of Evolution in Action are offering a week-long course on evolution!
Put on your evolution eyeglasses and your nature of science thinking cap and join us for (yet another) fun-filled five days of evolutionary explorations with biologists and educators at the University of California. The Think Evolution Summer Institute, returning for its fourth year, will combine lectures by prominent evolutionary biologists with sessions focused on hands-on activities for the middle school, high school, and community college classroom.
When: Monday through Friday, July 30–August 3, 2012; 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Who: Middle school, high school, and community college biology teachers and science educators
Where: UC Museum of Paleontology, Valley Life Sciences Building, UC Berkeley
Cost: $75.00 for five days; includes lots of free resources distributed to participating teachers plus morning and afternoon snacks.
For more information: Visit the program website
To Register: Click here soon as the course fills up quickly!
**NOTE: This is not an Academy sponsored activity. Please direct all questions and requests for more information to Louise S. Mead or Judy Scotchmoor.**
A generous donation has allowed the Academy to offer a $10 tickets to an upcoming Conversations at the Herbst Theatre Academy lecture.
Nature Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Power of Nature
Richard Louv, Co-founder, Children & Nature Network
Tuesday April 24, 2012 at 8:00pm
Richard Louv coined the term nature deficit disorder to describe our shift away from nature, and how it has effected our children in his best selling book “Last Child in the Woods”. He now shifts the conversation to adults for a timely conversation about reconnecting with life in a virtual age. 
Supported by groundbreaking research, anecdotal evidence, and compelling personal stories, Louv shows us how tapping into the restorative powers of the natural world can boost mental acuity and creativity; promote health and wellness; build smarter and more sustainable businesses, communities, and economies; and ultimately strengthen human bonds.
Read more about the lecture here.
To reserve tickets call 415-392-4400, use the code “teachers10″ to apply the discount. There are a limited number of discounted tickets, which will be sold on a first come, first served basis.
Have a student that has made a video on Science or Nature in school, an after-school program, summer program, or independently?
Entries are now being accepted the 1st Annual KQED Science Youth Media Festival!
Festival Date & Location: June 10, 2012 at the Academy!
Deadline for submission: April 15, 2012
The theme for this year’s festival is Nature and Environmental Science. We are looking for videos produced by youth who are either in middle school or high school about the following topics: *wildlife, *water use, *oceans, *pollution, *cultural connections, *restoration, *sustainability, *environmental justice.
Prizes will be awarded for those entrants who are accepted to the festival and for winners on June 10th!
For more information and the application, visit the KQED website
