Here is a great article about MD MESA's recent visit to Capitol College:

http://baltimore.citybizlist.com/1/2012/1/26/Maryland-MESA-Students-Discover-the-Importance-of-STEM-Education-at-Capitol.aspx

Welcome to 2010-2011!

It is great to have an opportunity to kick off another year. As I look back over the previous year we were able to accomplish so much in spite of limited funding. How did we do it? We succeeded because of the dedication of our volunteers. We are so proud of our students. 69% of the seniors are starting their engineering college programs and over 30% are attending Maryland Universities.

With all of the accomplishments there is still work to be done. This year we are introducing cyber-security activities. Cyber-security impacts our country both commercially and within the federal government. We recognize that the students, teachers and parents need to become more cyber aware and we plan to do our part in reaching all stakeholders. We also know that math still remains a problematic area for many students so we are expanding the calculator robot activity by offering a Saturday STEM academy to be held at Morgan State University. Visit the MD MESA website to learn more about the new learning opportunities we are offering.

On to the National Competition

Whew! The state competition was a rousing success. Over 500 students competed in various activities and if you have not done so take a look at the pictures. I am most proud of the diversity of students who have taken the first step towards investing in their future. I am also proud of the teachers who continue to motivate the students and give of their time.

There was so much excitement at the venue and it was intoxicating. We are already planning for the event next year which is scheduled for May 9,2011. So mark your calendars early. We will be going to Denver in the latter part of June and the students will have an opportunity to show off their achievements. Our teams are ready to roll and win!

MD MESA is also offering some wonderful summer enrichment programs so take some time and look at the website.
That's all for now.

MESA continues to evolve.

MESA is evolving each day. We continue to receive support from our educational and industry partners. Many of you may not realize that MESA has over 3000 students enrolled in the program and they are supported by over 300 teachers. While most of the students focus on the MESA activities, there are some who expand their horizon and pursue additional opportunities such as building a Sea Perch or programming a robot with the graphing calculator.

Three teams just competed in the Botball competition. The schools were Howard High in Howard County, The Stadium School and Northeast Middle School; both schools are located in Baltimore City. The Stadium School won first place in the Botball Alliance Challenge category. This team was mentored by one of our own here at APL, Dwight Carr!

MD MESA welcomes the new Executive Director, Mrs.Paula Shelton

Mrs. Paula Shelton was recently named the Md.-MESA Executive Director. Mrs. Shelton has held positions in Prince Georges County Schools as a Science Teacher and Technology Coordinator. Prior to joining the JHUAPL family she held the SMART Lab Facilitator position with Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, DC. In addition to her teaching experience Mrs. Shelton has served as the advisor and mentor for the NSBE Chapter and US FIRST Robotics Team.

Mrs. Shelton is a graduate of the Maryland Tech Academy and an active member of MICCA. She holds a B.S. degree from Howard University and a Master’s in Education from UMUC. She is very proud of the numerous students she and her team of volunteers have assisted who are presently in various colleges pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

Mrs. Shelton looks forward to a long relationship with Md.-MESA and looks forward to serving all of the participants of MESA.