Russ Steele, SESF Executive Director
This week the Sierra Economics and Science Foundation is sponsoring TechTestJr for 2017, with partners Telestream and AJA Video. The TechTestJr exam took place on Thursday the 23rd of March at the following partner locations (pictured and indicated below). This year TechTestJr was part of the Nevada County STEAM Expo [http://www.nevcoexpo.org/] held on Saturday the 25th of March at the Nevada County Fair Grounds at which time the test takers received their awards.
Grades 5 and 6: AJA Video - 180 Litton Dr., Grass Valley
Grades 7 and 8: Telestream - 848 Gold Flat Rd., Nevada City
TechTest Jr. is a math-based exam that focuses on problem-solving methodologies and critical thinking skills. This challenging opportunity is offered to 5th through 8th graders from all schools in Nevada County. The event includes tours and demos, providing the students with a glimpse of life in the high-tech world of manufacturing. Students have an opportunity to collect some insight into what engineers, scientists, and their support teams do to create devices sold around the world.
This year approximately 30 students signed up in each category. The top three winners in each category taking home quadcopters equipped with HD cameras, including a paper by Forrest M. Mims III, America's premier amateur scientist and author of "Forrest Mims' Science Experiments." The Mims' article describes how to use these mechanical marvels to collect real science data for analysis.
A couple of years ago, I had lunch with an MIT astronomer who was working on the Chandra X-Ray Telescope. I asked her how she became interested in astronomy. She told me a man came to her sixth-grade science class and showed students how to build a telescope using PVC plastic pipe, surplus Xerox copier lenses and an eyepiece. She went home and built a telescope, which launched an interest in astronomy and her acceptance to MIT. We hope the TechTest prizes will similarly spark students’ interest in a STEM career.
SESF's goals are two-fold: First, to excite students to seek Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math careers. And second, to encourage students to prepare for the TechTest Merit Scholarship program in their senior year to compete for a share of $15,000 + in college scholarships.
TechTest2017 will be held on 1 April 2017 9am-1pm in the Science Lecture Hall of Nevada Union High School (contact Ms Barbara Ross at NUJHSD for information). We are looking forward to all of this years TechTestJr participant's to compete in future TechTests. Past TechTests and more information about TechTestJr winners are at http://sesfoundation.org.
SESF Board Members coordinating TechTestJr activities this year are David Pistone and Laura van den Berg. Donations from Intel and Telestream funded the prizes. It is these hard-working Board Members and our partnership with these technology companies, including AJA Video, which make TechTestJr possible.
[28mar17 update] The Union today published a well written article (here) by SESF's David Pistone describing TTjr and last week's doings with the test and its recognition as part of the county's STEAM festivities at the fairground.
Blessing to all you do. It is a lot of work yet you and the others are generous with your time and money to find those genius kids who will someday run the place.
Posted by: Todd Juvinall | 26 March 2017 at 08:32 AM
Todd:
Thanks, we are always looking for more donations to expand the program, so we can encourage more students to seek STEM Careers. Everyone wins the students and the community.
Posted by: Russ | 26 March 2017 at 05:19 PM
An email from our designated reader informs me that the county's gift to journalism and investigative reporting could neither ferret out the author of above post nor be able to do a tolerably accurate read of it. But no doubt his other endearing charms will be enough to continue entertaining his equally keen-minded readership.
Posted by: George Rebane | 26 March 2017 at 09:34 PM
For those who are interested, more details about SESF are here. This is a public record: http://rct.doj.ca.gov/Verification/Web/Details.aspx?result=148ee1bd-0d70-4d78-b27c-59e29aa33516
Posted by: Jeff Pelline | 27 March 2017 at 12:12 AM
The old fart FUE proves everyday is can't keep up. He makes fun of people he says are old and graying yet he is one. And he is physically challenged by his own eating habits. He whines about this Tech program yet does nothing to help the community. I have never seen him out at any fundraisers. And he is now celebrating a couple of new old gray hairs moving here. You cannot make this stuff up.
Posted by: Todd Juvinall | 27 March 2017 at 07:49 AM
Go to http://rct.doj.ca.gov/Verification/Web/Search.aspx?facility=Y
Then type “Sierra Economics and Science Foundation” into the “organization name.” It will take you to a public record for this group.
BTW, we have funded a multi-year journalism scholarship through the high school district. Todd is clueless, as usual.
Posted by: Jeff Pelline | 27 March 2017 at 08:33 AM
Bad link there putt-so.
Posted by: Todd Juvinall | 27 March 2017 at 08:52 AM
The Union has a 10-minute video of the STEAM Expo
http://www.theunion.com/news/local-news/nevada-county-steam-expo-continues-to-inspire-young-minds/
Nothing on TechTestJr and the quadcopter prizes.
Posted by: Russ | 27 March 2017 at 09:55 AM
Good job guys! Great effort on behalf of the kids in our community. We appreciate your good works.
Posted by: Barry Pruett | 27 March 2017 at 03:59 PM
Looks like the FUE hates this program. He wrote a extensive post about it. What did you ever do to him?
Posted by: Todd Juvinall | 01 April 2017 at 07:43 AM