Welcome to Twin Rivers Council STEM Initiative¶
Welcome to The STEM COMMITTEE of Twin Rivers Council¶
Our Mission
The mission of the STEM committee is to promote the STEM/Nova activities to all Youths of the Council by offering a rich array of STEM-related activities offered by technical experts and volunteers. The activities are positioned in large part, but are not limited to, BSA-sponsored activities. The STEM committee strives to offer a safe and inclusive atmosphere to all Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturers, and Sea Scouts
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Council and District Chairs
Council: Vincent Meunier
Adirondacks: Jerry Neff
Fort Orange: George Hassel
Mohawk: Barry Pardee
Turning Point: Ira Martin
Yankee Doodle: Jay Bemis
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Roles of the STEM Committee Chairs
Serve as the representative and spokesperson for the council/chair ’s STEM initiative and the Nova Awards program.
Offer personal endorsements and testimony to support the STEM initiative and Nova Awards program.
Identify prospective volunteers and key organizations and events that could help support the BSA’s STEM initiatives.
Ensure integration of the awards with all training opportunities, such as a “This Is the Nova Award” workshop.
Help organize council STEM-based events such as a STEM Merit Badge Day.
Integrate Nova awards with existing camp programs (merit badges, belt loops, pins).
Prospect, meet, and recruit key STEM leaders in our community.
Help educate council staff and volunteers about the Nova Awards program and STEM initiative and about how they can help promote the program and initiative.
With the Scout executive at local council events, present youth members with the NOVA awards they have earned.
Shoulder Patch Offered by the Committee for all Supernova Award recipients. More on the Supernova awards can be found here.¶
Go to Twin Rivers Council website.
STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics¶
STEM is part of an initiative the Boy Scouts of America has taken on to encourage the natural curiosity of youth members and their sense of wonder about these fields through existing programs. From archery to welding, Scouts can’t help but enjoy the wide range of STEM-related activities. To support this initiative, the BSA developed the STEM Nova Awards program so that youth members have fun and receive recognition for their efforts.
Why STEM?¶
We live in a time of great opportunity. The spirit of innovation can help us overcome challenges and ensure a prosperous and secure future. To seize this opportunity, we must position ourselves at the cutting edge of scientific discovery and technological innovation.
Yet our country is falling behind in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This is why many professionals and educators in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics believe the United States should do more now than ever to encourage students to enter STEM-related fields. These experts say our young people need strong STEM skills to compete in the world market. We must work together to cultivate the next generation of critical thinkers and innovators.
STEM Is the future¶
Fostering a strong STEM education is our best opportunity to boost the spirit of innovation. It’s what we need to help ensure this country continues on a prosperous and secure journey. STEM literacy is also critical because it has a profound and growing impact on our day-to-day lives. Nature, space exploration, and any STEM-related interest reveals to us the beauty and power of the world we inhabit.
What Are the STEM Nova Awards?¶
The Boy Scouts of America developed the STEM Nova Awards program to excite and expand a sense of wonder in our Scouts. By working with an adult counselor or mentor, the various modules allow them to explore the basic principles of STEM and discover how fun and fascinating STEM can be. The Supernova awards are offered for those who enjoy a super challenge. Discover how the STEM Nova Awards program helps youth be “Prepared. For Life.”
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The text on this page is directly obtained from scouting.org. Go to STEM Website for more information.
Go to Twin Rivers Council website.
Nova Counselor and/or a Supernova Mentor¶
With the introduction of the new Nova and Supernova awards comes a fresh opportunity for volunteer positions. A Nova counselor can be any registered adult age 21 or older. They must be registered under the new non-unit position and no fee is required. The Nova counselor code is 58. Supernova mentors must be 21 or older and be subject matter experts in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) field and be registered under the new Supernova Mentor position code 52.
BSA provided information about Nova counselors and Supernova mentors¶
BSA provides information about the program, including training on this website.
How to become a Nova Counselor and/or a Supernova Mentor for the TRC?¶
Complete training for the position (Nova and/or Supernova adult training can be found in your my.scouting.org account in the BSA Learn Center, Expanded Learning section, STEM in Scouting section.)
Complete an application for the position: this is the same document as leader application but with the appropriate leadership position (58 for Nova and 52 for Supernova). This form is available in the last 10 pages of this document
Provide proof of completed and current YPT training
Application forms:
Nova only: print and complete th eNova form attached on page 2 of the PDF document
Supernova only: print and complete the Supernova form attached on pages 3-4 of the PDF document
All that info should be scanned and sent to Ruth LaCoss who will then process it. She will reach out to the chair of the Twin Rivers Council STEM committee (Vincent Meunier) or one of his delegates for approval.
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You do not need to register for both positions
More information can be found here: https://www.scouting.org/stem-nova-awards/stem-faq/
Note that there is NO FEE for this application.
Please reach out to TwinRiversStem@gmail.com if you have any query.
Go to Twin Rivers Council website.
TRC Self-guided Nova Awards¶
Twin Rivers Council is proud to provide detailed instructions for each of the 10 Nova Awards available in the program.
You can find the links below. Future additions will include Nova Awards for Cub scouts.
If you find anything to add or change in those documents, let us know!
Science
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Technology
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Engineering
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Math
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Go to Twin Rivers Council website.