Tag Archives: stem

Indie Publisher Crowdfunding Comic to Teach Kids S.T.E.M.

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header-art-rev_kickOn Monday, Independent comic book publisher PBS Media, headed by writer, creator and New Jersey robotics and math teacher Naseed Gifted, launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to raise $8,500 for the production of the next comic book in its series. One of the unique stretch goals is a donation to a robotics camp for kids in Newark, NJ that teaches kids S.T.E.M.

Within 72 hours of launch, he  reached over 50% of his goal.

P.B.Soldier is a science fiction adventure that follows covert operative Nat Cummings, a skilled computer hacker using his skills to help pay for college tuition when his activities are discovered and he becomes listed as an International Terror Threat – code red. The newly formed government/paramilitary organization called The Establishment, gives him a simple choice, either work with them to become a highly-trained assassin or be terminated.  

The goal of the Kickstarter is to raise money for the production of the sixth installment of a thirteen book arc. Funds will go towards payment to line artist and colorist Abel Garcia (Bad Puppy, Nancy in Hell ,Drums, all through Image Comics) and actual production of the book, including printing and distribution. In addition, some of the proceeds are being donated to the Central High School Pre-Engineering Academy in Newark, NJ. – a program that Gifted has taught and led for the past 13 years.

S.T.E.M. or Science, Technology Engineering and Math Programs are often the lowest funded and the lowest graduated in urban areas and Gifted is working hard to change those statistics by using his own graphic novel, traveling the country speaking at schools, comic book conventions and after-school programs, introducing young African-Americans and Latinos to the world of P.B.Soldier one comic book at a time.

“These stories aren’t just about a group of assassins, but rather about the consequences of human choices made in the midst of impossible situations.” –  Naseed Gifted, PBS Media

Naseed Gifted is a two-time Glyph Comic Awards and Urban Action Showcase nominee, an educator, engineer, and writer. A New Jersey native, he is also a graduate of the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He is also the founder of New Jersey’s Black Comic Book Festival “Khem Comic Fest” and travels across the country as a panelist for Full Spectrum: Why Color in Comics Matters and Using Comics to teach STEM.

P.B.Soldier titles are available at the P.B.Soldier website, Amazon, Itunes and PeepGame Comix.

To contribute to the P.B.Soldier Kickstarter Campaign go to bit.ly/PBSkickstarter

 

Follow P.B.Soldier on Social Media: Facebook –  Twitter – Tumblr – Instagram

The Powerpuff Girls Want Kids to Code

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Cartoon NetworkCoinciding with the White House Science Fair today, Cartoon Network debuted a trailer for an upcoming coding-themed episode of The Powerpuff Girls and launched the first in a series of coding PSA’s.

Cartoon Network is collaborating with the White House on its Computer Science for All initiative, a movement focused on making coding and other hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning an integral part of every student’s education.

The upcoming episode and PSA are part of Cartoon Network’s overall $30 million commitment to inspire the next generation of creators by engaging with kids at the intersection of art and technology. The PSA is the first in a series that the network will release highlighting for kids that they can learn coding as a means to express ideas, craft stories and create art.

In the Powerpuff Girls episode, which will air later this year, the girls work together and use computer science to solve a problem and face down a foe. This is part of the network’s ongoing commitment to using its programming to promote creative coding to its audience.

Cartoon Network is also collaborating with Scratch, a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab, to provide coding activities for kids through Scratch’s creative coding environment that feature Cartoon Network characters from shows including The Powerpuff Girls and We Bare Bears.

Check out the trailer for the coding-themed episode of The Powerpuff Girls.

And the Creative Coding PSA.

 

Cards Against Humanity Launches a STEM education scholarship for women

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chi-cards-against-humanity-stem-bsi-photos-201-001This Monday Cards Against Humanity launched their sixth expansion as well as a special new “Science Pack.” The “Science Pack” has 23 new white cards and 7 black cards. What’s really special is that all profits for to a new Cards Against Humanity Science Ambassador Scholarship.

The new scholarship provides a full-ride for women seeking undergraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The “Science Pack” is co-authored with Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal’s Zach Weinersmith and Bad Astronomy’s Phil Plait. The pack is available for $10 at CardsAgainstHumanity.com and as of this posting over $196,000 has been raised.

chi-cards-against-humanity-stem-bsi-photos-201-002Similar charity packs released by Cards Against Humanity have raised nearly $2 million for non-profits like the Wikimedia Foundation, the Sunlight Foundation, and DonorsChoose.org, where Cards Against Humanity has funded over 12,500 teacher projects in high-poverty classrooms across the United States.

Scholarship applications will be reviewed by a board of over forty women who hold higher degrees and work professionally in science, including representatives from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, the Smithsonian Institution, the Adler Planetarium, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as TED, NSF, Huxley, and Hubble fellows.

Applications will be opened to the public for the fall 2016 school year. Applicants can be in high school or college, and must identify as women in a way that’s significant to them. Recipients of the Cards Against Humanity Science Ambassador Scholarship will receive full tuition coverage for up to four years. Students can sign up to be notified when applications are open at ScienceAmbassadorScholarship.org.