National STEM Festival
On April 13, 2024, the first-ever national STEM festival was held in Washington, D.C. It featured 150 student inventions designed to address solutions to critical global issues. One Utah high schooler, Alex Antonio Hernandez Juarez, grew up with a deaf cousin and was inspired to design a tool to help the deaf community. He ended up creating a device that uses a camera to help translate sign language into a written and spoken form. To learn more about the National STEM Festival, visit their website.
2024 Solar Eclipse
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse was viewable in Mexico, 15 U.S. states, and southeastern Canada. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. Students at our schools and our staff were able to enjoy viewing the once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. Did you know the next total solar eclipse that will be viewable to the lower 48 will not occur until August 22, 2044? We hope you were able to see it! If you were, and you still have your ISO certified glasses, consider donating them to Eclipse Glasses USA for children in Latin America to use. Visit their website for more information. P.S. - thanks Andros for the photo!
Educator Spotlight
Abigail Oliphant
Abigail Oliphant is a seasoned elementary school teacher with 10 years of experience who was always the "go-to" for technology help at her school. Abigail made her way to our team at ETP when she decided it was time to try something new. At ETP, she is able to foster her skills of teaching and technology, and she has become an invaluable asset. Abigail's favorite activity in the classroom is engineering challenges, as she gets to see her students' creativity and the way their minds work. When she is not doing excellent things at her school in Chicago, Abigail enjoys spending lots of time with her two children, cooking, gardening, and doing escape rooms with her husband. Keep up the great work, Abigail!