The day began with a special screening of at the nearby . Inspired by the film鈥檚 message about close looking and scientific wonder, students returned to campus to build their own wooden 鈥渙bservation frames,鈥� tools they used throughout the day to explore nature the way scientists do, with attention, creativity, and intention.

A highlight of the experience came when the children met CSAM science majors face-to-face.

Ranging from first-semester freshmen to PhD candidates, the CSAM students served as Science Mentors, sharing why they fell in love with science, what they study in their courses and research labs, and how science shapes the way they see the world. Curious elementary students peppered them with questions about animals, space, geology, engineering, the brain, DNA, life in college, and what being a 鈥渞eal scientist鈥� actually means.

For many Hillside students, the visit was powerfully affirming. As part of the day鈥檚 activities, the children read , a picture book emphasizing that anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, language background, or gender,聽can grow up to be a scientist. Seeing a diverse group of CSAM scientists standing before them, studying subjects from ecology to chemistry to astrophysics, made that message vividly real.

鈥淩epresentation matters,鈥� said Dr. Scott Kight, Professor of Biology and Director of Professional Resources in Science and Mathematics (PRISM). 鈥淭oday, our CSAM students weren鈥檛 just talking about science, they were real life scientists showing young children that the future of science can look like them.鈥�

The event was organized by Hillside Elementary School science teacher Ms. Susan Bartol. The Hillside faculty and staff transformed every classroom into a mini-lab or maker space for the day. Children explored observation, inquiry, creativity, and problem-solving, culminating in their conversations with CSAM science majors, who encouraged them to stay curious, ask brave questions, and see themselves as part of the scientific community.

For the CSAM mentors, the experience was equally inspiring. Many had never worked with younger students before and left with a renewed sense of purpose, and a reminder of how powerful it can be to share their passion for science.

鈥淭his is exactly the type of community-engaged learning experience we want for our CSAM students,鈥� said Kight. 鈥淣ot only did they serve as role models today, they also grew as communicators, leaders, and ambassadors for science.鈥�

Thanks to the enthusiasm, authenticity, and mentorship of 麻豆传媒在线 science students, a whole new generation can see the dream of becoming a scientist as something within reach.

Anniversary meeting in Graz

Every five years, this special togetherness is celebrated with a visit to the respective twin city 鈥� this year a delegation from 麻豆传媒在线 visited Graz. Led by聽聽Susan Shin Andersen聽, Vice Mayor of 麻豆传媒在线, and聽聽Jonathan Koppell聽, Rector of 麻豆传媒在线, they聽were welcomed聽 at City Hall by Mayor聽Elke Kahr聽, Vice Mayor聽Judith Schwentner聽, and SP脰 parliamentary group leader聽Daniela Schl眉sselberger . They were accompanied by聽Lora Billings听,听Kimberly Hollister聽, and聽Tim White聽, representatives of 麻豆传媒在线. Before the official reception, the delegation from overseas signed the Golden Book of the City of Graz. “Graz and 麻豆传媒在线 have enjoyed a decades-long friendship, with many wonderful encounters that have taken place here in Austria or in America. 麻豆传媒在线 is an open city that has a positive outlook on all people, regardless of where they come from. I hope that you, too, will have many pleasant and positive encounters during your visit to Graz,” said Mayor Elke Kahr.

From person to person

Numerous alumni of the 麻豆传媒在线-Graz exchange program and members of the “Neighbors Overseas” association, as well as representatives of Graz universities and politicians, attended the reception in the city council meeting room. The event was opened by City Councilor聽Robert Krotzer聽, who led a minute’s silence in remembrance of the victims of the recent school shooting. Special attention was paid to the teacher who was killed on June 10th 鈥� she was a former exchange student in 麻豆传媒在线 and a member of the Neighbors Overseas association. “The great importance of vibrant city partnerships has lost none of its relevance. International understanding, mutual understanding and appreciation, the exchange of know-how, joint projects, etc. are more important today than ever. With this in mind, we look forward to the coming years of our city partnership with 麻豆传媒在线 and the further intensification of the friendly relations between our cities and citizens,” said Krotzer.

麻豆传媒在线 Vice Mayor聽Susan Shin Andersen聽expressed her deep emotion at the current events and expressed her condolences to the city of Graz. “I’m still glad we’re here now. Because a sister city relationship isn’t just about happy moments, it’s also about sticking together.” She emphasized the importance of international exchange programs for mutual understanding: “A stay abroad can be life-changing鈥攕eeing how people live in other cultures and recognizing what connects us. Through our sister city relationship, we can build relationships鈥攐ne link at a time, between people, cities, and governments.”

Jonathan Koppell聽, Rector of 麻豆传媒在线, also聽emphasized in his address how important such partnerships are, especially in difficult times. “What happened in Graz underscores the importance of city partnerships like this, as they foster understanding and empathy. Thank you for welcoming us even in this time of grief. In a time of global uncertainty, it is even more important to build relationships and show empathy. We must build on this shared history and further deepen this partnership.”

Association “Neighbors Overseas”

For many years, the heart and soul of the exchange program in Graz and the “Neighbors Overseas” association was聽Maxie Uray-Frick聽鈥� affectionately called “Graz Mom” 鈥嬧�媌y the 麻豆传媒在线 students. She has been a member of the “Neighbors Overseas” association for over 40 years and led its affairs for decades. The association’s leadership is always the current mayor. Uray-Frick looked back on her role with great affection: “Whenever the students had a problem, no matter what it was, they always said: Call Maxie! I loved being the Graz Mom and hope that the exchange program continues for at least another 75 years!”

Since 2024,聽聽Sigrid Karner-R眉hl,聽who studied in 麻豆传媒在线 with her husband, has continued to lead the association with dedication and great conviction.

Our mission is to connect students with each other. We support students wherever we can. We accompany them to official procedures, pick them up from the airport, organize regular program events, and are available to answer any questions!

Let鈥檚 keep making an impact in STEM!

Gallery

• Parsippany High School
• Parsippany Hills High School
• Livingston High School
• Montville High School
• Kearney High School
• West Milford High School

Four Math Ambassadors (Kaitlyn Cohan, Vlad Nita, Preston Pietruszewski, Ryan Avallone) helped with several aspects of the event, including a campus walk for all attendees and organizing a math-contest for them. Students listened to talks about math and music which was the focus of this year鈥檚 event and built flute-like instruments and performed calculations during the afternoon workshop by utilizing appropriate mathematical and physical principles. Overall this was a very successful event and students were very engaged and excited. In fact, many of them expressed their desire to return to the program next year.

The agenda for the day was as follows:

10am – 10:30 am

Welcome by Chair + breakfast + internet setup

10:30 – 11:30 am

Math & Music talk by Dr. Denis Sheeran

11:30 – 12:00 pm

Math Jeopardy – Math Ambassadors 30 mins

12:00 – 12:30 pm

Lunch Break

12:30 – 1:00 pm

Campus walk

1:00 – 2:30 pm

Math and Music Workshop by Dr. Bogdan Nita

2:30 – 2:50 pm

Awards and certificates

2:50 – 3:00 pm

Group picture

The Weston Science Scholars program 鈥� now in its 24th year 鈥� was established by Josh Weston and his late wife, Judy. The philanthropists are also the driving force behind an annual awards recognition for the district鈥檚 high-achieving teachers.

The event, sponsored by the district Parent Teacher Association and originally scheduled to be held in Edgemont聽Park, was open to all district students in grades K-5 enrolled in any of their seven elementary schools. Engaging children beyond the classroom, with hands-on activities and experiments, provides them with opportunities to explore, investigate and experiment with STEM concepts in a fun and engaging way!

The workshop was hosted by the Robotics Club President Omar Obidat and supported by executive board members Jesse Parron, Laury Rodr铆guez, Abeeha Rehman as well as their Advisor Dr. Weitian Wang and Computer Science Department Chairperson Dr. Constantine Coutras. The club was invited by the STEM Coordinator at 麻豆传媒在线 Board of Education Daniel Taylor who became acquainted with MSU Robotics Club after being introduced by CSAM Dean鈥檚 Office.

The workshop commenced with opening remarks from Obidat and Dr. Coutras where they expressed their excitement about developing new STEM outreach programs between 麻豆传媒在线 and the local community.

Students were handed a robotics programming kit containing an ultrasonic sensor and two LED lights connected to an Arduino board. The goal was to light up certain colored LEDs using a moving object in the range of sensors. Every student was also provided with a workshop activity sheet. The e-board members explained each line of code and then allowed the students the opportunity to tweak certain parameters to see how it affected their projects. Their customizations included changing the range of distance, the pattern of lights, and the location of pins on their boards.

The students were also responsible for filling out a questionnaire packet throughout the event. As such, each e-board member was responsible for five students to ensure they understood the concepts being taught as well as answer any questions they may have.

This workshop was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant and Grant . The success of this workshop indicates that a new STEM education bridge was built from 麻豆传媒在线 to local schools. It also establishes a healthy academic environment where university students and K-12 students are able to collaboratively work on tangible STEM projects and brainstorm new ideas, which will highly nurture and boost their scientific creativity.