Last year, many of you attended the Maker Faire at the Henry Ford and came back with glowing reports and rave reviews!  The event, originally begun as a single-site project in San Francisco, was such a success in southeast Michigan here that it is coming back!  For those of you who were unable to attend, MAker Faire is two-day, family-friendly event that brings "Makers" from all over the nation to celebrate the creative and resourceful people in the areas of science and technology, engineering, food, and arts and crafts.  This year, Maker Faire Detroit will be held July 30-31, 2011, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Here's the fun part: YOU can be a part of the festivities!  Maker Faire Detroit has sounded the call for participants, and you're invited!  To participate, fill out a participation form at http://makezine.com/makerfaire/detroit/2011/callformakers/.  Entries can be submitted by individuals or by groups such as hobbyist clubs and schools. The closing date for all entries is June 1, 2011. In addition to adult Makers, there will also be an area exhibiting Young Makers. Maker Faire and The Henry Ford are excited to be engaging Makers of all ages around innovation, inspiration and education. * Maker Faire Detroit is looking for a wide variety of eclectic, diverse and out-of-the-box ideas that highlight the DIY and tinkerer spirit. Exhibits and displays can range from student projects, robotics, music performance and participation, 3D printers and CNC mills, textile arts and crafts, home energy monitoring, rockets and R/C toys, sustainability, green tech, radios, vintage computers and game systems, electronics, electric vehicles, biology/biotech and chemistry projects, food and beverage makers, robotics, puppets, kites, bicycles, shelter (tents, domes, etc.), unusual tools or machines, how to fix things or take them apart (vacuums, clocks, washing machines, etc.). 

Go ahead, give it a shot!  We know we have a wealth of incredible talent and innovation amongst our DAPCEP families... what a great opportunity to showcase your unique abilities!  If you're more interested in experiencing the Faire than participating, tickets are available here: http://makerfaire.com/detroit/2011/tickets/ 

Good luck and let us know if your entry gets accepted!

Along with the rest of the world, our hearts go out to the people of Japan. Over 1,000 people have lost their lives, some 4 million are without power, massive fires are burning, a dam burst, entire towns have been wiped away, and residents continue to make their way to rooftops hoping for rescue. It's hard to believe  the destruction might have been worse, but Japan has some of the best engineered buildings to withstand powerful quakes.

Buildings can be created to withstand the most powerful earthquakes, but designers remain largely powerless in thwarting the destructive forces of a tsunami, such as the one that slammed Japan’s northeast coast Friday. A group of engineers hopes to change that. University of Ottawa associate professor Ioan Nistor, who specializes in coastal engineering, is part of a new committee with the American Society of Civil Engineers that will examine how to create tsunami-resistant buildings. The group begins its work in July.

Engineers are vital to increasing not only the viability of our infrastructure through the tolls of time, but for the safety of humanity as well.  For more information on the roll of civil engineers in the Japanese recovery efforts and replacable preparation measures fo, take a look at this article: Engineers' goal is tsunami-resistant buildings

Good nutrition has been repeatedly and undeniably linked with productivity and success, ESPECIALLY in relation to academic achievements.  Better nutrition has been shown to have an impact on both cognitive and spatial memory performance; a study showed those with higher blood sugar levels performed better on certain memory tests. (Benton & Sargent 1992) In another study, those who ate yogurt performed better on thinking tasks when compared to those who consumed caffeine free diet soda or sugary treats. 

There is a "nutrition-learning nexus" that shows a correlation between diet and learning; Glewwe P, Jacoby H, King E (2001)  proclaim: "we find that better nourished children perform significantly better in school, partly because they enter school earlier and thus have more time to learn but mostly because of greater learning productivity per year of schooling." The American Dietetic Association is promoting the selection of foods based on color in their "Eat Right With Color" campaign.  Common elements of their message are: The American Dietetic Association is promoting selection of foods based on color in their "Eat Right with Color" campaign. Common elements of their message are:

- Green produce indicates antioxidant potential and may help promote healthy vision and reduce cancer risks.

- Orange and deep yellow fruits and vegetables contain nutrients that promote healthy vision and immunity, and reduce the risk of some cancers. 

- Purple and blue options may have antioxidant and anti-aging benefits and may help with memory, urinary tract health and reduced cancer risks.

- Red indicates produce that may help maintain a healthy heart, vision, immunity and may reduce cancer risks.

- White, tan and brown foods sometimes contain nutrients that may promote heart health and reduce cancer risks.

For more information, visit the National Nutrition Month website.

"We’re not trying to make everyone into an engineer or an astronaut...Of course there are those obvious careers in STEM fields, but we’re also interested in 'STEM-capable' careers — which in today’s world is just about everything else. To be a fashion designer, you have to use CAD software; to be an acoustical engineer with a rock band, you have to know the science and the physics to do that. There is even some evidence that when a home health care aid — one of the fastest-growing professions today — has more scientific knowledge, he or she is better able to interpret doctors’ orders, understand dosage, and basically be a better-informed consumer." -Linda Rosen, former CEO of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

This is an excerpt from a larger interview published today on MindShift, a website dedicated to the changing face of education.  I bring this to your attention because we often overlook the  STEM components that have crept into our lives in ways we hadn't previously imagined.  DAPCEP, then, has reaches that are beyond exclusivity to you future engineers, doctors and scientists out there: we're here to support the creative minds that will change everything from our playlists to our clothes as well!

Stay true to your passions and ideas, and we'll continue to give you the tools to make your dreams into realities.