MUSEUM AT THE MILL
promoting the preservation of America's architectural, cultural and environmental heritage

LAUNCH

LAUNCH

Friday, April 8, 2010 – 11:00AM-4:30PM
Registration: 11:00AM-12:00PM
Bristol Community College, Attleboro, MA

ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY

LAUNCH is a conference that brings together people of all ages who want to find out
how to develop and protect their ideas and/or people who seek to develop 21^st Century skills
in youth, in particular science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) skills.

SESSIONS OVERVIEW
Panels - Workshops - Exhibits

DEVELOPING & PROTECTING IDEAS - Intellectual Property (IP)

Meet: People who have launched businesses and/or initiatives and professionals specializing in protecting intellectual property and product development.

Learn: Ways to protect your ideas as you move through the various stages of development. Factors that move an idea to profitable production. At what point in the process do you protect your ideas and who do you need to work with to protect your ideas. When you can "Do It Yourself" and when you should engage a professional.

Lessons Learned – Focus on product development stages and protecting ideas - intellectual property (IP)
BEING LUCKY & SMART - An entrepreneur's guide to successful business development.
Creating a Profitable & Practical Business Structure – What is best for you a for-profit, non-profit or L3C.
Ideas - Fizzle or Sizzle - What you need to do to protect, market, and brand your products & services.
Documenting & Protecting Intellectual Property – Overview of IP Protection – focus on documentation.

DEVELOPING 21st CENTURY SKILLS - focusing on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)

Meet: Leaders from the public and private sector who promote 21st Century skills – focusing on science, technology, engineering, math (STEM). Non-STEM and STEM professionals and what they do to Close the STEM Gap.

Learn: Find out what individuals and organizations from the public and private sector are doing to ensure people of all ages have the skills in STEM necessary to live and work in the 21st Century. Participate in hands-on activities that motivate STEM learning through the arts, technology, and building models in formal and informal settings. Connect with inspiring educators from early childhood through college and see the methods and materials they use to foster excitement about STEM.

Closing the STEM Gap - Creating a Collaborative Model
Low Tech/High Tech Engaging STEM Learners - Role of collaborative play & STEM in the earliest years.
Access to Inspiring STEM Education - birth - 80+ – Engaging practices used in formal and informal settings.
STEM Programs & Collaborative Efforts – Provides information on strategic public-private partnerships.

EXHIBITS

African-American Inventors - Exhibit includes a quilt on African-American inventors by area students. American Association of University Women (AAUW) - Informational material will illustrate the role of AAUW in supporting inventors such as Marie Curie. Arts – building blocks for STEM Literacy - Illustrates how the Attleboro Public Schools lays the foundation for STEM Literacy through the Arts. Attleboro Public Library & The Literacy Center - Shows simple ways for children and adults to explore STEM concepts together. Bristol Community College - Presents programs that support STEM Literacy and entrepreneurship. Bridgewater State University - Features inventions created by students participating in the Invention Convention. Christa McAuliffe Center - Illustrates how to engage family members, early childhood educators and elementary school teachers in STEM. CityBuild - Showcases an outreach program that teaches Boston high school students about the design and construction fields. CONNECT - illustrates the collaborative efforts of this southeastern Massachusetts public higher education partnership. HarborOneU - Demonstrates how to provide programs for members of the community at different life stages. Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds, P.C. – information on intellectual property law. Historic Dodgeville Mill - highlights how its history parallels the growth and development of America and how owners responded to the introduction of inventions and changes in the economy. Inventions–Architects–Sustainable Initiatives – Focuses on how to create environments that are culturally enriching and equitable. Mass Academy of Sciences - Meet some personable and charming animals that provide an engaging means to deliver STEM concepts to school-age children. Mass Department of Higher Education's STEM Pipeline - illustrates the link between prek-16 education and workforce development. Mass Office of Business Development – information to help companies create and retain jobs. Native American Inventors – Features historic and contemporary inventions and innovations of Native Americans. NASA - Explores aerospace science to identify what STEM careers are directly and indirectly linked to space exploration. The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon - Features how interactive programs involve visitors 6 to 66 in applying the engineering design process and business development concepts to real world challenges. Strategic Partnerships in Rhode Island – advancing 21st Century Skills - Exhibit illustrates the strategic partnership of AMGEN, the University of Rhode Island, and the RI & MA Public Schools in advancing science education. Wheaton College - Wheaton pre-service teachers and students from Pinecroft School (K-5th Grade) demonstrate Spaced Out Sports developed as part of a NASA challenge.

Registration Fee
Fee: $15.00: The non-refundable fee covers materials that will be available for attendees. Register at http://launch2011.eventbrite.com.

Pre-registered Students with ID: Fee Waived if they pre-register at http://launch2011.eventbrite.com

Unregistered Student Fee: Student Fee for students at the door $5.00 for student with an ID that has not pre-registered.

Refreshments – light refreshments will be available.