Updates Overview

• Statewide End of Year PLC - happening TODAY virtually and is focused on end of year wrap up and MESA Day debrief. Join at 4:30pm at https://pdx.zoom.us/j/7875055585, hope to see you there! For those of you who can’t make it, please let us know if you want to schedule a 1:1 debrief with MESA staff. 

• Summer Institute 2026 - Please fill out this quick form to indicate which MESA summer invention institute you plan to attend ahead of the 2026-2027 school year. This is a required training for all advisors. You can choose whatever date/time works for you, and feel free to check multiple boxes if you are debating between two options and do not know yet.

  • Klamath Falls (OIT) - Friday, August 14th from 9am-4pm

    • OIT Klamath Falls (3201 Campus Dr. Klamath Falls, OR 97601)

  • Portland (PSU)  - Tuesday, August 18th from 9am-4pm

    • The Lemelson Foundation (2035 NW Front Ave. Suite 501, Portland, OR 97209)

  • Wilsonville (OIT) - Saturday, September 19th from 9am-4pm

    • OIT Wilsonville ( 27500 SW Parkway Ave. Wilsonville, OR 97070) 

  • Lane County (CLC) - Sunday, October 4th from 9am-4pm

    • Spark at Booth Kelly (303 S 5th St St. 150, Springfield, OR 97477)

• MESA Day 2026 - MESA Day was a tremendous success, and we are so grateful for all the time, energy, and care you put into supporting your students! The student projects were inspiring and the excitement throughout the day reflected the incredible learning happening in your classrooms. You can read the full recap on the Oregon MESA website tomorrow and view event photos here. Please remember these are for classroom and internal use only, do not share the link or the photos publicly, as some students and community members have opted out of having their images shared. We appreciate you! ❤️

• Professional Development (MESA USA): 

  • (Virtual) MESA USA National Summer Convening

    • Wednesday, Jun 17, 2026 from 8:30am-12pm

      • • Topics will include:

          • 2025 Oregon MESA Alumni keynote speakers

          • AI in Classroom

          • Changes to NEDC

          • Rockstar Teachers (best practices)

Register here by Wednesday, June 3rd if you plan on attending. 

Advisor Deadlines

• 6/1/2026: End of Year PLC (virtual)

  • • Happening TODAY virtually and is focused on end of year wrap up and MESA Day debrief. Join at 4:30pm at https://pdx.zoom.us/j/7875055585, hope to see you there! For those of you who can’t make it, please let us know if you want to schedule a 1:1 debrief with MESA staff. 

• 6/5/2026: Complete & Share MESA Annual Survey

  • • Annual survey for feedback on the MESA program to help with program improvement. All MESA participants (Advisors, Mentors, Students) participate in the annual survey. 

    • Advisor Survey (required for all advisors)

    • Student Survey (Please support your students in completing this survey)

• 6/5/2026: FINAL spring Invoice and FINAL reimbursement requests due

  • • Invoices: Ensure your chapter attendance data and student enrollment information is updated in MATRIX by this date so we can pay you accurately for work you've performed. Invoices will be automatically generated by this deadline, emailed to you for final review.

    • Reimbursement Requests: Submit your reimbursement requests to Michelle at myebra@pdx.edu by June 5th. Reimbursement requests for supplies, must include itemized, original receipts, and a description of the business purpose of each purchase. If purchasing meals for students, an RSVP list and agenda must be provided for each event, in addition to receipt/purpose.

College & Career Opportunities

• College & Career opportunities can be found on MESA Everyday.

  • • • • • College/Scholarship page

          • Jobs, Internships & Skills page

External Opportunities

• UPLIFT Leadership Career Summit: The Career Summit is happening on July 28-31, 2026 at Willamette University. The four-day event is a playshop for young people who want to explore careers-industries and build job readiness skills. This event centers on teens and recent graduates—ages 16 to 26—who want to learn, grow and reach their professional potential. For more information visit: https://www.upliftleadership.org/career-summit

• Building Blocks 2 Success 2026 STEM Summer Camps are open for registration! Join them for a summer filled with STEM exploration and creativity. They are offering several week-long, full-day summer camps during July for students in K-9 to engage with topics in Virtual Reality, Game Design, E-Sports, 3D Printing, and LEGO Robotics. No experience is required, and everyone is welcome to join! Please share this opportunity with your community. You can find more information about their programs here: https://afterschoolhq.com/BuildingBlocks2Success

Updates Overview

• MESA Day + State Engineering and Design Competition (SEDC) Updates

  • It's time to prepare for both MESA Day and the Spring Challenge

    • May 4th:

      • SEDC (State Engineering and Design Competition) submissions open

      • Submission process can be found on MyMESA and MESA Everyday

    • May 14th:

      • Deadline for SEDC submissions (HARD DEADLINE)

• Project Resources:

  • Located on the MESA Day pages of MESA Everyday (MESA Day page) are several documents that should help you and your students:

    • Create a design proposal using this template.

      • (Example design proposal)

    • Tech Pitch Rubric Explainer Slides- this is a portion of what our SEDC judges are trained on!

    • Rubric for both Design Proposal (1st tab) and Tech Pitch (2nd tab)

• Professional Development (MESA USA): 

  • (Virtual) MESA USA National Summer Convening

    • Wednesday, Jun 17, 2026 from 8:30am-12pm

  • Topics will include:

    • 2025 Oregon MESA Alumni keynote speakers

    • AI in Classroom

    • Changes to NEDC

    • Rockstar Teachers (best practices)

  • Register here!

Advisor Deadlines

• May 4th:

  • SEDC (State Engineering and Design Competition) submissions open

• May 14th:

  • Deadline for SEDC submissions (HARD DEADLINE)

• 6/5/2026: PLC #3 - Spring PLC (virtual)

  • Held statewide and is focused on End of year wrap up and MESA Day debrief

• 6/5/2026: Complete & Share MESA Annual Survey

  • Annual survey for feedback on the MESA program to help with program improvement. All MESA participants (Advisors, Mentors, Students) participate in the annual survey. This will be sent to you by Education Northwest (EdNW)

• 6/5/2026: FINAL spring Invoice and FINAL reimbursement requests due

  • Invoices: Ensure your chapter attendance data and student enrollment information is updated in MATRIX by this date so we can pay you accurately for work you've performed. Invoices will be automatically generated by this deadline, emailed to you for final review.

  • Reimbursement Requests: Submit your reimbursement requests to Michelle at myebra@pdx.edu by this deadline. Reimbursement requests for supplies, must include itemized, original receipts, and a description of the business purpose of each purchase. If purchasing meals for students, an RSVP list and agenda must be provided for each event, in addition to receipt/purpose.

Resources

• Inventory Request Form

• MATRIX Resources

• Latino Network Immigration Resources

• Oregon Department of Justice Resources

• Oregon For All Resources

College & Career Opportunities

• College & Career opportunities can be found on MESA Everyday.

  • College/Scholarship page

  • Jobs, Internships & Skills page

• In the meantime, contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Reach out to your Regional Coordinator for help coordinating Family Nights. It’s not too late to host a gathering so students can share what they’ve been working on with their families. 

External Opportunities

• GO STEM is putting on a free summer camp for students on AI's integration into the ag space. Please see the application form. This camp is for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. This is a completely free summer camp and they will pay for transportation to and from anywhere in the State. Contact Elaine Swanson for more information. 

• Building Blocks 2 Success 2026 STEM Summer Camps are open for registration! Join them for a summer filled with STEM exploration and creativity. They are offering several week-long, full-day summer camps during July for students in K-9 to engage with topics in Virtual Reality, Game Design, E-Sports, 3D Printing, and LEGO Robotics. No experience is required, and everyone is welcome to join! Please share this opportunity with your community. You can find more information about their programs here: https://afterschoolhq.com/BuildingBlocks2Success

• AI & Community Problem-Solving Pilot - Technovation is seeking 13 Oregon educators (Grades 3-12) from across Oregon to join a streamlined pilot that turns students from AI consumers into community-focused creators. This is a "low-lift, high-impact" way to bring ethical AI and coding into any classroom or after-school program.

• Time Commitment: Only 4–5 instructional hours total.

• Stipend: Educators receive $500 upon completion of post survey.

• Flexibility: Open to all subjects (Tech, English, etc.) and settings (in-class, afterschool, or camps).

• Support: Includes a 1-hour virtual training and an AI Mini Toolkit.

• Requirement: Just 1 device per team of 5 students.

If you’re interested, complete the 1-minute interest form by June 1. Questions? Contact Luella at luella@technovation.org.

• Green Pathways Career Panel - Join OMSI for an engaging career panel where you’ll hear from three professionals working in sustainability-centered industries as they share what they do, their career journeys, and advice for getting started. Teens will hear from industry experts during a moderated panel, then have an opportunity to network directly with professionals. Whether you’re already interested in these fields or just beginning to explore, this is a great opportunity to ask questions, make connections, and learn what it takes to build the world around us. 

Date & Time: Saturday, May 16th, 2pm-4pm

Event Location: OMSI Fishbowl (by Empirical Theater), Portland, OR

Open to: Teens aged 13-18

Cost: Free to attend. Lunch provided. 

Register to attend

Updates Overview

Demo Days: 

• • Our 2026 Demo Days were a success! We are beyond proud of the ingenuity and hard work of MESA students all over the State. Thank you for joining us, and for all you did to ensure students and families were able to make it to these events. Check out photos from the events below to relive the magic of these unforgettable events! 

    • West PDX Demo Day 2026 Photos

    • Salem Demo Day 2026 Photos

    • East PDX Demo Day 2026 Photos

    • KFalls Demo Day 2026 Photos

    • Lane County Demo Day 2026 Photos

      • If you would like to share these out please confirm with MESA staff first! 

Professional Development (MESA USA): 

• • (Virtual) MESA USA National Summer Convening

    • Wednesday, Jun 17, 2026 from 8:30am-12pm

  • Topics will include:

    • AI in Classroom

      • How do you use AI? survey for students

    • Changes to NEDC

    • Rockstar Teachers (best practices)

  • Register here!

Spring Institute:

• • It's time to prepare for both MESA Day and the Spring Challenge, and this year’s asynchronous VIDEO SPRING INSTITUTE is live! 

    • MESA Day General Info 

  • Please watch this 21 min long video and complete the required survey at the end by April 10th, 2026

  • We will also be hosting 2 virtual Q&As for anyone that has any questions, comments or concerns, or just wants to say hi:

• Friday, April 24th, 2026 from 4-6pm

• Monday, April 27th, 2026 4-6pm

Project Resources:

• • Located both in the MESA Day pages of MyMESA and MESA Everyday are several documents that should help you and your students:

    • Design Proposal Rubric (1st tab)

    • Tech Pitch Rubric (2nd tab)

    • Tech Pitch Rubric Explainer Slides- this is a portion of what our SEDC judges are trained on!

    • Decision Matrix (Week 10)

Advisor Deadlines

• ASAP - Bus Reservation for MESA Day (5/22/2026 ~8:30am-4:00pm)

• Preliminary Chapter Lists were sent out at the end of March. Please review your chapter list and ensure students are enrolled so that they can attend MESA Day.

• April 10th -  Spring Institute Video & required survey

  • • • Student nominations

• April 20th - Deadline for advisors to share

  • • • Arrival/departure at MESA Day

      • SEDC/Spring Challenge participation

• May 4th:

  • • • SEDC (State Engineering and Design Competition) submissions open

• May 14th:

  • • • Deadline for SEDC submissions (HARD DEADLINE)

Resources

• Inventory Request Form

• MATRIX Resources

• Latino Network Immigration Resources

• Oregon Department of Justice Resources

• Oregon For All Resources

College & Career Opportunities

• College & Career opportunities can be found on MESA Everyday.

• College/Scholarship page

• Jobs, Internships & Skills page

• In the meantime, contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Reach out to your Regional Coordinator for help coordinating Family Nights. It’s not too late to host a gathering so students can share what they’ve been working on with their families. 

External Opportunities

• STEMFest 2026 is a free, hands-on community event designed to inspire K-12th grade students and their families through engaging STEM exploration and career-connected learning experiences. Together, POIC and OIC of America are creating an event that not only sparks curiosity, but also helps students understand how STEM skills connect to real-world careers and future pathways.

  • • • STEMFest takes place Wednesday, April 28, 2026 from 12:00 PM – 4:30 PM

• 2026 Engineering EXPO at Oregon State University, June 5th, 11:00 AM-4:00 PM.

  • • • The Engineering EXPO is a signature showcase of student innovation, featuring interactive senior design projects across robotics, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical systems, and more. It’s a great opportunity for robotics students to see how the skills they use on their teams—design, prototyping, programming, testing, and teamwork—translate directly into real-world engineering projects. 

      • They would love for your team to join them - whether as a school group or by attending with families. The event is FREE and open to the community, and teams are welcome to explore the Expo at their own pace. 

      • If your team is school-affiliated and would like to attend as a group, transportation support may be available. Additional details and school visit information can be found on the Expo school visit webpage. The deadline for schools to register is Friday, May 1st at 12:00 PM. Registration is first come, first served. Here is a link to a flyer and a video about one of the teams at the showcase. If you’d like more information, contact Cristian Ryes at OSU. 

• Clackamas Community College offers fun and exciting Career and Technical Education (CTE) summer camps that provide college credit opportunities to local high school students, completely free! Camps are open to students who live and go to school in Clackamas County. Students must be entering grades 9-12 in fall 2026. Lunch will be provided and transportation assistance is available from some area high schools to the college. Camps have limited space and will use a weighted lottery to determine placement.

  • • • 2026 CTE Summer Camp Sign Ups are open from March 16 to June 7. Sign up here. 

• The Henry Ford is offering an Educators-in-Residence program so teachers can connect with a cohort of like-minded educators, share and assess current classroom techniques, work with cohort and THF education staff to find stories, tools, and resources that can help build a culture of creativity, and test out new techniques, activities, and resources in the classroom and capture student impact. Each educator-in-residence needs to be available to be onsite at The Henry Ford July 21-24, 2026 and able to attend 2 virtual check-ins during the 2026-27 school year to reflect on how well new ideas or lessons worked with students. They should also be willing to test new ideas and/or lessons in your classroom during the 2026-27 school year. Educators-in-residence will receive benefits like:

• $500 stipend

• Travel expense reimbursement

• Access to inHub

• One-year membership to The Henry Ford

• Apply here between March 2-April 10, 2026. You will be asked to complete a short application form that includes brief written responses. You will also upload your current resume. Applicants will be notified about their status by mid-May 2026. If you have any questions, please email EducatorsinResidence@thehenryford.org.

Demo Days: 

• • Salem Demo Day: Thursday, 3/5 (Optional Tour 4:00-4:30pm) 4:30pm-7:30pm @ Garmin

  • East Portland Demo Day: Saturday, 3/7 2:00pm-5:00pm @ MHCC FY26 East Portland DD Team/Advisor Brief

  • Klamath Falls Demo Day: Tuesday, 3/10 4:00pm-7:00pm @ OIT-K

  • Lane County Demo Day: Friday, 3/13 4:30pm-6:30pm @ Spark at Booth-Kelly

    • Demo Day Team Registration (link) is open! Due one week before Demo Day. More information about Demo Days can be found on the Demo Day page on MyMESA. Please wait to fill out the form until you have specific team names and student names; do not add placeholders like Team 1,Team 2 etc.

      • If you aren’t sure which Demo Day your school is assigned to, reach out to your regional coordinator! 

    • Community Safety Planning for Demo Days: While Demo Day has historically been a public-facing event, this year we will not be advertising it publicly and instead are inviting families and close partners to attend. We are also taking additional precautions based on each site. Pre-registration is required and unregistered attendees/unexpected visitors will not be admitted to the event. 

  • Family Registration - These are being mailed to chapters to be distributed to students and families. Families who opted in for communications from MESA are also receiving text messages and emails about the event.

    • Salem Demo Day

      • Demo Day Parent Letter - Salem

      • ENG FY26 Demo Day Flyer_Salem.png

      • SPA FY26 Demo Day Flyer_Salem (1).png

    • East Portland Demo Day

      • Demo Day Parent Letter - MHCC

      • ENG FY26 Demo Day Flyer_EastPDX.pdf

      • SPA FY26 Demo Day Flyer_EastPDX.pdf

    • Klamath Falls Demo Day 

      • Demo Day Parent Letter - Klamath Falls

      • ENG FY26 Demo Day Flyer_KFalls.png

      • SPA FY26 Demo Day Flyer_KFalls.png

    • Lane County Demo Day

      • Demo Day Parent Letter - Lane County

      • ENG FY26 Demo Day Flyer_LaneCounty.png

      • SPA FY26 Demo Day Flyer_LaneCounty (1).png
         

UPDATED Events Calendar: 

• • Check out our updated training and events calendar for this school year: 2025-2026 Advisor Calendar We recommend printing it as a resource that is easy to return to. If you have a printed one from a summer institute you attended, replace it with this one as dates/times/locations have been added/updated. 

Demo Day Rubric Explainer Video:

• • An updated version of the Demo Day Rubric Explainer Video is here and can be located in the Pacing Guide in Week 14-16, on the Demo Day page as well as on the homepage of MESA Everyday for your students!

Project Resources:

• • Located both in the Pacing Guide and MESA Everyday (Demo Day page) are several documents that should help you and your students.

    • Decision Matrix (Week 10)

    • Student Product Research (Week 10)

    • Team Role Agreement (Week 12)

    • Prototype Checklist (Week 15)

Advisor Deadlines

• ASAP - Bus Reservation for MESA Day (5/22/2026 ~8:30am-4:00pm)

• Winter Invoice and quarterly reimbursement requests: due 3/6/2026

• Preliminary Chapter Lists will be sent out at the end of March. Once you receive them, please review your chapter list and ensure students are enrolled so that they can attend MESA Day.

Resources

• 1-on-1 coding/microprocessor help (can be found on MyMESA)

• Inventory Request Form

• MATRIX Resources

• Latino Network Immigration Resources

• Oregon Department of Justice Resources

• Oregon For All Resources

College & Career Opportunities

• College & Career opportunities can be found on MESA Everyday.

  • College/Scholarship page

  • Jobs, Internships & Skills page

• In the meantime, contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Demo Day Family Registration

  • Salem Demo Day

  • East Portland Demo Day

  • Klamath Falls Demo Day 

  • Lane County Demo Day 

• Reach out to your Regional Coordinator for help coordinating Family Nights. It’s not too late to host a gathering so students can share what they’ve been working on with their families. 

External Opportunities

• Teen Tech Center at OMSI (free!) - Teens aged 13-18 can visit OMSI’s Teen Tech Center to explore ideas, develop skills, and express themselves through technology. The Teen Tech Center is an inclusive space that offers teens the opportunity to explore their interests through collaboration with experienced mentors and peer volunteers. There are sewing machines, photography equipment, drawing tablets, 3D printers, computers, a sound booth, musical instruments, and lots more equipment to facilitate STEAM interests.

  • Tues-Fri | 1:30 pm-5:00 pm

  • Sat-Sun | 10:00 am-5:00 pm

• Which Oregon universities and degrees produce the biggest paychecks for graduates? Check out this article!  Article - Oregon universities for biggest paychecks

• Silicon Forest Tech Summit - March 14th. This year's summit will showcase amazing emerging tech companies to potential backers, share inspiring stories, and highlight future career opportunities. The Oregon’s tech community is a powerhouse, with 359 establishments in the region, 41,400 employees in the computers and electronics industry, and $12.37 billion in international computers and electronics exports (2020). Register for the event and learn more here. 

• 2026 Engineering EXPO at Oregon State University, June 5th, from 11 am to 4 pm.

  • The Engineering EXPO is a signature showcase of student innovation, featuring interactive senior design projects across robotics, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical systems, and more. It’s a great opportunity for robotics students to see how the skills they use on their teams: design, prototyping, programming, testing, and teamwork—translate directly into real-world engineering projects. 

  • They would love for your team to join them - whether as a school group or by attending with families. The event is FREE and open to the community, and teams are welcome to explore the Expo at their own pace. 

  • If your team is school-affiliated and would like to attend as a group, transportation support may be available. Additional details and school visit information can be found on the Expo school visit webpage. The deadline for schools to register is Friday, May 1st at noon. Registration is first come, first served. Here is a link to a flyer and a video about one of the teams at the showcase. If you’d like more information, contact Cristian Ryes at OSU. 

• Youth Work mini-conference hosted by Portland Metro STEM Partnership in partnership with OSU. Fri, March 13th, 2026, 9am - 2pm @ OSU Portland Center (downtown Portland). Register Here for Youth Work Mini Conference!

Updates Overview

• Demo Days: 

  • • • West Portland Demo Day: Saturday, 2/28 2pm-5pm @ Albina Library

      • Salem Demo Day: Thursday, 3/5 (Optional Tour 4-4:30pm) 4:30pm-7:30pm @ Garmin

      • East Portland Demo Day: Saturday, 3/7 2pm-5pm @ MHCC

      • Klamath Falls Demo Day: Tues. 3/10 4pm-7pm @ OIT-K

      • Lane County Demo Day: Fri. 3/13 4:30pm-6:30pm @ Spark Booth-Kelly

        • • Demo Day Team Registration (link) will open two weeks before each regional Demo Day and is due one week before Demo Day. More information about Demo Days can be found on the Competitions page on MyMESA.

            • If you aren’t sure which Demo Day your school is assigned to, reach out to your regional coordinator! 

          • Community Safety Planning for Demo Days: While Demo Day has historically been a public facing event, this year we will not be advertising it publicly and instead are inviting families and close partners to attend. Pre-registration will be required and unregistered attendees/unexpected visitors will not be admitted to the event. 

• UPDATED Events Calendar: Check out our updated training and events calendar for this school year: 2025-2026 Advisor Calendar We recommend printing it as a resource that is easy to return to. If you have a printed one from a summer institute you attended, replace it with this one as dates/times/locations have been added/updated. 

• Third Theme Video:

  • The final theme video of the year has been released and can be found in the Pacing Guide at Week 4, 12 & 13 as well as on MyMESA's homepage.

• Demo Day Rubric Explainer Video:

  • An updated version of the Demo Day Rubric Explainer Video is here and can be located in the Pacing Guide in Week 14-16, on the Demo Day page as well as on the homepage of MESA Everyday for your students!

• Project Resources:

  • Located both in the Pacing Guide and MESA Everyday (Demo Day page) are several documents that should help you and your

    • Decision Matrix (Week 10)

    • Student Product Research (Week 10)

    • Team Role Agreement (Week 12)

    • Prototype Checklist (Week 15)

Student Recruitment

• While the early enrollment deadline has passed, students can still join MESA! Let your Regional Coordinator know if you need support. 

• Share this MESA recruitment video with your students and share it on social media to spread the word about MESA.

• Student recruitment materials and enrollment forms.

Advisor Deadlines

• ASAP - Bus Reservation for MESA Day (5/22/2026 ~8:30am-4:00pm)

• Demo Day Team Registration (link) will open two weeks before each regional Demo Day and is due one week before Demo Day. More information about Demo Days can be found on the Competitions page on MyMESA.

• Personnel Form: Submit ASAP - Personnel Form

Resources

• 1-on-1 coding/microprocessor help (can be found on MyMESA)

• Student recruitment materials

• Inventory Request Form

• MATRIX Resources

• Latino Network Immigration Resources

• Oregon Department of Justice Resources

• Oregon For All Resources

College & Career Opportunities

• More information and updates about College & Career opportunities on MESA Everyday everyday.oregonmesa.org

• In the meantime, contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Demo Day Dates - add link to invites to share with advisors 

• Reach out to your Regional Coordinator for help coordinating Family Nights. It’s not too late to host a gathering so students can share what they’ve been working on with their families. 

External Opportunities

• NSBE 3rd Annual Youth Infrastructure Fair - The Youth Infrastructure Fair celebrates National Engineers Week and Black History Month by providing youth with a hands-on introduction to the careers that keep our cities running. We’ll feature a diverse range of industry professionals representing key sectors like water, electricity, transportation, and more - each hosting interactive tables where students will learn through activities and discussions. As they navigate the fair, students will use their “infrastructure passport” to record their journey, engage with volunteers, and complete the passport to earn prizes (STEM Kits, books, and more).

  • Location: McDaniel High School, 2735 NE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97220

  • Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026

  • Time: 3:30 PM - 6:30PM

Updates Overview

Winter Institute: 12/12/2025 Demo Day Training released on MyMESA.

• • This is another asynchronous virtual training that will go over the process of Demo Day; dates, times, locations, registration, project requirements, etc. Note that there will be a required survey at the end of the training to allow for any questions or concerns you may have about the structure of Demo Day.

    • Due Jan 9th 2026

    • Additionally, we’ll be hosting a statewide post-training virtual Q&A on January 9th & 16th from 6:00-8:00pm.

Curriculum:

• • There is a second theme video located in Week 7 of the Pacing Guide. It has  interviews from Portland Summer Institutes guest speakers, explaining what Each One, Teach One means to them and how they practice it in their lives.

  • If you’re having trouble with students narrowing down an idea for a project you can have them use the “Decision Matrix” located in Week 10 of the Pacing Guide. Also to help make sure the students are held accountable by their team for their work we also have a “Team Role Agreement” document in Week 12 of the Pacing Guide that is SPN first and ENG below it.

Enrollment Forms: MESA enrollment forms are due ASAP

• Online English

• Online Spanish

• Printable English 

• Printable Spanish

• Printable Vietnamese

• Printable Chuukese

  • Note: if your students and families are apprehensive about sharing personal information in enrollment forms, please reach out to Michelle at myebra@pdx.edu for alternative options. See the resources section below for additional helpful information. 

Special Event Opportunities: 

• • Native American Community Science Night - happening at OMSI on January 23rd from 6-9PM. We have free tickets for MESA students and their families, reach out to ormesa@pdx.edu for more information on how to redeem the free tickets. 

UPDATED Events Calendar: 

• Check out our updated training and events calendar for this school year: 2025-2026 Advisor Calendar We recommend printing it as a resource that is easy to return to. If you have a printed one from a summer institute you attended, replace it with this one as dates/times/locations have been added/updated. 

Chapter support: 

• Mentors are being actively trained and placed at chapters across the state. Due to funding limitations, we are not in a position to provide a mentor to every chapter and are leaning on industry professionals (STEAM Coaches) to volunteer. Know someone who works in the industry who would be a perfect fit for a STEAM Coach? Encourage them to fill out our volunteer interest form!

Student Recruitment

• While the early enrollment deadline has passed, students can still join MESA! Let your regional coordinator know if you need support. 

• Share this MESA recruitment video with your students and share it on social media to spread the word about MESA.

• Student recruitment materials.

Advisor Deadlines

• ASAP - Bus Reservation for MESA Day (5/22/2026 ~8:30am-4:00pm)

• Demo Day Registration will open two weeks before each regional Demo Day and is due one week before Demo Day. Be on the lookout for relevant links in the next advisor briefing.

  • • Demo Day dates can be found on the Pacing Guide page in the “Winter Term” drop down as well as on the Competitions page on MyMESA

• Personnel Form: Submit ASAP - Personnel Form

Resources

• 1-on-1 coding/microprocessor help (can be found on MyMESA)

• Student recruitment materials

• MATRIX Resources

• Latino Network Immigration Resources

• Oregon Department of Justice Resources

• Oregon For All Resources

College & Career Opportunities

• More information and updates about College & Career opportunities on MESA Everyday everyday.oregonmesa.org

• In the meantime, you can contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Reach out to your Regional Coordinator for help coordinating Family Nights. A Family Night in the fall is a great way to get your chapter going!  We recommend Advisors hold a Winter Celebration in December as a family night and we are eager to support joint family nights with other MESA chapters in your area.

External Opportunities

• Native American Community Science Night - happening at OMSI on January 23rd from 6-9PM. We have free tickets for MESA students and their families, reach out to ormesa@pdx.edu for more information on how to redeem the free tickets. 

Updates Overview

• Action Needed: Please have all of your students complete the Fall Student Survey. This can be done during the opening of a chapter meeting and will take approximately ten minutes. The survey is linked here on the homepage of MESA Everyday, along with a QR code. Surveys need to be completed before Winter Break.

• Winter Institute: 12/12/2025 Demo Day Training released on MyMESA.

  • This will be another asynchronous virtual training that will go over the process of Demo Day; dates, times, locations, registration, project requirements, etc. Note that there will be a required survey at the end of the training to allow for any questions or concerns you may have about the structure of Demo Day.

  • Additionally, we’ll be hosting a statewide post-training virtual Q&A on Jan 9th & 16th from 6-8pm

• Curriculum:

  • There is a second theme video located in Week 7 of the Pacing Guide. It has  interviews from Portland Summer Institutes guest speakers, explaining what Each One, Teach One means to them and how they practice it in their lives.

• Enrollment Forms: MESA enrollment forms are due ASAP

• Online English

• Online Spanish

• Printable English 

• Printable Spanish

• Printable Vietnamese

• Printable Chuukese

  • Note: if your students and families are apprehensive about sharing personal information in enrollment forms, please reach out to Michelle at myebra@pdx.edu for alternative options. See the resources section below for additional helpful information. 

• UPDATED Events Calendar: Check out our updated training and events calendar for this school year:  2025-2026 Advisor Calendar We recommend printing it as a resource that is easy to return to. If you have a printed one from a summer institute you attended, replace it with this one as dates/times/locations have been added/updated. 

• Chapter support: Mentors are being actively trained and placed at chapters across the state. Due to funding limitations, we are not in a position to provide a mentor to every chapter and are leaning on industry professionals (STEAM Coaches) to volunteer. Know someone who works in the industry who would be a perfect fit for a STEAM Coach? Encourage them to fill out our volunteer interest form!

• Celebrating 40 years of MESA: In late October, we celebrated MESA’s 40 year anniversary and had the privilege of hearing from generations of MESA alums. Check out this recap and keep an eye on our social media and YouTube for alumni speech highlights as you may want to share them with your students for inspiration!

Student Recruitment

• While the early enrollment deadline has passed, students can still join MESA! Let your regional coordinator know if you need support. 

• Share this MESA recruitment video with your students and share it on social media to spread the word about MESA.

• Student recruitment materials.

Advisor Deadlines

• 12/5/2025 - Chapter Attendance & Reimbursements:

Please make sure your chapter attendance is in the system and reimbursements are submitted to Michelle (myebra@pdx.edu) by December 5th so we can process your invoice as well as reimburse you for expenses.

• 12/31/2025 - Bus Reservation for MESA Day (5/22/2026 ~8:30am-4:00pm)

• Personnel Form: Submit ASAP - Personnel Form

Resources

• 1-on-1 coding/microprocessor help (can be found on MyMESA)

• Student recruitment materials

• MATRIX Resources

• Latino Network Immigration Resources

• Oregon Department of Justice Resources

• Oregon For All Resources

College & Career Opportunities

• More information and updates about College & Career opportunities on MESA Everyday everyday.oregonmesa.org

• In the meantime, you can contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Reach out to your Regional Coordinator for help coordinating Family Nights. A Family Night in the fall is a great way to get your chapter going!  We recommend Advisors hold a Winter Celebration in December as a family night and we are eager to support joint family nights with other MESA chapters in your area.

• How is the new school year going? We would LOVE to hear from you about how MESA is going when it comes to recruitment/enrollment, the updated pacing guide and annual theme. Our state office team is standing by ready to assist. Reach out to your regional coordinator or Jonas.

• Elementary Schools Advisors: The Elementary Pacing Guide is live and is available here on MyMESA. If you have your MESA chapter during the school day please contact jhudnall@pdx.edu for the school day curriculum. 

• MESA Through the Decades: On October 22nd, 2025 Oregon MESA celebrated 40 incredible years at MESA Through the Decades, honoring alumni, community members, and teachers like you who make MESA possible. Stay tuned for a link to the photo gallery and blog post! 

• Enrollment Forms: MESA enrollment forms are due 11/17/25 for incentive t-shirts! Forms received by this deadline will qualify students for a surprise incentive! 

• Online English

• Online Spanish

• Printable English 

• Printable Spanish

• UPDATED Events Calendar: Check out our updated training and events calendar for this school year:  2025-2026 Advisor Calendar We recommend printing it as a resource that is easy to return to. If you have a printed one from a summer institute you attended, replace it with this one as dates have been added/updated. .

• Fall PLC - Join your local Fall PLC! These PLCs will be a start-of-the-year gatherings where RCs connect with advisors to check-in, share college and career opportunities, and offer support for scheduling Family Nights. 

Student Recruitment

• We are here to help you with student recruitment. We can table at local community events or school events throughout the school year. Let us know the dates of these events through this quick form and we will make sure to be there.

• Share this MESA recruitment video with your students and share it on social media to spread the word about MESA!

• Student recruitment materials

Advisor Deadlines

• 11/17/2025 - Submit student enrollment forms

  • Online English

  • Online Spanish

  • Printable English 

  • Printable Spanish

We are in the process of translating our enrollment and welcome materials into Vietnamese and Chukeese and will have those one MyMESA soon. 

• 12/31/2025 - Bus Reservation for MESA Day (5/22/2026 ~8:30am-4:00pm)

Resources

• 1-on-1 coding/microprocessor help (can be found on MyMESA)

• Student recruitment materials

• MATRIX Resources

Websites to Know

• Oregon MESA: oregonmesa.org 

• MyMESA: mymesa.oregonmesa.org  - Make sure to bookmark this link as it is not searchable on Google. 

• MESA Everyday: everyday.oregonmesa.org  - Make sure to bookmark this link as it is not searchable on Google. 

  • Middle School page

  • This site will continuously be updated throughout the school year, and is modeled after MyMESA so students can follow along with you a little more easily during each chapter meeting (slides, workbooks, client lists, STEAM coach, competition dates/rubrics, etc.).

College & Career Opportunities

• More information and updates about College & Career opportunities on MESA Everyday everyday.oregonmesa.org

• In the meantime, you can contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Reach out to your Regional Coordinator for help coordinating Family Nights. A Family Night in the fall is a great way to get your chapter going!  We recommend Advisors hold a Winter Celebration in December as a family night and we are eager to support joint family nights with other MESA chapters in your area.

Updates Overview

• 2025-2026 Curriculum: Here is the 2025-2026 Pacing Guide. Contact Jonas if you have any questions as you are getting started! 

• Summer Invention Institutes: Thank you to all the advisors who showed up to our August and September Summer Institutes. We hope the trainings were helpful and exciting; check out photos from the sessions on our Instagram! 

• • We only have one Institute left, on Sunday 10/5, hosted at Spark at Booth-Kelly for our Lane County advisors. Sign up using this form.

  • If you were unable to attend any of the trainings offered please contact Jonas ASAP regarding make-up training.

• Enrollment Forms: MESA enrollment forms are due 11/17/25! Forms received by this deadline will qualify students for a surprise incentive! 

• Online English

• Online Spanish

• Printable English 

• Printable Spanish

• Events Calendar: Check out upcoming events and important MESA deadlines for the new school year in our 2025-2026 Advisor Calendar. 

• Personnel Form: Submit it by 10/10/2025 - Personnel Form

• MESA Through the Decades: On October 22nd, 2025 we are celebrating 40 years of Oregon MESA at Avenue Portland. Tickets are on sale now, and we would love your help in spreading the word about this exciting event aimed at raising critical funds for our programming. If you would like to attend, please note we have a special discount for Alumni and Teachers! Just enter coupon code mesa40 at checkout. We hope to see you there!

• Staff Updates: Joe Rourke, regional coordinator for Klamath County, and Mahathi Mandelli, state office curriculum and coding specialist, have moved on from their roles here at MESA. We appreciate their service and wish them all the best! 

Student Recruitment

• We are here to help you with student recruitment. We can table at local back-to-school nights, and community events, and club fairs throughout the school year. Let us know the dates of these events through this quick form and we will make sure to be there.

• Share this MESA recruitment video with your students and share it on social media to spread the word about MESA!

• Student recruitment materials

Advisor Deadlines

• 10/10/2025 - Submit personnel form

• 11/17/2025 - Submit student enrollment forms

  • Online English

  • Online Spanish

  • Printable English 

  • Printable Spanish

• 12/31/2025 - Bus Reservation for MESA Day (5/22/2026)

Resources

• Student recruitment materials

• MATRIX Resources

Websites to Know

• Oregon MESA: oregonmesa.org 

• MyMESA: mymesa.oregonmesa.org  - Make sure to bookmark this link as it is not searchable on Google. 

• MESA Everyday: everyday.oregonmesa.org  - Make sure to bookmark this link as it is not searchable on Google. 

  • Middle School page

  • This site will continuously be updated throughout the school year, and is modeled after MyMESA so students can follow along with you a little more easily during each chapter meeting (slides, workbooks, client lists, STEAM coach, competition dates/rubrics, etc.).

College & Career Opportunities

• More information and updates about College & Career opportunities on MESA Everyday everyday.oregonmesa.org

• In the meantime, you can contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Reach out to your Regional Coordinator for help coordinating Family Nights. A Family Night in the fall is a great way to get your chapter going! We are eager to support and encourage joint family nights with other MESA chapters in your area.

External Opportunities

• Kijani Collective Brunch & Launch

  • Sat, Oct 4, 2025, 11:00 AM–2:00 PM, 555 SW Morrison St., Portland

  • Info/registration: http://kijanicollective.org

• PCC C.A.T. Studio (Community Arts & Technology Studio): https://www.pcc.edu/skill-center/cat-studio/

  • Project catalog (intro builds, badges): https://www.pcc.edu/skill-center/cat-studio/project-catalog/

• NASA STEM Opportunities and Activities For Students

• Congressional App Challenge:

  • The Congressional App Challenge is the official computer science competition of the House of Representatives. Since its inception in 2013, the Congressional App Challenge has grown to become the most prestigious prize in computer science. Over 30,000 students have participated in the Congressional App Challenge across 308 Congressional Districts in 49 states and five U.S. territories. This year, we are pleased to announce that we will be participating in the 2025 Congressional App Challenge. From now to October 30th, Rep. Bynum will be hosting a Congressional App Challenge for middle school and high school students of all coding skills in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District.  The Congressional App Challenge urges all students to enter the competition, as it encourages critical thinking and creativity for those of all computer science experience levels. To learn more about the rules, prizes, and more, you can visit their website here.

Updates Overview

• 2025-2026 Curriculum has dropped: Huge shoutout to advisors Suzanne, Jerome, Gaby, Jill and Devon for their work this summer tuning up our pacing guide, integrating the new theme, helping to shape MyMESA so it is more useful, and even getting ahead on Spring Challenge planning. Here is the 2025-2026 Pacing Guide. Contact Jonas if you have any questions as you are getting started! 

• Summer Invention Institutes: Sign up for a Summer Institute near you using this form.

  • Sunday 9/14 - Portland State University (PSU): First year and second year Advisors are required to attend but all Advisors strongly encouraged to participate. 

  • Tuesday, 9/16 - OIT Klamath Falls

  • Sunday 10/5 - Spark by Booth-Kelly 

• Enrollment Forms: MESA enrollment forms are due 11/17/25! Forms received by this deadline will qualify students for a surprise incentive!

• Online English

• Online Spanish

• Printable English 

• Printable Spanish

• Events Calendar: check out upcoming events and important MESA deadlines for the new school year in our FY26 MESA Event Schedule.

• MESA Through the Decades: on October 22nd, 2025 we are celebrating 40 years of Oregon MESA at Avenue Portland. Tickets are on sale, and we would love your help in spreading the word about this exciting event, aimed at raising critical funds for our programming. 

Student Recruitment

• We are here to help you with student recruitment. We can table at local back to school nights, community events, and club fairs. Let us know the dates of these events through this quick form and we will make sure to be there.

• In the coming weeks we will share a recruitment video, perfect to show your students and share on social media to spread the word about MESA

• Student recruitment materials

Advisor Deadlines 

• 10/10/2025 - Submit personnel form

• 11/17/2025 - Submit student enrollment forms

  • Online English

  • Online Spanish

  • Printable English 

  • Printable Spanish

• 12/31/2025 - Bus Reservation for MESA Day (5/22/2026)

Resources

• MATRIX Resources

• Current Events for Students - This is a link to MESAEveryday but can also be accessed on MyMESA on the Homepage

Websites to Know

• Oregon MESA: oregonmesa.org 

• MyMESA: mymesa.oregonmesa.org  - Make sure to bookmark this link. Not searchable on google. We are still updating this through September, so note that things will continuously be added in the next few weeks.

• MESA Everyday: everyday.oregonmesa.org  - Make sure to bookmark this link as it is not searchable on Google. We are still updating this site through September, so note that things will continuously be added in the next few weeks.

  • Middle School page

• This site will continuously be updated throughout the school year, and is modeled after MyMESA so students can follow along with you a little more easily during each chapter meeting (slides, workbooks, client lists, STEAM coach, competition dates/rubrics etc).

College & Career Opportunities

• More information and updates about College & Career opportunities on MESA Everyday everyday.oregonmesa.org

• In the meantime, you can contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Reach out to your Regional Coordinator for help coordinating Family Nights. A Family Night in the fall is a great way to get your chapter going! We are eager to support and encourage joint family nights with other MESA chapters in your area.

External Opportunities

• The annual InventED convening is taking place in Portland 11/3-11/5. We invite you to be part of three inspiring days filled with engaging talks, hands-on workshops, interactive breakout sessions, and invaluable networking opportunities — all designed to strengthen and spark your invention education practice. Let Elizabeth know if you want more information.

• NASA STEM Opportunities and Activities For Students

Updates Overview

MESA Day: MESA Day 2025 was a success! We are so grateful to all of you incredible teachers who brought students to MESA Day 2025 and for all the hard work you’ve put in throughout the school year. The event was a true success and a testament to MESA students’ commitment, passion, and talent. Relive the magic of the event by reading the blog post recap and check out official photos at this link! We are still waiting for photobooth pictures, so be on the lookout for a link soon.

Summer Institute: Sign up for a summer institute near you by 6/17! As a reminder, the invention institute is a required training for MESA advisors. Please fill out this quick form to indicate which MESA invention institute you plan to attend ahead of the 2025-2026 school year. You can check multiple boxes if you are debating between two options and do not know yet.

• Tuesday, 8/13/25 at OIT Wilsonville 

• Saturday 9/13 - Sunday 9/14, Portland State University (PSU) - Returning advisors are only required to attend day two, but are welcome to attend day one as a refresher. 

• Tuesday, 9/16 at OIT Klamath Falls

• Sunday 10/5, 9 AM - 4 PM, Spark by Booth-Kelly 

If you know of any advisors / schools that are interested in coming on board as advisors, please share this flyer with them! 

2025-2026 Events Calendar: check out upcoming events and important MESA deadlines for the new school year in our FY26 MESA Event Schedule.

Advisor Deadlines 

• 6/6/2025 - Complete & Share MESA Annual Survey (Links below)

  • • Annual survey for feedback on the program to help with program improvement. All MESA participants (Advisors, Mentors, Students) participate in the annual survey.

    • Advisor survey /  Student survey 

• 6/6/2025: Final spring Invoice and reimbursement requests

  • • Invoices: Ensure your chapter attendance data is updated in MATRIX by this date so we can pay you accurately for work you've performed. Invoices will be automatically generated by this deadline, emailed to you for final review.

    • Reimbursement Requests: Submit your reimbursement requests for the quarter to Michelle, myebra@pdx.edu, by this deadline. Chapter reimbursements should not exceed $600 per school year ($300 for snacks and $300 for supplies). Reimbursement requests for supplies, must include itemized, original receipts, and a description of the business purpose of each purchase. If purchasing meals for students, an RSVP list and agenda must be provided for each event, in addition to receipt/purpose.

• 6/17/2025 - Sign up for a summer institute near you!

Resources

• MATRIX Resources

• Current Events for Students - This is a link to MESAEveryday but can also be accessed on MyMESA on the Homepage

College & Career Opportunities

• PSU Center for Entrepreneurship FREE 3-week Verizon STEM Achievers Summer Camp. 

  • • FREE 3-week full-day STEM camp for middle schoolers

    • Open to ALL students in the Portland Metro

    • We can provide free HOP passes upon request

    • We have two sessions to choose from to fit different schedules

    • Registration Link: https://bit.ly/PSU-VILSA-summer-2025

    • We are also recruiting students to be paid mentors, AND we are looking for a team of instructors to help put this camp on!

• Oregon MESA Mentor opportunity: we are looking for MESA graduates and alumni to join the MESA team as mentors. Please have your students reach out to Jonas at jhudnall@pdx.edu (subject line: “Alumni to Mentor Program”) if interested in applying. 

• MESA Everyday has many resources involving these and other external opportunities for your students as well!

  • The Job, Internships and Skills page on MESA Everyday has amazing opportunities for your students to apply for jobs, internships, network, or gain the skills necessary for their future careers!

  • Also the College page has plenty of scholarship, grant and college/university information for the state!

Updates Overview

• MESA Day is happening on Friday, May 16th! Reminder: May 12th is the deadline for students to submit their Design Proposals, Commitment Forms and pre-recorded Zoom pitches. As a reminder, in order to submit for the state competition students will:

1. Create a design proposal using this template.

2. Pre-record a technical pitch via a recorded zoom meeting. Recordings should take place in a quiet space and should be a live pitch, so no video post production, etc.

3. Compile items for submission. Make a copy of this slide deck and customize it for the team’s project. This mirrors the submission process for the national competition so it is good practice for our teams competing for state. 

4. Email slide deck to ormesa@pdx.edu by Monday, May 12th, at 8am. If students are struggling to get their content into the slide deck, they can email ormesa@pdx.edu for help.

5. Create a poster using this template. Bring poster (foam board or tri-fold) and device to MESA Day on Friday, May 16, 2025. If you need a tri-fold, let us know at least 2 weeks in advance of MESA Day, please.

State winners will be determined and announced at MESA Day based on the pre-submitted video and design proposal. Students are still required to display their devices, share their posters and pitch their projects during the invention symposium at MESA Day, but no scoring is taking place that day. 

• Summer Institute: SAVE THE DATE for a summer institute near you! As a reminder, the invention institute is a paid, required training for MESA advisors. Returning advisors are only required to attend day two, and will receive a financial incentive for attending both days. 

  • • • Saturday 9/13 - Sunday 9/14, Portland State University (PSU)

      • Tuesday, 8/13/25 (Oregon Tech Wilsonville)

      • Sunday 10/5, 9 AM - 4 PM, Spark at Booth-Kelly 

      • DATE TBD (Oregon Tech Klamath Falls)

Advisor Deadlines 

• ASAP - Reserve MESA Day Bus

  • Reserve Bus with School/District for MESA Day for Friday May 16th, 2025 arrival at 8:30am- and departure at 4pm. Let your Regional Coordinator know when this is completed.

• May 12th - Deadline for students to submit their Design Proposals, Commitment Forms and pre-recorded Zoom pitches.

• 5/28/2025: PLC #4 - Summer PLC (Tentative): 

  • End of Year Wrap-Up (VIRTUAL). Statewide and regional staff will meet with Advisors to close out the years' activities, capture end of year reflections, and share next steps for the following year. Makeup options will be made available pending final dates

• 5/28/2025: Complete & Share MESA Annual Survey

  • Annual survey for feedback on the program to help with program improvement. All MESA participants (Advisors, Mentors, Students) participate in the annual survey. 

    • • Advisor survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8109651/MESA-2024-25-Advisor-Survey

      • Student survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8287879/MESA-2024-25-Post-Survey

Resources

• MATRIX Resources

• Current Events for Students - This is a link to MESAEveryday but can also be accessed on MyMESA on the Homepage

College & Career Opportunities

• Young Adult Energy Internship to train younger adults (ages 18-24) to conduct commercial energy audits as part of Energy Trust’s Existing Buildings program.

  • • • Application link

      • 1 pager description can be found here

• Tentative timeline  for the application process:

  • • • Priority to applications submitted by 05/19/202

      • Interviews: 05/20/2025 – 05/23/2025

      • Offers: 05/26/2025 - 05/28/2025

• Your Regional Coordinator is available to help you plan a field trip to a college or career partner. Students can benefit from seeing what it’s really like in the world beyond high school. Please get in touch with your RC to start planning!

• MESA Everyday has many resources involving these and other external opportunities for your students as well!

  • • • The Job, Internships and Skills page on MESA Everyday has amazing opportunities for your students to apply for jobs, internships, network, or gain the skills necessary for their future careers!

      • Also the College page has plenty of scholarship, grant and college/university information for the state!

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Family nights: We have had some really great Family Nights this year! If you haven’t had one, there is still time but we encourage you to start planning it now. Our Family Engagement Coordinator, Miriam Petersen (parentcoordinator10@gmail.com) is available to help you with invitations and all the details of planning your event. And of course, you can always contact your Regional Coordinator too.

• Also, Miriam Petersen (parentcoordinator10@gmail.com), our Family Engagement Coordinator can help with student recruitment at school family events at the end of the year, or the beginning of the new school year. 

Other MESA Resources

• • STEAM Coaches: Our STEAM Coach Directory is live and growing! Tell your students that they can contact STEAM Coaches on the Directory page on MESA Everyday with any College & Career questions that they may have. Students can email STEAM Coaches directly, and in some cases book a virtual meeting on the Coach’s calendar. 

  • Oregon MESA Community Asset Map: Oregon MESA Community Assets, Current Regions & Chapters Map

Updates Overview

• Spring PLC statewide required training:  Friday, April 18th from 3:30 – 5:00 pm. Join us on Zoom: https://pdx.zoom.us/j/7067640745. This will be an excellent opportunity to ask questions about MESA Day, Spring Challenge and the state competition.

• Spring Institute: Based on the feedback we received from the last Institute training video, we decided to do the same thing for our Spring Institute with a 3-part series here:  VIDEO SPRING INSTITUTE.

  • • The 1st video (12 minutes) covers: Demo Day Recap, What is MESA Day, Deadlines, Spring Challenge Tease, and Student Awards Nominations. 

    • This 2nd video (3 minutes) covers the Spring Challenge 

    • This 3rd video (25 minutes) is  all about MESA Day, as well as some NEDC/Nationals information. Please note that since recording the 3rd video, we have shifted the plan for state pitching. See below for details and note this is only relevant for chapters that have student teams participating in the state competition. 

!IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING THE STATE COMPETITION! Based on feedback from our teachers, students will no longer need to select an appointment time to pitch live over Zoom. In order to submit for the state competition students will:

1. Create a design proposal using this template.

2. Pre-record a technical pitch via a recorded zoom meeting. Recordings should take place in a quiet space and should be a live pitch, so no video post production, etc. Let our team know if you need help making a zoom meeting happen by emailing ormesa@pdx.edu.

3. Compile items for submission. Make a copy of this slide deck and customize it for the team’s project. This mirrors the submission process for the national competition so it is good practice for our teams competing for state. 

4. Email slide deck to ormesa@pdx.edu by Monday, 12th, at 8am. If students are struggling to get their content into the slide deck, they can email ormesa@pdx.edu and we can help.

5. Create a poster using this template. Bring poster and device to MESA Day on Friday, May 16, 2025.

State winners will be determined and announced at MESA Day based on the pre-submitted video and design proposal. Students are still required to display their devices, share their posters and pitch their projects during the invention symposium at MESA Day, but no scoring is taking place that day. 

• Demo Days: It’s a wrap on our 2025 Demo Days! For the first time in Oregon MESA’s history we hosted four regional Demo Days, engaging a total of 683 of students, families, and community members. We are so inspired by the amazing projects our students showcased and so grateful for all the dedication and support of our advisors. Check out photos from the events and read a recap at https://oregonmesa.org/2025-demo-days/

• OMSI Summer Camps: OMSI and Oregon MESA have partnered to offer MESA students free spots in the Salt, Sand, & Seafoam Overnight Camp and the Surfing Adventure Overnight Camp in Newport this August! Share this flyer with your students and encourage them to apply by the April 4th application deadline. Please note additional transportation support is available for our Southern Oregon students. 

• Summer Institute: SAVE THE DATE for a summer institute near you! As a reminder, the invention institute is a paid, required training for MESA advisors. Returning advisors are only required to attend day two, and will receive a financial incentive for attending both days. 

  • Saturday 9/13 - Sunday 9/14, Portland State University (PSU)

  • DATE TBD (Oregon Tech - Wilsonville)

  • DATE TBD (Spark at Booth-Kelly 

  • DATE TBD (Oregon Tech Klamath Falls)

Advisor Deadlines 

• ASAP - Reserve MESA Day Bus

  • • Reserve Bus with School/District for MESA Day for Friday May 16th, 2025 arrival at 8:30am- and departure at 4pm. Let your Regional Coordinator know when this is completed.

• April 4th- Deadline to watch and complete all Spring Institute videos and Surveys

• April 7th- MESA staff will share the streamlined NEDC rubric. (Follow the link to the Annual Projects page that has all of this year's nationals templates, rubrics and official rules!)

• April 11th - All enrollment forms (SPN Form) for MESA students must be submitted. 

  • • Students who do not have enrollment forms on file are not permitted to attend MESA Day

• April 18th - Spring PLC 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm. This is a required training for all advisors statewide. We will go over all the information you will need for MESA Day. 

• April 18th - Deadline for advisors to share arrival, departure, and Spring Challenge participation information with MESA staff though the MESA Day/Spring Challenge Jotform.

• April 25th - Klamath Falls Chapters Only: Final deadline for room assignments

  • • For KFalls trip to Portland to attend MESA Day, advisors will receive a room assignment sheet sent by the State Office. Please complete sheet by the deadline. 

• May 12th - Deadline for students to submit their Design Proposals, Commitment Forms and pre-recorded Zoom pitches.

Resources

• MATRIX Resources

• Current Events for Students - This is a link to MESAEveryday but can also be accessed on MyMESA on the Homepage

College & Career Opportunities

• Your Regional Coordinator is available to help you plan a field trip to a college or career partner. Students can benefit from seeing what it’s really like in the world beyond high school. Please get in touch with your RC to start planning!

  • MESA Everyday has many resources involving these and other external opportunities for your students as well! The Job, Internships and Skills page on MESA Everyday has amazing opportunities for your students to apply for jobs, internships, network, or gain the skills necessary for their future careers! Also the College page has plenty of scholarship, grant and college/university information for the state!

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Family nights: We have had some really great Family Nights already but encourage all chapters to plan one if you haven’t already. Our Family Engagement Coordinator, Miriam Petersen (parentcoordinator10@gmail.com) is available to help you with invitations and all the details of planning your event. And of course, you can always contact your Regional Coordinator for help as well!  

• OMSI Summer Camps: OMSI and Oregon MESA have partnered to offer MESA students free spots in the Salt, Sand, & Seafoam Overnight Camp and the Surfing Adventure Overnight Camp in Newport this August! Share this flyer with your students and encourage them to apply by the April 4th application deadline. Please note additional transportation support is available for our Southern Oregon students.

• PAM CUT Camps -  Portland Art Museum’s Center for an Untold Tomorrow is partnering with Oregon MESA to offer MESA students free spots in four of their summer camps. Students interested should fill out the linked forms by April 25th, 2025.  Learn more about the camps below:

  • Amplify Your Voice // A Podcasting Camp for Youth with Something to Say (ages 11-14) 

  • Spin, Mix, Master // A Youth DJ Camp (ages 11-14)

  • Critter Quest // Building Imaginary Worlds & Creative Creatures (ages 8-10)

External Opportunities

• Latino Network is looking for two students for this summer internship open to juniors and seniors. Students can find more information and apply for the internship using the link below. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrDfOuwsF-54PIbsg07POHcxGruZYwtmRMsAJwceGlBgEMmw/viewform

Updates Overview 

MESA community safety planning: We recognize that these are uncertain times. Recent executive orders are unsettling, and directly affect many members of our community. Here at MESA, we stand with our students and families no matter what.

As we continue to create welcoming spaces for learning and connection, we want to reassure you that Demo Day will be a supportive environment for all. MESA student and family members’ safety and well-being during MESA events are our top priority. We are doing everything we can to ensure this, including providing specialized training to all staff and volunteers, providing access to resources and engaging in phone conversations (in Spanish) with parents of MESA students, addressing questions they may have around safety. 

As a reminder, Oregon is a sanctuary state, which means that local and state agencies cannot enforce federal immigration laws or assist in deportations. Please see the resource section of this briefing for more information and links to resources. 

Demo Days -  We are THRILLED to have so many student teams showcasing at our various regional Demo Days this year. It is required that students need to have their enrollment form on file in order to showcase and/ or compete at Demo Day and currently we have more students signed up to showcase than students enrolled in the program. We need your help ensuring that all showcasing students have submitted their enrollment forms ahead of these events as we do not want to have to turn anyone away. Please contact the state office: ormesa@pdx.edu if you have any questions or need confirmation on which of your students are or are not enrolled. You can also check Matrix for this information. 

• Online English 

• Online Spanish

• Printable English 

• Printable Spanish

Here’s the link to the Demo Day page on MyMESA, where you will find anything  you will need to be prepared for Demo Day. 

• Guests & family registration: Demo Day is the only Oregon MESA competition open to the public. Families and community members are invited to see students present their projects, meet exhibitors from colleges and STEM industries, and watch the exciting awards ceremony, featuring special keynote speakers for all the regional events. Food, beverages, and STEM activities will also be included for family members of MESA students. All MESA students and family members are welcome, regardless of whether they are participating in the showcase.

• Greater Portland Demo Day is happening on Saturday March 1st at OMSI from 8:30am – 12:30pm for showcasing students and families and from 11:am – 12:30pm for guests and community members. This event features students from Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/pdx-demoday-25

• Salem Demo Day is happening on Thursday, March 6th at Garmin from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. This event features students from Marion county. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/salem-demoday-25

• Klamath Falls Demo Day is happening on Tuesday, March 11th at the Klamath Falls OIT Campus from 4:00pm – 7:00pm. This event features students from Klamath county. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/kfalls-demoday-25

• Lane County Demo Day is happening on Friday, March 14th at Spark by Booth Kelly from 4:30pm – 6:30pm. This event features students from Lane county. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/lane-demoday-25

Advisor Deadlines 

• • ASAP - Submit initial student enrollment forms - Students need to have their enrollment form on file in order to showcase and/ or compete at Demo Day! 

    • Online English 

    • Online Spanish

    • Printable English 

    • Printable Spanish

  • ASAP - Reserve MESA Day Bus

  • Reserve Bus with School/District for MESA Day for Friday May 16th, 2025 arrival at 8:30am- and departure at 4pm. Let your Regional Coordinator know when this is completed.

Resources

• MATRIX Resources

• Current Events for Students - This is a link to MESAEveryday but can also be accessed on MyMESA on the Homepage

  • Examples:

    • CTE Month – Career and Technical Education Resources: ECMC’s CTE Opportunities Guide provides career pathways and educational resources for students. Available in English and Spanish. 

    • Oregon Student Opportunities Hub- New workshops, Paid internships, Events, Mentoring, and much more statewide; explore!

• Know Your Rights Red Card

• Oregon Department of Justice: Sanctuary Law Resources

  • Also available on MyMESA and MESAEveryday

• Latino Network: Immigration Resources

College & Career Opportunities

• Your Regional Coordinator is available to help you plan a field trip to a college or career partner. Students can benefit from seeing what it’s really like in the world beyond high school. Please get in touch with your RC to start planning! MESA Everyday has many resources involving these and other external opportunities for your students as well!

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Family nights: We have had some really great Family Nights already but encourage all chapters to plan one if you haven’t already. Our Family Engagement Coordinator, Miriam Petersen (parentcoordinator10@gmail.com) is available to help you with invitations and all the details of planning your event. And of course, you can always contact your Regional Coordinator for help as well!  I am planning to contact the advisors of the newly MESA chapters to propose a family night.

External Opportunities

• • For up to date information on other College and Career opportunities please click this link to MESA Everyday

  • The FAFSA is now open for the 2025-2026 academic year. Complete the form now to apply for financial aid for college, career school, or graduate school.

  • Click this Current Events link (also found on MESA Everyday) to see opportunities your students can have outside of chapter meetings!

  • CTE Month – Career and Technical Education Resources: ECMC’s CTE Opportunities Guide provides career pathways and educational resources for students. Available in English and Spanish. 

  • Oregon Student Opportunities Hub- New workshops, Paid internships, Events, Mentoring, and much more statewide; explore!

Other MESA Resources

• • STEAM Coaches: Our STEAM Coach Directory is live and growing! Tell your students that they can contact STEAM Coaches on the Directory page on MESA Everyday with any College & Career questions that they may have. Students can email STEAM Coaches directly, and in some cases book a virtual meeting on the Coach’s calendar. 

  • Oregon MESA Community Asset Map: Oregon MESA Community Assets, Current Regions & Chapters Map

Updates Overview 

• • Demo Days - Here’s the link to the Demo Day page on MyMESA, where you will find sign up links, instructions, the scoring rubric, and anything else you will need to be prepared for Demo Day. Are your students not ready to showcase at Demo Day? That’s okay! They are still strongly encouraged to attend this event and should register at the guest and family registration links below. 

    • • Demo Day student team registration: is LIVE! Advisors are responsible for getting student teams signed up so be sure to dedicate upcoming chapter meeting time to getting this done. Please see below for region specific registration deadlines:

        1. 1. 1. Multnomah/Clackamas/Washington County: February 14, 2025

              2. Marion County: February 18, 2025

              3. Klamath County: February 21, 2025

              4. Lane County: March 1, 2025

      • Elementary Winter Challenge Registration

      • Tri fold request for Demo Day : Use this Supply Request Form to order trifolds for students who will need them as part of their presentations during Demo Day. Submit request at least two weeks prior to your regional Demo Day.

      • Guests & family registration: Demo Day is the only Oregon MESA competition open to the public. Families and community members are invited to see students present their projects, meet exhibitors from colleges and STEM industries, and watch the exciting awards ceremony, featuring special keynote speakers for all the regional events. Food, beverages, and STEM activities will also be included for family members of MESA students. 

        1. 1. 1. Greater Portland Demo Day is happening on Saturday March 1st at OMSI from 8:30am – 12:30pm for showcasing students and families and from 11:am – 12:30pm for guests and community members. This event features students from Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/pdx-demoday-25

              2. Salem Demo Day is happening on Thursday, March 6th at Garmin from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. This event features students from Marion county. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/salem-demoday-25

              3. Klamath Falls Demo Day is happening on Tuesday, March 11th at the Klamath Falls OIT Campus from 4:00pm – 7:00pm. This event features students from Klamath county. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/kfalls-demoday-25

              4. Lane County Demo Day is happening on Friday, March 14th at Spark by Booth Kelly from 4:30pm – 6:30pm. This event features students from Lane county. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/lane-demoday-25

      • Volunteer registration: Demo Day wouldn’t be possible without the help of our dedicated volunteers. Share these links with your community and help us recruit volunteers for the event.

        1. 1. 1. Volunteer for Greater Portland Demo Day

              2. Volunteer for Salem Demo Day

              3. Volunteer for Klamath Falls Demo Day

              4. Volunteer for Lane County Demo Day by sending an email to  spark@connectedlane.org

      • Winter start: For our Advisors beginning their MESA journey in January there’s no need to panic as we have resources for you to keep you on track!

        1. 1. 1. Here’s the Winter Start Pacing Guide (located on MyMESA under “FY25 Pacing Guide” under “School Programs”). This Pacing Guide is just a condensed version of our Universal Pacing Guide but will still help keep you on track to join your region for Demo Day and then the state for MESA Day. We strongly encourage you to read the highlighted text on the Guide itself to minimize confusion!

Advisor Deadlines 

• ASAP: Demo Day student team registration - Advisors are responsible for getting student teams signed up so be sure to dedicate upcoming chapter meeting time to getting this done. Please see below for region specific registration deadlines:

  • • • 1. Multnomah/Clackamas/Washington County: February 14, 2025

        2. Marion County: February 18, 2025

        3. Klamath County: February 21, 2025

        4. Lane County: March 1, 2025

• 2024-2025 MESA student survey: If you have not already, please allow time in a chapter meeting as soon as possible to have your students complete the MESA student survey. More information (and a QR code) came in an email from Elizabeth on December 16th. Feel free to contact her with questions: estock@pdx.edu  

• Tri fold request for Demo Day 

  • • • 1. Use this Supply Request Form to order trifolds for students who will need them as part of their presentations during Demo Day.

        2. Submit request at least two weeks prior to your regional Demo Day 

• ASAP - Submit initial student enrollment forms - Students need to have their enrollment form on file in order to showcase and/ or compete at Demo Day! 

  • • • 1. Online English 

        2. Online Spanish

        3. Printable English 

        4. Printable Spanish

• ASAP - Reserve MESA Day Bus. Reserve Bus with School/District for MESA Day for Friday May 16th, 2025 arrival at 8:30am- and departure at 4pm. Let your Regional Coordinator know when this is completed.

Resources

• MATRIX Resources

• Current Events for Students - This is a link to MESAEverday but can also be accessed on MyMESA on the Homepage

College & Career Opportunities

• Your Regional Coordinator is available to help you plan a field trip to a college or career partner. Students can benefit from seeing what it’s really like in the world beyond high school. Please get in touch with your RC to start planning! MESA Everyday has many resources involving these and other external opportunities for your students as well!

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Family nights: We have had some really great Family Nights already but encourage all chapters to plan one if you haven’t already. Our Family Engagement Coordinator, Miriam Petersen (parentcoordinator10@gmail.com) is available to help you with invitations and all the details of planning your event. And of course, you can always contact your Regional Coordinator for help as well!  I am planning to contact the advisors of the newly MESA chapters to propose a family night.

• Register for Demo Day in your region:

  • 1. 1. Greater Portland Demo Day is happening on Saturday March 1st at OMSI from 8:30am – 12:30pm for showcasing students and families and from 11:am – 12:30pm for guests and community members. This event features students from Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/pdx-demoday-25

       2. Salem Demo Day is happening on Thursday, March 6th at Garmin from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. This event features students from Marion county. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/salem-demoday-25

       3. Klamath Falls Demo Day is happening on Tuesday, March 11th at the Klamath Falls OIT Campus from 4:00pm – 7:00pm. This event features students from Klamath county. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/kfalls-demoday-25

       4. Lane County Demo Day is happening on Friday, March 14th at Spark by Booth Kelly from 4:30pm – 6:30pm. This event features students from Lane county. Families, non-showcasing MESA students, and community members can register here: tinyurl.com/lane-demoday-25

External Opportunities

• • For up to date information on other College and Career opportunities please click this link to MESA Everyday

  • The FAFSA is now open for the 2025-2026 academic year. Complete the form now to apply for financial aid for college, career school, or graduate school.

  • Intersectional Innovations is excited to share an inspiring opportunity from SeekHer Foundation to support youth changemakers through the #LookForward Youth Advocacy Council program. 

This 2025 initiative empowers young leaders with expert mentorship, peer collaboration on mental health solutions, and a national platform to drive meaningful change. Parents, caretakers, and teachers can help youth qualify for a $500 project stipend by encouraging them to apply by February 7th: Apply here. 

• Click this Current Events link (also found on MESA Everyday) to see opportunities your students can have outside of chapter meetings!

Updates Overview 

• • 2024-2025 MESA student survey: If you have not already, please allow time in a chapter meeting as soon as possible to have your students complete the MESA student survey. More information (and a QR code) came in an email from Elizabeth on December 16th. Feel free to contact her with questions: estock@pdx.edu  

  • 2024 Annual Report and Signature Film: We are thrilled to share with you Oregon MESA's 2024 Annual Report. As we reflect on the 2023-2024 school year, we want to celebrate the achievements of the MESA community in advancing equity, innovation, and environmental stewardship. Along with the Annual Report, we are also excited to share a special film that brings our mission to life. Follow Oregon MESA students from Early College High School as they share their journeys in the MESA program. The film also features special cameos from a notable alumna and our founding director, as well as a glimpse into the most exciting MESA event of the year, and finally insight from a passionate board member about the importance of bringing equity and representation to STEAM fields.

  • Winter Institute Video: Based on advisor feedback, we are taking steps to shorten quarterly training/allowing for them to be done on your own time. Our winter institute video will stand in for the traditional Winter Institute with a “required survey” at the end. We are also holding a live drop in Q&A over zoom Thursday Jan. 16th 2025 from 5-7pm to follow up. While this is not required, we strongly recommend newer advisors attend. We would love to see you there if you have any questions or just want to say hi and talk about all things MESA.

  • Demo Day student team registration: will be live January 16th and will close February 14th. 

  • Give the Gift of MESA Giving Tuesday Campaign: For this year’s Giving Tuesday we are asking our community to give the gift of MESA by purchasing t-shirts, hoodies, and sweaters with a brand new MESA design. Share the link to the campaign with your community and help us make a difference!

Advisor Deadlines 

• ASAP - Submit initial student enrollment forms

  • Online English 

  • Online Spanish

  • Printable English 

  • Printable Spanish

• ASAP - Reserve MESA Day Bus

  • Reserve Bus with School/District for MESA Day for Friday May 16th, 2025 arrival at 8:30am- and departure at 4pm. Let your Regional Coordinator know when this is completed.

• 2024-2025 MESA student survey: If you have not already, please allow time in a chapter meeting as soon as possible to have your students complete the MESA student survey. More information (and a QR code) came in an email from Elizabeth on December 16th. Feel free to contact her with questions: estock@pdx.edu  

Resources

• MATRIX Resources

• Current Events for Students - This is a link to MESAEverday but can also be accessed on MyMESA on the Homepage

College & Career Opportunities

• College Exploration Day:  On December 7th, 2024 we hosted College Exploration Day at Portland State University. Twenty-five students and their families connected with exhibitors from PCC Admission, Oregon Institute of Technology, University of Oregon, OSU College of Engineering, UPLIFT Leadership, Pacific University, and PSU Admissions. Participants attended a Career & College Readiness in STEM Workshop hosted by UPLIFT Leadership and took a tour of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. Check out this reel all about the event 

• Contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

• 
  

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Family nights: We encourage all chapters to host at least one Family Night and would love to help you do just that! Our Family Engagement Coordinator, Miriam Petersen (parentcoordinator10@gmail.com) is available to help you with invitations and all the details of planning your event. And of course, you can always contact your Regional Coordinator for help as well!

• STEM field trips: Also, reach out to your Regional Coordinator for assistance scheduling field trips to partner organizations or colleges. We would love to help students see what it’s like to work in a STEM field. 

• Save the date for the 2025 Demo Day in your region! 

  • Saturday, March 1 2025, Multomah, Washington and Clackamas County @OMSI

  • Thursday, March 6th 2025, Marion County @ Garmin

  • Tuesday, March 11th 2025, Klamath County @ Oregon Tech

  • Friday, March 14th 2025 (pi day!), Lane County @ Spark by Booth Kelly

External Opportunities

• • Click this Current Events link (can also be found on the home page of MyMESA) to see opportunities your students can have outside of chapter meetings! Some upcoming events

    1. 1. Silicon Forest Tech Summit

       2. Artists Repertory Theater

Updates Overview 

• • Enrollment Forms: Enrollment forms for students this fall should have been submitted by Friday,  November 22 to participate in MESA! Forms received by this deadline also qualified for student incentives. But don’t worry! It’s not too late to enroll. Please see below for the various enrollment form links.

• Online English 

• Online Spanish

• Printable English 

• Printable Spanish

  • Incentive t-shirts: We will be distributing the MESA incentive t-shirts in mid December. If you would rather pick up at the state office, please reach out to your RC. This could be used as a pick up opportunity for other supplies of items needed for a MESA chapter holiday celebration.

• College Exploration Day:  December 7th, 2024 at Portland State University. Last week to register!  Join Oregon MESA, UPLIFT Leadership, & Maseeh Ambassadors for a day of College Exploration at PSU's College of Engineering & Computer Science! This Saturday event will feature info sessions in the morning, followed by lunch and refreshments, and will culminate with a tour of the College! Explore some of the labs, classrooms and different engineering tracks and hear directly from current college students on their experience. This event is free of cost, and all Oregon MESA community members are welcome to attend. Live interpretation will be available, and a tour of the College in Spanish will also be offered.

• • Winter Institute Video: Based on feedback, we are taking steps to shorten training/allowing for them to be on your own time. Our winter institute video will stand in for the traditional Winter Institute with a “required survey” at the end. We are also holding a live drop in Q&A over zoom Thursday Jan. 16th 2025 from 5-7pm to follow up. We would love to see you there if you have any questions or just want to say hi and talk about all things MESA.

  • Give the Gift of MESA Giving Tuesday Campaign: For this year’s Giving Tuesday we are asking our community to give the gift of MESA by purchasing t-shirts, hoodies, and sweaters with a brand new MESA design. Share the link to the campaign with your community and help us make a difference!

Advisor Deadlines 

• Chapter Attendance: Due 12/6/2024

  • Ensure your chapter attendance data, PD attendance, and student enrollment information is updated in MATRIX by this date so we can pay you accurately for work you've performed. Invoices will be automatically generated by this deadline, emailed to you for final review and signature.

• Advisor Reimbursement Requests: Due 12/6/2024

  • Submit your reimbursement requests for the quarter to Michelle (myebra@pdx.edu) by this deadline. Chapter reimbursements should not exceed $600 per school year ($300 for snacks and $300 for supplies). Reimbursement requests for supplies, must include itemized, original receipts, and a description of the business purpose of each purchase. If purchasing meals for students, an RSVP list and agenda must be provided for each event, in addition to receipt/purpose.

• Reserve MESA Day Bus: 12/31/2024

  • Reserve Bus with School/District for MESA Day on Friday May 16th, 2025 8:30am-4pm. Let your Regional Coordinator know upon completion.

Resources

• FY25 Advisor Agreement  Note that some advisors have different agreements depending on their school or organization’s circumstances.

• Student recruitment materials

• MATRIX Resources

College & Career Opportunities

• College Exploration Day:  December 7th, 2024 at Portland State University. Last week to register!  Join Oregon MESA, UPLIFT Leadership, & Maseeh Ambassadors for a day of College Exploration at PSU's College of Engineering & Computer Science! This Saturday event will feature info sessions in the morning, followed by lunch and refreshments, and will culminate with a tour of the College! Explore some of the labs, classrooms and different engineering tracks and hear directly from current college students on their experience. This event is free of cost, and all Oregon MESA community members are welcome to attend. Live interpretation can be provided upon request, and a tour of the College in Spanish will also be offered.

• Contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• MESA chapter holiday celebrations: The holidays are a great reason to have a Family Night! MESA can provide supplies for your gathering (gingerbread house making supplies?) or you can just buy the supplies you want and submit for a reimbursement.  

• Family nights: We encourage all chapters to host at least one Family Night and would love to help you do just that! Our Family Engagement Coordinator, Miriam Petersen (parentcoordinator10@gmail.com) is available to help you with invitations and all the details of planning your event. And of course, you can always contact your Regional Coordinator for help as well!

• Save the date for the 2025 Demo Day in your region! 

  • Saturday, March 1 2025, Multomah, Washington and Clackamas County @OMSI

  • Thursday, March 6th 2025, Marion County @ Garmin

  • Tuesday, March 11th 2025, Klamath County @ Oregon Tech

  • Friday, March 14th 2025 (pi day!), Lane County @ Spark by Booth Kelly

External Opportunities

• • Semiconductor Summit -  Join the AI and Semiconductor Summit on Friday, December 6, from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm at Intel’s Jones Farm Conference Center in Hillsboro. This summit, co-hosted by the Technology Association of Oregon, Oregon State University, and Intel, will gather leaders from the semiconductor and AI industries, academic research, and workforce development sectors, including education, to explore the future of Oregon’s high-wage, high-demand industries. Please RSVP here.

  • Enhancing Environmental Outcomes Online Course - Join CE-Clean Energy Bright Futures in this informative asynchronous and online professional development course for STEM Educators in Oregon! Participants will learn about air quality issues, novel monitoring techniques, data literacy, youth lead stakeholder engagement and renewable energy solutions to reduce air pollution. CE is excited to offer this course with support from Oregon MESA and generous funding from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Registration is free and folks who complete the course will get a $75 stipend and a STEM kit. The course takes approximately 4 hours to complete. Here is the EventBrite link to sign up. Registration is open until December 31st 2024. Contact Laney Sterry STEM Engagement and Training Manager at CE for more info- lsterry@b-e-f.org 

Updates Overview 

• • • • Summer Invention Institutes: We loved seeing all of you at our 2024 Summer Institutes! Check out photos and videos of the trainings on our social media, and find slides and resources here. 

      • Enrollment Forms: Enrollment forms for students this fall should be submitted by Friday,  November 22 to participate in MESA! Forms received by this deadline also qualify for student incentives.

• Online English 

• Online Spanish

• Printable English 

• Printable Spanish

• College Exploration Day:  December 7th, 2024 at Portland State University. Registration opens on November 4th, 2024 at this link.  Join Oregon MESA, UPLIFT Leadership, & Maseeh Ambassadors for a day of College Exploration at PSU's College of Engineering & Computer Science! This Saturday event will feature info sessions in the morning, followed by lunch and refreshments, and will culminate with a tour of the College! Explore some of the labs, classrooms and different engineering tracks and hear directly from current college students on their experience. This event is free of cost, and all Oregon MESA community members are welcome to attend. Live interpretation can be provided upon request, and a tour of the College in Spanish will also be offered.

• New Regional Centers: we are proud to announce the launch of two new regional centers: Pacific University in Washington County and Connected Lane County in Lane County. These new centers will serve as local hubs for MESA’s programs, extending the organization’s reach and impact throughout the state. Pacific University will support the existing MESA chapters and help advance growth goals in the region through its role as the Washington County regional center. Connected Lane County has been a valuable partner to MESA for several years, successfully running two invention clubs in the Eugene and Springfield areas. The partnership will strategically work to bring MESA programs to middle schools across Lane County.

  • Meet Olivia Alcaire - Washington County Regional Coordinator. Olivia Alcaire is the Washington County Regional Coordinator at Pacific University. Olivia has worked in higher education in student affairs roles, and teaching at Portland State University and at Portland Community College. Olivia has a BA/MA in Mexican History from PSU, and Adult Ed and Training from OSU. Currently, Olivia is finishing her EdD at PSU in Education Leadership. Currently, Olivia is serving her second term as a Hillsboro City Councilor.

• Events Calendar: Add the MESA Advisor Google Calendar to stay up to date with all upcoming deadlines and events. You can find it here on the left and on each briefing page. To add the calendar, simply click the blue “+” symbol at the bottom right of the calendar. 

• Recruitment videos: Need some help with recruitment? Check out these tiktoks (here is YouTube link  and link to the Google Drive in case your school blocks TikTok) featuring Jonas, MESA’s Education Coordinator, and share them with your students to help them learn more about MESA and the world of STEAM. 

• • Annual Theme video:  The Annual Theme video has been completed and uploaded in your Pacing Guide for W:4. The Spanish subtitles will be completed asap, however for the time being auto captions (in the settings of the video player) will have to fill in the gap.

Advisor Deadlines 

• ASAP - Submit personnel form

• November 22nd, 2024 - Submit student enrollment forms

  • • Online English 

    • Online Spanish

    • Printable English 

    • Printable Spanish

Resources

• FY25 Advisor Agreement  Note that some advisors have different agreements depending on their school or organization’s circumstances.

• Student recruitment materials

• Student Enrollment Forms

  • • • • • Online English 

          • Online Spanish

          • Printable English 

          • Printable Spanish

      • MATRIX Resources

College & Career Opportunities

• College Exploration Day:  December 7th, 2024 at Portland State University. Registration opens on November 4th, 2024 at this link.  Join Oregon MESA, UPLIFT Leadership, & Maseeh Ambassadors for a day of College Exploration at PSU's College of Engineering & Computer Science! This Saturday event will feature info sessions in the morning, followed by lunch and refreshments, and will culminate with a tour of the College! Explore some of the labs, classrooms and different engineering tracks and hear directly from current college students on their experience. This event is free of cost, and all Oregon MESA community members are welcome to attend. Live interpretation can be provided upon request, and a tour of the College in Spanish will also be offered.

• Contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Family nights: We encourage all chapters to host at least one Family Night and would love to help you do just that! Our new Family Engagement Coordinator, Miriam Petersen (parentcoordinator10@gmail.com) is available to help you with invitations and all the details of planning your event. And of course, you can always contact your Regional Coordinator for help as well!

• Save the date for the 2025 Demo Day in your region! 

  • Saturday, March 1 2025, Multomah, Washington and Clackamas County @OMSI

  • Thursday, March 6th 2025, Marion County @ Garmin

  • Tuesday, March 11th 2025, Klamath County @ Oregon Tech

  • Friday, March 14th 2025 (pi day!), Lane County @ Spark by Booth Kelly

External Opportunities

• Sophomore, Junior, and Senior high school students: apply for the OHSU Partnership for Scientific Inquiry (PSI) Program! Through this program, students from underrepresented groups interested in pursuing careers in medicine or biomedical research participate in a 16-week FREE course from January to May. For more information, visit  https://www.psiprogramohsu.com/

• The TYE Community Program is a transformative initiative for high school students (grades 9-12) interested in STEM, creative thinking, invention, and entrepreneurship. Running from November 2024 to May 2025, the program offers alternating in-person and virtual sessions where students will:

• Develop entrepreneurial skills through hands-on learning and mentorship.

• Learn to create business plans, pitch ideas, and work in teams.

• Participate in a State Competition in May, with the chance to advance to the TYE Global Competition.

Learn more on the TYE Program Website. Register for the TYE Community Program 2024-2025 here: Register Now. Note: Application deadline is November 3rd.

• STEM Day at Portland State University: Monday, November 25, 1:00 - 4:30 pm at Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, PSU. Join us for the first ever STEM Exploration Day at PSU! Sign up: PDX.EDU/STEM-DAY.  This FREE event for students in grades 9-12 is a great opportunity to learn about the STEM majors that PSU offers and to have a fun and interactive experience on campus, including:

• Informal meet-and-greet sessions with STEM professors and college students

• Interactive tour of science and engineering labs

• Meet other STEM interested high school students in the area

• Career Development Bootcamp & COMPASS Career Fair: Thursday, November 7th, 3:00 - 6:00 PM PCC Sylvania. Join us for a complimentary boot-camp and career fair that aims to help you develop or evolve your career in the fields of technology and STEM. This event is intended to serve individuals of color and veterans who are either starting or in the midst of their tech and STEM careers. A collaborative effort between TAO's Tech in Color Community, Blacks in Tech PDX, the National Society of Black Engineers, Northwest Veterans in Tech, and Oregon's Society of Hispanic Engineers, this event is sponsored by Prosper Portland and First Tech Credit Union and hosted at Portland Community College Sylvania Campus. To sign up: https://web.cvent.com/event/75b34269-089c-4219-87f0-7ed9a46b170a/summary

Updates Overview 

• • • • Summer Invention Institutes: RSVP with your RC and disclose any dietary restrictions. Summer Invention Institute is a required training for all Advisors. 

    • Klamath Falls Summer Institute: 8am-4pm on Tuesday, October 1st, 2024  at Oregon Tech

    • Lane County Summer Institute: 9am-5pm on Sunday, October 6th, 2024 at Spark by Booth Kelly

      • Enrollment Forms: Enrollment forms for students this fall should be submitted by Friday,  November 22 to participate in MESA! Forms received by this deadline also qualify for student incentives.

• Online English 

• Online Spanish

• Printable English 

• Printable Spanish

• Events Calendar: Add the MESA Advisor Google Calendar to stay up to date with all upcoming deadlines and events. You can find it here on the left and on each briefing page. To add the calendar, simply click the blue “+” symbol at the bottom right of the calendar. 

• Fall PLC: Join our statewide Fall PLC, happening virtually on Zoom on October 15th, 2024 at 5:00pm - 6:30pm. Come and meet more MESA Advisors, check-in with your RC, and learn more about hosting family nights for your chapter. 

• Recruitment videos: Need some help with recruitment? Check out these tiktoks featuring Jonas, MESA’s Education Coordinator, and share them with your students to help them learn more about MESA and the world of STEAM. 

• Annual Theme video:  The Annual Theme video has been completed and uploaded in your Pacing Guide for W:4. The SPN subtitles will be completed asap, however for the time being auto captions (in the settings of the video player) will have to fill in the gap.

Advisor Deadlines 

• • October 7th, 2024 - Submit personnel form

  • November 22nd, 2024 - Submit student enrollment forms

    • • Online English 

      • Online Spanish

      • Printable English 

      • Printable Spanish

Resources

• FY25 Advisor Agreement 

• Student recruitment materials

• Student Enrollment Forms

  • • • • • Online English 

          • Online Spanish

          • Printable English 

          • Printable Spanish

      • MATRIX Resources

Websites to Know

• Oregon MESA: oregonmesa.org 

• MyMESA: mymesa.oregonmesa.org  - Make sure to bookmark this link. Not searchable on google. We are still updating this through September, so note that things will continuously be added in the next few weeks.

  • Further this site will continuously be updated throughout the school year and will be your first source of information so make sure to check this frequently.

• MESA Everyday: everyday.oregonmesa.org  - Make sure to bookmark this link as it is not searchable on Google. We are still updating this site through September, so note that things will continuously be added in the next few weeks.

  • This site will continuously be updated throughout the school year, and is modeled after MyMESA so students can follow along with you a little more easily during each chapter meeting (slides, workbooks, client lists, STEAM coach, competition dates/rubrics etc).

College & Career Opportunities

• Attend the fall PLCs for more information and find updates on MESA Everyday everyday.oregonmesa.org

• In the meantime, you can contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Meet Miriam Petersen: Miriam is (re)joining the MESA team to support family engagement efforts this Fall. She has a long history with MESA and looks forward to being a resource to teachers for family nights and other recruitment efforts. She can be reached here: parentcoordinator10@gmail.com

• Save the date for the 2025 Demo Day in your region! 

  • Saturday, March 1 2025, Multomah, Washington and Clackamas County @OMSI

  • Thursday, March 6th 2025, Marion County @ Garmin

  • Wednesday, March 12th 2025, Klamath County @ Oregon Tech

  • Saturday, March 14th 2025 (pi day!), Lane County @ Spark by Booth Kelly

External Opportunities

• • MESA Alumna Brook Thompson was featured in an article in the LA times for her advocacy efforts in the largest dam removal effort in U.S. history in the Klamath River. Brook is a restoration engineer for the Yurok Tribe, and one of many Indigenous activists who began protesting to demand change after witnessing a mass fish kill in 2002. Read more about this wonderful accomplishment in the LA Times and learn more about Brook’s journey with MESA on our website.

  • Sophomore, Junior, and Senior high school students: apply for the OHSU Partnership for Scientific Inquiry (PSI) Program! Through this program, students from underrepresented groups interested in pursuing careers in medicine or biomedical research participate in  a 16-week FREE course from January to May. For more information, visit  https://www.psiprogramohsu.com/

Updates Overview 

Summer Invention Institutes: RSVP with your RC and disclose any dietary restrictions. Summer Invention Institute is a required training for all Advisors. 

• • Portland and Salem Summer Institute

    • • 10am-4pm on Saturday, September 21st & Sunday, September 22, 2024 at Portland State University 

      • RSVP to sarafree@pdx.edu and let her know asap if you will be attending both days or Sunday only (returning Advisors may elect to come to the Sunday session only).

  • Klamath Falls Summer Institute

    • • 10am-4pm on Tuesday, October 1st, 2024  at Oregon Tech

  • Lane County Summer Institute 

    • • 9am-5pm on Sunday, October 6th, 2024 at Spark by Booth Kelly

Enrollment Forms: Enrollment forms for students this fall must be submitted by Friday,  November 22 to participate in MESA! Forms received by this deadline also qualify for student incentives.

• • • • Online English 

      • Online Spanish

      • Printable English 

      • Printable Spanish

MESA Team Updates: While you got to meet some of our staff members at the Institutes, there are more amazing folks working at MESA. Meet all of them by checking out the staff contact page here on MyMESA.

• Meet Miriam Petersen: Miriam is (re)joining the MESA team to support family engagement efforts this Fall. She has a long history with MESA and looks forward to being a resource to teachers for family nights and other recruitment efforts. She can be reached here: parentcoordinator10@gmail.com

• Lesly Rodriguez Update: Will be on maternity leave throughout fall term. Look out for an email with information and contacts! If you are not sure who to reach out to, you can always email ormesa@pdx.edu.

Events Calendar: Add the MESA Advisor Google Calendar to stay up to date with all upcoming deadlines and events. You can find it here on the left and on each briefing page. To add the calendar, simply click the blue “+” symbol at the bottom right of the calendar. 

Advisor Deadlines 

• • October 7th, 2024 - Submit personnel form

  • November 22nd, 2024 - Submit student enrollment forms

    • • Online English 

      • Online Spanish

      • Printable English 

      • Printable Spanish

Resources

• FY25 Advisor Agreement 

• Student recruitment materials

• Student Enrollment Forms

  • • • • • Online English 

          • Online Spanish

          • Printable English 

          • Printable Spanish

      • MATRIX Resources

Websites to Know

• Oregon MESA: oregonmesa.org 

• MyMESA: mymesa.oregonmesa.org  - Make sure to bookmark this link. Not searchable on google. We are still updating this through September, so note that things will continuously be added in the next few weeks.

  • Further this site will continuously be updated throughout the school year and will be your first source of information so make sure to check this frequently.

• MESA Everyday: everyday.oregonmesa.org  - Make sure to bookmark this link as it is not searchable on Google. We are still updating this site through September, so note that things will continuously be added in the next few weeks.

  • This site will continuously be updated throughout the school year, and is modeled after MyMESA so students can follow along with you a little more easily during each chapter meeting (slides, workbooks, client lists, STEAM coach, competition dates/rubrics etc).

College & Career Opportunities

• Attend the fall PLCs for more information and find updates on MESA Everyday everyday.oregonmesa.org

• In the meantime, you can contact your Regional Coordinator to plan specific College & Career visits.

Family Engagement Opportunities

• Meet Miriam Petersen: Miriam is (re)joining the MESA team to support family engagement efforts this Fall. She has a long history with MESA and looks forward to being a resource to teachers for family nights and other recruitment efforts. She can be reached here: parentcoordinator10@gmail.com

• Save the date for the 2025 Demo Day in your region! 

  • Saturday, March 1 2025, Multomah, Washington and Clackamas County @OMSI

  • Thursday, March 6th 2025, Marion County @ Garmin

  • Wednesday, March 12th 2025, Klamath County @ Oregon Tech

  • Saturday, March 14th 2025 (pi day!), Lane County @ Spark by Booth Kelly

External Opportunities

• • Opportunity for MESA high school students! Join this free AI Bootcamp Program hosted by the Mark Cuban foundation, happening on November 2nd, 9th, and 16th in Portland. Apply now at www.markcubanai.org/apply24 by September 30th! 

Advisor Deadlines

• As always, we need every advisor to complete our end of year survey. Your feedback is crucial as we plan for next year. It should take less than 5 minutes 

• Share the end of year student survey with your students

• FINAL reimbursement requests and attendance due. For any questions feel free to email Michelle at myebra@pdx.edu

• MESA Schools: Ensure all attendance is submitted into MATRIX by this date. Invoices will be automatically generated by this deadline, emailed to you for final review and signature.

• Invention Clubs: Ensure your club’s sheet is up to date with student information and attendance

• Reimbursement Requests: Submit your reimbursement requests for the quarter to your regional coordinator by this deadline. Chapter reimbursements should not exceed $600 per school year ($300 for snacks and $300 for supplies). Reimbursement requests for supplies, must include itemized, original receipts, and a description of the business purpose of each purchase. If purchasing meals for students, an RSVP list and agenda must be provided for each event, in addition to receipt/purpose."

Updates Overview 

MESA Day 2024 was a success! Thank you so much to all of the students, advisors, volunteers, and community members who joined us at the Viking Pavilion on May 17th.

Check out this blog post with a recap of the event and a public photo gallery

Feel free to share with your school administration!

See all pictures from the event in this folder

MESA Community Appreciation Party - It's time to celebrate YOU. Save the date for Thursday, June 20th from 4pm-6pm for Oregon MESA's annual community appreciation celebration at Learning Gardens Lab. We are looking forward to celebrating all of you teachers, volunteers, and dedicated community members. We truly couldn't do what we do without support from this incredible community. Please take a very quick moment to let us know if you can join us via this RSVP form and note that guests and little ones are welcome to join you.

MESA Summer Invention Institute (Salem and Portland advisors) - Vote for which option is best for you, by accepting the invites in your ADVISOR CALENDAR! Also, if you are interested in working with Jonas on the planning committee for Summer Institute (this will be a paid opportunity), send him an email! 

Thursday Aug. 15th - Friday Aug. 16th 2024 10am-4pm 

Saturday Sept. 21- Sunday Sept. 22 2024 10am-4pm (Sat) 11am-5pm (Sun)

Klamath Falls Invention Institute (Tentative) 

Tuesday Sept 17th 10am-4pm in person @ OIT campus

Program Updates

• NEDC Info

  • Congratulations to our 2 state competition winners Alder Creek Middle School and Parkrose High School! These teams will be heading to San Diego, California for this year's MESA Nationals competition to represent Oregon. A few of our Oregon MESA staff as well as one of our MESA Advisors will be in attendance to help support and cheer them on as they compete on the national stage. Wish us luck! Read about our State Champions here!

• 2024-2025 School Year Info

• This year’s upcoming theme will be about Designing for Environmental Sustainability. There will be more information about this year’s theme during the Summer Invention Institutes. 

Family Engagement

• Plan a Family Night as a MESA End-of-the-Year Celebration! Reach out to your Regional Coordinator (RC) for planning support.

  • Share pictures from the event with your RCs and tag @oregonmesa in your social media posts about the family nights

College & Career Opportunities

• Career Conversations: A Pride Month Celebration - Join us on Tuesday, June 11th from 4-6pm at Evolve Collaborative for our next in-person Career Conversations event! Hosted by Jia Lu Ni, Associate Creative Director at Evolve, this event will feature a panel of three LGBTQIA2S+ folks in design, film, journalism, and science disciplines, who will come together to share a bit about their career journey. Light refreshments and food will be provided, and the event is open to all MESA community members! This event is a partnership between Oregon MESA, Evolve Collaborative, and Portland Frontrunners to celebrate Pride Month and elevate voices from the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/ccpridemonth 

External Opportunities

• Summer Work Opportunity - The PSU Center for Entrepreneurship (CE) seeks four STEM Camp Instructors to provide teaching and workshop support for 7 weeks. See job description and application instructions here.

• Friday 6/21 -  Enhancing Environmental Health Outcomes: Clean Energy Engagement, Education and Action is a full day professional development workshop designed for STEM Educators working with middle school and high school youth in both nontraditional and traditional educational settings. Please register here at your earliest convenience, as spots are limited to the first 25 educators. BEF is paying out a $180.00 stipend to all attendees, providing lunch, parking validation/public transit passes, and a STEM kit valued at $500 containing the following items: a Solar Drive2 Kit, MudWatts, Pocket Air Quality Monitor, Vernier Air Quality Monitor, KidWind SimpleGen, Solar Hydrogen, posters about renewable energy, and mosses/lichen of the PNW, and the field guide Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast Washington Oregon BC & Alaska by Jim Pojar and Andy Mackinnon! Register here before June 7th, less than half of the available spots are left!

Advisor Deadlines

• May 3rd - Submit NEDC pitch videos and design brief - see these instructions

Updates Overview 

• We are so excited for MESA Day! The event is happening on Friday, May 17th, 2024 from 8:30 am - 5:00pm. Make sure you read the MESA Day Briefing to learn more about the agenda for the day, deadlines, transportation, Spring Challenge, and NEDC.

  • • Reminder: Students need to bring their own lunches. Your schools will provide them as they would for other field trips. Exception: Klamath Falls, Chemawa Indian School

    • State Competition (NEDC) submission Instructions | DEADLINE: May 3rd

  • Spring Challenge  - In addition to creating their catapults, don’t forget about the pre-work teams can do for 11 extra points on MESA Day (design sketch, material analysis and disposal plan, etc. Details are on page 4 of the Spring Challenge Document)

• Save the date: MESA Summer Invention Institute 

  • For Salem and Portland advisors:

    • • Option 1: Thurs. 8/15 10am-4pm and Fri 8/16 10am-4pm

      • Option 2: Sat. 9/21 10am-4pm and Sun. 9/22 11am-5pm 

  • Klamath Falls Invention Institute dates still to be determined 

• Mesa Day Q&A/Spring PLC - virtually on Tuesday, 4/30 from 5 - 6:30pm at https://pdx.zoom.us/j/7067640745. Drop in if you have questions!

• Advisor Appreciation Party - Save the Date for May 30th at the PSU Learning Gardens Lab 4-6pm (tentative)

• Tell us what you think! Fill out the MyMESA opinion survey

Program Updates

• Review the MESA Day page on MyMESA for more information about the event.

• Fill out the MyMESA opinion survey

• We are making plans for the 2024-25 school year. Let us know at PLCs if we should expect any changes at your chapter (advisor shifts, etc) so we can plan accordingly.

• MESA State Competition (NEDC) info

  • Deadlines and submission instructions 

  • 6/24-6/27 in San Diego, California

Family Engagement

• Plan Family Nights! Host a family night at your school, tag it on to a back to school night or existing event, and reach out to your RC for planning support. Share pictures from the event with your RCs and tag @oregonmesa in your social media posts about the family nights

College & Career Opportunities

• MESA Talks: Non-Traditional College Paths - On Monday, April 15th we hosted our first MESA Talks of the year, centered around a panel of non-traditional students who shared stories about their path to college and beyond. Watch the recording of the discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ7h7OUDNL4&ab_channel=OregonMESA

• College & Career fair at MESA Day - on the afternoon of MESA Day on May 17th, we have secured over 20 colleges and industry partners to table at our College & Career Fair. Be prepared to chat with admissions reps from colleges and universities like Oregon State University, George Fox University, OIT, PSU, and more!

• Career Summit for High School Students - our friends at UPLIFT Leadership have reserved 10 scholarships for MESA Students ages 16+ to attend The Career Summit on July 25-28, 2024. Students will stay overnight at University of Oregon for the length of this four-day workshop. See here for more details on the Summit, and please direct MESA students to apply for a scholarship via this link.

External Opportunities

• Summer Work Opportunity - The PSU Center for Entrepreneurship (CE) seeks four STEM Camp Instructors to provide teaching and workshop support for 7 weeks. See job description and application instructions here.

• Friday 6/21 -  Professional Development Workshop: Enhancing Environmental Health Outcomes at Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science - Oregon MESA is teaming up with Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Clean Energy, Bright Futures initiative to put on a 6-hour professional development workshop to equip STEM educators with supplies and curriculum centered around clean & renewable energy, climate change education, and environmental health (i.e. aspects of human health (including quality of life) that are determined by physical, chemical, biological, social and psychosocial factors in the environment). Lunch will be provided, parking will be validated/Tri-Met passes provided, and a $180.00 stipend will be disbursed to all attendees. Register here to reserve your spot!

• Sat. 6/22 8:30am-4:30pm at Portland State University, there is an all day workshop being hosted by ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education) for k-12 teachers. It is free to attend, which is nice but let's be honest, it is during your summer break so perhaps not how you want to spend your free time. To help offset cutting into your much needed and deserved summer break, the conference organizers are offering $100 stipends to the first 100 teachers who register (we can thank The Lemelson Foundation for the funding for that). There are some really cool workshops that I am sure you would find relevant to your work at MESA. You can register for the conference, and sign up for the stipend with this form. Note that this is open to all teachers, not just MESA advisors (and so is the stipend) so feel free to spread the word! 

Other MESA Resources

• STEAM Coaches: Our STEAM Coach Directory is live and growing! Tell your students that they can contact STEAM Coaches on the Directory page on MESA Everyday with any College & Career questions that they may have. Students can email STEAM Coaches directly, and in some cases book a virtual meeting on the Coach’s calendar. Are you interested in having an in-person STEAM Coach visit your chapter twice a month? Reach out to your RC if you are interested, or contact Valentina London at vlondon@pdx.edu 

• Oregon MESA Community Asset Map: Oregon MESA Community Assets, Current Regions & Chapters Map

Advisor Deadlines

• April 7th - Submit your MESA Enrollment forms - you won't be able to take attendance or participate in MESA Day unless you have submitted them

  • • All enrollment forms for MESA students must be submitted by April 8th. Students who do not have enrollment forms on file are not permitted to attend MESA Day.

• ASAP- Micro:bit training! Please if you haven’t signed up yet for training, use this form to receive 30 minute training by our Curriculum Specialist

• April 9th - Deadline for advisors to share arrival, departure, and Spring Challenge participation information with MESA staff

• April 19th - Complete this form to submit your Student of the Year nominations and your Mentor of the Year nominations.

• Other MESA Day deadlines 

  • • Submit pitch videos and design brief online by: May 3, 2024

Updates Overview 

• April 7th - Submit your MESA Enrollment forms - you won't be able to take attendance or participate in MESA Day unless you have submitted them.

• MESA Day: May 17th, 2024 from 9am to 5pm.

  • Details- NEDC Rubric (Rubric used to judge)

    • Must use/incorporate a microcontroller!

    • Process involved a client interview

    • Finished project with a physical and functioning prototype

    • Pitch video sent in prior to MESA Day

    • Spring Challenge

    • College and Career Fair will be held in the Native American Student and Community Center this year (NOT in Viking Pavilion)

  • Will be on the jotform - Transportation: (from last year) Send your RC and Jonas  a copy of the mode of transportation, time of arrival, and time of departure confirmation

• Recap: Spring Institute 

  • Competing teams bring their inventions to showcase (no formal judging occurs that day)

  • Pitch videos of top three middle and high school teams  may be shared during the event (we will get permission first)

  • Top 3 middle and high school teams will be announced

Program Updates

• Recap: Spring Institute 

  • • Competing teams bring their inventions to showcase (no formal judging occurs that day)

    • Pitch videos of top three middle and high school teams  may be shared during the event (we will get permission first)

    • Top 3 middle and high school teams will be announced

    • Check nout the MESA Day page on MyMESA for more information.

Family Engagement

• Plan Family Nights! Host a family night at your school, tag it on to a back to school night or existing event, and reach out to your RC for planning support. Share pictures from the event with your RCs and tag @oregonmesa in your social media posts about the family nights

• Encourage Families to Sign Up for the Family Newsletter - The Family Newsletter is published quarterly both in English and Spanish. Check out the Fall 2023 issue and share it with your families. It features photos, MESA updates, upcoming events and opportunities for families. Link to sign up is: tinyurl.com/ormesanewsletter

College & Career Opportunities

• College Visit: University of Oregon: on March 30th we hosted a college visit and tour of the University of Oregon! Students participated in an info session in the morning, then explored the campus and joined us for lunch in Carson Dining.

• Career Summit for High School Students - our friends at UPLIFT Leadership have reserved 10 scholarships for MESA Students ages 16+ to attend The Career Summit on July 25-28, 2024. Students will stay overnight at University of Oregon for the length of this four-day workshop. See here for more details on the Summit, and please direct MESA students to apply for a scholarship via this link.

• Would you like to take your MESA chapter or invention club on a college campus tour & visit? Sign up via this form and we will work with your RC to start planning a college campus tour! 

External Opportunities

• Sat. 6/22 8:30am-4:30pm at Portland State University, there is an all day workshop being hosted by ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education) for k-12 teachers. It is free to attend, which is nice but let's be honest, it is during your summer break so perhaps not how you want to spend your free time. To help offset cutting into your much needed and deserved summer break, the conference organizers are offering $100 stipends to the first 100 teachers who register (we can thank The Lemelson Foundation for the funding for that). There are some really cool workshops that I am sure you would find relevant to your work at MESA. You can register for the conference, and sign up for the stipend with this form. Note that this is open to all teachers, not just MESA advisors (and so is the stipend) so feel free to spread the word! 

• Friday 6/21 -  Bonneville and Clean Energy: Enhancing Environmental Health Outcomes. Oregon MESA is teaming up with Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Clean Energy, Bright Futures initiative to put on a one-day PD workshop for educators. See this flyer for more information and register by filling out this form.

Other MESA Resources

• STEAM Coaches: Our STEAM Coach Directory is live and growing! Tell your students that they can contact STEAM Coaches on the Directory page on MESA Everyday with any College & Career questions that they may have. Students can email STEAM Coaches directly, and in some cases book a virtual meeting on the Coach’s calendar. Are you interested in having an in-person STEAM Coach visit your chapter twice a month? Reach out to your RC if you are interested, or contact Valentina London at vlondon@pdx.edu 

• Oregon MESA Community Asset Map: Oregon MESA Community Assets, Current Regions & Chapters Map