State of Illinois
10/01/2025 | Press release | Archived content
STEAM Newsletter Vol. 58
STEAM Newsletter Vol. 58
STEAM Newsletter - Wednesday, October 1, 2025
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October - Cybersecurity Awareness Month!
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month! At DoIT, we're diving into Cybersecurity Month with fun, learning, and a reminder that being safe online is just as important as locking your front door.
During the Illinois State Fair we hosted a day with a "Phishing or Fishing?" game. Kids had a blast spotting fake emails and learning how to protect themselves from online trickery. It was a hands-on challenge where everyone got to test their scam-spotting skills and reel in some important cybersafe tips!
This month, we'll continue exploring how to stay safe in the digital world: from creating strong passwords to recognizing suspicious links. Cybersecurity may sound serious, but with the right knowledge and a little effort even our youngest tech explorers can become cyber smart. Check out various resources on Cybersecurity for children in different sections below.
Let off some STEAM with these fun activities!
Grade K - 4
Build a Bird Feeder and Study the Birds in Your Backyard! | Science Buddies
Grade 5 - 8
What Color Are the Leaves Really Turning? | Science Buddies
Grade 9 - 12
Squishy Circuits | DiscoverE
Recent News on STEAM
NASA Says Mars Rover Discovered Potential Biosignature Last Year | NASA
"A sample collected by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover from an ancient dry riverbed in Jezero Crater could preserve evidence of ancient microbial life. Taken from a rock named "Cheyava Falls" last year, the sample, called "Sapphire Canyon," contains potential biosignatures, according to a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature."
Advanced computer modeling predicts molecular-qubit performance | Argonne National Laboratory
"Scientists develop a computational method to design molecular qubits with precision, paving the way for advanced quantum technologies.
A qubit is the delicate, information-processing heart of a quantum device."
SIU grad's research illuminates pollution threats to endangered Calif. fish | Southern Illinois University
"The Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel was still and quiet as the boat cut through the morning fog. For Cristina La, then a graduate student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, this was the moment she had been preparing for over months of planning and lab work."
Upcoming Events
ideaU October 2025 - Student Engagement | IDEA
1 Oct - 31 Oct | 9 am - 11 pm | Register
"Rekindle (or help ignite) your spark for Student Engagement with our October ideaU series. This month we'll learn strategies for active learning, voice, and choice."
Tech Treks: Getting Started with MagicSchool | Learning Technology Center
Mon. Oct 6 | 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm | Register
"Ready to hit the trailhead with MagicSchool? This AI-powered platform was designed just for educators, making it easy to tackle your daily to-dos and bring AI into the classroom in meaningful ways."
Oct. 8 Deadline to Register for Illinois AI Challenge | Learning Technology Center
"The Illinois AI Challenge is a brand-new statewide competition for students in grades 6-12, designed to put your creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking to the test."
Drone Workshop | Learning Technology Center
Wed. Oct 8 | 9 am - 2 pm | Peoria CUSD 150 Administrative Office | Register
"The use of drones is rapidly expanding across various industries, presenting new and exciting opportunities for students to engage in STEM learning and develop skills relevant to the future workforce."
ENTICE Education Workshops: Urban Nature | IDNR
Oct 11 | 9 am - 3 pm | Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe | Register
"Nature is all around us, even in the most urban of settings. Kindergarten through 12th grade educators will learn how to utilize the nature and natural phenomena right outside our classrooms to look for patterns, investigate plant and animal needs and preferences, and explore the amazing adaptations of the organisms in our schoolyards and neighborhoods."
Cybersecurity Building Blocks for the K-8 Classroom | Learning Technology Center
Thu. Oct 16 | 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm | Register
"Join us for a dynamic and engaging professional development designed for K-8 educators. This session from CYBER.ORG will explore how cybersecurity concepts can be meaningfully integrated across subjects."
ENTICE Education Workshops: Oak Ecosystems | IDNR
Oct 18 | Pickerill-Pigott Forest Preserve, Yorkville | 9 am - 3pm | Register
"In urban, suburban and rural locations in Illinois, oaks carry special significance as reminders of our history and drivers of biodiversity. Teachers of grades PK-8 can join us to explore the various species of oaks, and the characteristics of the ecosystems in which they are found, including forests, woodlands, savannas, and barrens."
It's the Teach, Not the Tech | Learning Technology Center
Tue. Oct 28 | 12:30 pm - 3:00 pm | U of I Extension Office, Carmi | Register
"This session cuts through the hype of educational technology to focus on research-backed strategies that truly drive student learning. Participants will explore the impact of EdTech through the lens of Hattie's meta-analysis, examining which technologies and teaching practices yield the greatest positive effect."
Sensory Computing with Micro:bits & FarmBeats | Learning Technology Center
Wed. Oct 29 | 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm | Register
"Come explore how simple materials and easy-to-use directions introduce your students to how computers sense the world. The field of sensory computing and its impact on human life is undeniable, so let's give our students experiences they'll remember and learn from."
ENTICE Education Workshops: Coyote Track | IDNR
Nov 1 | 9 am - 3 pm | Register
"Explore Coyote Track interactive visualization tool. This online site centers around coyote ecology and behavior related to data collected from radio-collared coyotes in urban and rural areas of Illinois. Using real data, this workshop will guide participants through the visualization data tool and standard-based lessons that support the unit. "
2025 Multilingual Illinois Statewide Conference | Illinois Resource Center
Dec 9-11 | Tinley Park Convention Center | Register
"We hope you will join us for this in-person informative week of connection, collaboration, learning and growth supporting multilingual learners. "
Educator's Corner
STEAM resources for in-person, hybrid, remote learning, and professional development
- Resources : Privacy & Cybersecurity | UIUC
- Cybersecurity (K-12) | Illinois School and Campus Safety
- 19 Fall Science Projects and Autumn STEM Activities | Science Buddies Blog
- Pumpkin Painting Ideas for Kids: 7 Creative Halloween Project | Art Project for Kids
- Assistive Technology Webinars | Illinois Schools Assistive Technology Support
STEAM Resources
Cybersecurity | Ready.gov
"Cyberattacks are malicious attempts to access or damage a computer or network system. Cyberattacks can lead to the loss of money or the theft of personal, financial and medical information. These attacks can damage your reputation and safety."
Free Children's Cybersecurity Kit | KnowBe4
"Looking for a way to talk about online safety and security with your children? Your favorite security awareness and simulated phishing provider, KnowBe4, provides a fun and interactive cybersecurity kit to help you teach them valuable online safety and security skills."
Education | Illinois Historic Preservation Division | IDNR
"Whether you're a student with a homework assignment, a scholar researching a book or simply a curious fan of history, The Illinois Historic Preservation Division offers the right tool for learning about the state's rich heritage."
CS4IL 2025 Tournament Home
"CS4IL has launched the first annual Illinois Computer Science Tournament (ICST), a new competition designed to bring together students from across the state to learn, collaborate, and innovate. The tournament kicked off in September and offer ongoing virtual and in-person events throughout the year accessible via the CS4IL website.
Welcome to our inaugural tournament, open to all Illinois schools! This is our tournament home page. Check back for the latest updates. To register, please use the online registration form."
Additional STEAM Resources
The 'A' in STEAM
"Arts foster scientific success" -Dr. Temple Grandin
This series is dedicated to showing how art and creativity play a crucial role in our society within the STEM fields.
Illinois art professor, printmaker explores human, environmental connections through theme of change | UIUC News Bureau
"The artwork of printmaker Emmy Lingscheit, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign art professor, examines human entanglements with the environment, deep time and how social justice and ecological justice are intertwined.
Her lithographs, comics and zines include images of the changes in a landscape over millennia; displaced migrants, both human and animal; livestock and bees loose on a freeway after a traffic pileup; and the extraordinary spectacle of a solar eclipse.
The University YMCA is hosting an exhibition of Lingscheit's work. "Contingencies: Navigating a World of Accelerating Change" will be on view until Oct. 3. Lingscheit will speak about her work at a reception on Sept. 11 at 5:30 p.m."
Please submit STEAM ideas, comments, or questions using our contact us form.
State of Illinois published this content on October 01, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 03, 2025 at 16:45 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]