The FIRST Lego League (FLL) robotics team at ASA successfully traveled to Rio de Janeiro and participated in the FIRST® LEGO® League International Open Brazil this last weekend. Our team earned 2nd place in the Paraguayan National competition last year which qualified them for this global competition. Robotics is a combination of engineering and technology where students must build and code their robots to perform certain tasks. The ASA team is the oldest club in the middle school and was very proud to represent our program amongst nearly 100 other teams from around Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. This year the team brought student-designed 3D printed puzzle cubes made in ASA Makerspace to the competition as part of their community. They were a hit!

The ASA Debate Team, a high school club led by our Biology teacher Mrs. Barnett Rivas, recently participated in a debate forum hosted by Colegio Las Almenas focused on Environmental Science topics. Students from ASA competed in 2 categories, both in Spanish and English, and the team represented a strong mix of veteran debaters and members new to the club. We would like to celebrate with the community the achievements of Rina MA, Melody Lee, and Nathan Maurer who all won 1st place in the English debate This same club is planning to travel to Curitiba in September to participate in an international debate tournament along with sister schools from Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. STEAM learning is not always easy, but when we make it a part of “who we are” we can build the necessary skills to understand, persevere, and make the world a better place.

Each year there are more and more STEAM-centric after-school activities and clubs for students to join from elementary to high school. Clubs and activities are excellent opportunities for students to learn new skills, make friends with common interests, and develop their leadership abilities. It is recommended that students pick one or two clubs each year and stick with them the whole year. Here are some of the more popular STEAM clubs that have existed for several years now:

ES Lego Club - Perfect for our young engineers who like to build, build, build

ES Dash & Dot Robotics - A great introduction to the world of coding and robotics through hands-on programming

ES Math Club - This club primarily focuses on preparation the OMAPA competition

ES Recycling Club - A great opportunity for students who are interested in science and social action

MS Lego Robotics - The first semester is for the competitive team and the second is for anyone to join and learn about robotics

MS Math Club - The middle school extension of the OMAPA competition

HS Global Issues Network (GIN) - A social action club that uses science and technology to impact change

HS TechBuzz - A STEAM  club that hosts local/regional competitions and promotes STEAM entrepreneurship

HS Art Club - A opportunity for anyone to develop art skills in a variety of mediums

The Makerspace is back in use by students from of divisions! This week the 2nd graders used the Makerspace as part of their science unit on Solids and Liquids. They were challenged with an engineering task to build a tall and wind-resistant tower using limited materials. All students collaborated in pairs to explore the aspects that make towers tall and wind-resistant, used their science notebooks to make observations and sketch possible designs, and then came to the Makerspace to build various versions of their ideas. Engineering challenges like these are perfect opportunities for students to build fine motor skills and soft skills, such as reacting to setbacks or failures, in addition to the curriculum content. Our amazing 2nd-grade students created many different iterations of working models, shared their ideas and creations together, and completed another learning cycle using the ASA Design Cycle. Special appreciation to Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. Wilson, and Mrs. Williams for making this learning experience possible!

ASA welcomed Lili Cantero, renowned Paraguayan athletic apparel artist, as part of our Female Leaders in STEAM initiative. Lili Cantero is a young national artist highlighted in the world of football for customizing the boots of some international soccer idols. She joined us in our Makerspace to discuss the dynamic world of design in the sports and fashion industry. While Paraguay may not be going to the World Cup, the artwork of Lili Cantero will be there to represent  Paraguay and this incredible individual. The purpose of the Female Leaders in STEAM initiative is to expose our young ladies to positive STEAM role models who are shaping the world according to their values and beliefs. We applaud Lili for coming to ASA and making a difference in our community!

This November 19th ASA is hosting the 4th annual FTC National scrimmage in collaboration with FIRST and Poway High School. This is a fantastic opportunity for ASA to establish itself as a center of STEAM learning and events for the whole country of Paraguay. On Nov 19th, students will participate in the 4th annual National Scrimmage in ASA's gym with teams from around Paraguay and Poway High School from San Diego, California. High school students are welcome to register for an opportunity to spend a day of robot building using TETRIX robotics and then compete the following day for the national cup!

This is a free experience open to high school students only. This event is a testament to ASA's commitment in building partnerships with local, regional, and global STEM/STEAM leaders.

The ASA high school STEAM & Entrepreneurship club members recently visited CCPA as part of a community service trip. The goal of this partnership is to support the CCPA school community develop a STEAM program. Students leaders Jakob Usandivaras and Ramiro Pascual led a 3D modeling and design session with the goal of every participants creating a soma cube. Students explore STEAM topics such as mathematical thinking and 3D design through the AutoCad program of Tinkercad. This partnership highlights ASA’s commitment to developing STEAM education and giving back to our community. Huge appreciation to student leaders Jakob and Ramiro for organizing and implementing this community service project. 

Our AP Environment Science students recently took a field trip to explore firsthand concepts explored in the class curriculum. In AP Environment Science, students explore and investigate the interrelationships of the natural world and analyze environmental problems, both natural and human-made. They are required to take part in both laboratory investigations and field work. The course studies the following topics such as ecosystems, biodiversity, land and water use, populations, and energy resources. As a AP course, students are expected to complete a level of academic quality equivalent to a university course. AP Environmental Science is one of ten STEAM AP courses that students have the opportunity to take throughout their high school career. Much appreciation to Mrs. Barnett Rivas for leading the students on this very impactful trip!

Fourth grade scientists learned about Paraguay's unique geological formations, make observations in their science notebooks, and enjoy the native flora and fauna at Monumento Natural Cerro Koi. This is the 3rd time that ASA students have visited this national heritage site as part of their science curriculum. This opportunity for experiential learning shows how we integrate our curriculum with local scientific phenomena. This experience expects that students use their science notebook to make observations on flora, fauna, and natural land formations.

This semester, ASA hosted the 4th annual FIRST Tech Challenge National Scrimmage. This event was made possible through collaboration with Poway High School and the CCPA. We are proud to share that of the 8 registered teams, first and second place in the Robot Scrimmage Challenge went to ASA teams, and first place in Robot Performance went to an ASA team. We are so proud of our amazing students, our diverse STEAM community, and our global STEAM partnership. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is the world's leading youth-serving nonprofit advancing STEM education and maintains global robotics events for students of all ages. ASA also participates in the FIRST Lego League Explore and Challenge division. The Poway High School Engineering Academy and Pathway allows 9-12 grade students to take Engineering Academy courses for college or university credit side-by-side with an after-school Robotics or Science Olympiad course. The CCPA is an educational organization that promotes language education, the arts, library services, and cultural exchange between the US and Paraguay.

ASA once again hosted a STEAM Summer Boost! Camp for students in elementary and middle school. This weeklong experience focused on developing student skills in creativity, collaboration, and communication as identified in ASA STEAM vision. Students explored topics in math and science, encountered engineering challenges, built Lego EV3 robots, constructive LittleBits circuits, and developed a waterbottle rocket with an attached parachute system. In the future, ASA looks forward to collaborating with the Ben Franklin Science Corner and MuCi (the Museo de Ciencias de Paraguay) to create more opportunities during non-school hours for all students to learn and explore the joys of STEAM subjects.

Over twenty ASA middle and elementary students participated in the annual FIRST LEGO League National Competition this last weekend. Hosted by Espacios de Ser, this annual STEAM competition is an amazing opportunity for students to learn about innovation, robotics, teamwork, engineering, coding, and more. This year there were nearly 30 official competition teams and over a dozen exhibition teams. ASA has been a proud partner of Espacio de Ser and FIRST LEGO League for many years and the 2022/23 season marked our fifth year with a Lego robotics team. This semester, the Collaborative Robotics club will open its doors once again to all high school, middle school, and select 5th graders to continue building a vibrant and passionate STEAM community through robotics.

The STEAM Building finally has bulletin boards! Bulletin boards are commonly used to share classroom projects, community events, and whole school activity updates with students, staff, and parents. Even since the start of the pandemic, the STEAM building has been brick walls without any opportunities to share with the community the amazing things that we do each and every day. Now we can! Check out a few examples from the art, design tech, and science classrooms to see what’s going on. These boards regularly change throughout the year, so don’t hesitate to walk around the STEAM building to find what’s new!

Every 2nd semester the Makerspace opens its doors in a collaborative way to anyone interested in learning how to build, code, and program robots. This year the club is expanding to both 5th grade students and high school students, evidence of how STEAM learning is an inclusive force for change in the community. Students are welcome to come Tuesday and Thursdays after school from 3:30 - 4:40 to learn how to build EV3 or TETRIX robots. Student leaders set design challenges, such as battle bots, obstacles courses, races, and mazes to encourage and support the building process. This is the 2nd year this collaborative club has been in session and the 5th year in a row that ASA has continued to grow its robotics program. Much appreciation to all the new and returning members who support STEAM @ ASA!

ASA students recently traveled to Uruguay to participate in the first annual SAAC STEAM conference. The South American Activities Conference (SAAC) is an organization of embassy schools from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador that regularly host athletic and activity conferences in the region. This is the first year they chose to include a STEAM event, inspired by RoboHack and LatinThinks hosted by ASA for the last two years. Students in this conference were tasked with designing a sustainable and eco-friendly school located in various challenge countries. Students from 5 different participating schools were collaboratively grouped together and worked together to research, design, and present their model for a school. Students also visited an electronics recycling plant, a mechatronics lab, and a chemistry inspired escape room as the local science museum. ASA is proud of our 14 participating students and looks forward to hosting and visiting more conferences like this.