BCC to Participate in Berkshire STEM Week

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PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will offer a range of virtual and hands-on activities as part of the fourth annual Berkshire STEM Week, Monday–Saturday, October 18–23, 2021. 
 
Included in the activities are a series of panels, workshops, speakers, tours, a job fair and information about career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in the Berkshires and beyond. 
 
The event is presented by the Berkshire County STEM Network in partnership with the Executive Office of Education and the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council. The Berkshire STEM Network, one of nine regional STEM networks across the Commonwealth, connects regional schools and businesses to improve STEM education and workforce development within our community. The Berkshire County STEM Network is based in the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation. 
 
Berkshire STEM Week themes include food, farming and sustainability; careers in STEM; STEM in business; STEM in education; STEM in the world; and STEM at the Berkshire Museum.
 
The schedule of BCC events is as follows:
 
Tuesday, October 19:
12 pm: Instructional Design Technology (held on PCTV). Learn about this field with Tattiya Maruco, BCC Coordinator of Instructional Technology and Design/Adjunct Faculty, Communications.  
 
5–6 pm: General Dynamics Internship and Job Opportunities (via Zoom). BCC and MCLA students, alumni and faculty are invited to a panel discussion led by Charlotte Lotz, BCC Senior Special Programs Coordinator – Experiential Learning and Career Services. Lotz will outline how to access internship opportunities. Pre-registration required.
 
Thursday, October 21:
11:30 am – 1 pm: STEM Café (in-person, held in the Connector). BCC students, faculty and staff are invited to learn more about STEM opportunities at BCC. Join in hands-on activities, watch demos, and learn about career and transfer opportunities as well as details about the STEM Starter Academy. Food, fun and prizes included. 
 
1 pm: Virtual Tour of BCC’s Science and Engineering Labs (held on PCTV). Take a virtual tour of the labs and learn about state-of-the art equipment used in STEM research fields.
 
1 pm: What is the STEM Starter Academy at BCC? (held on PCTV). In this video session, learn about the STEM Starter Academy, an exciting statewide initiative funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. The Academy provides an amazing opportunity for students to explore cutting-edge careers, gain college classroom experience, and focus on important success skills in a supportive environment.
 
3 pm: College Students in STEM (held on PCTV). Join a panel discussion with STEM majors from BCC, MCLA and Williams College. Includes BCC STEM starter students Alessandra Carranza and Carlos Vizcardo- Benites.
 
Friday, October 22:
1 pm: STEM Education Panel: Teaching & Learning in the Field (live Zoom session at the Berkshire Innovation Center). STEM professors, students and professionals present a lively panel discussion on STEM teaching and learning. Panelists include BCC Environmental Professor Thomas Tyning; BCC Environmental Science student Alessandra Carranza; MCLA Education Department Chair Nick Stroud; and Experiential Education, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Rachel Hailey.
 
For a full schedule and links to programming, including Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV) links, visit www.mcla.edu/stemweek.

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Flooding Leads Pittsfield ConCom to Bel Air Dam Deconstruction Site

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Bel Air Dam project team toured the site on Monday with the Conservation Commission to review conditions following a flooding incident

Work has been on hold for two weeks after melting snow and a release of water from Pontoosuc Lake led to water overtopping of the almost 200-year-old, abandoned dam. The project team says deconstruction is still on track to end in December. 

"They have plenty of time to finish the work, so they don't expect that they're going to need extra time, but we're all waiting," reported Robert Lowell, the Department of Conservation and Recreation's deputy chief engineer. 

"… it's unfortunate, but the high-water conditions in the spring, we did have in the contract that the site might flood, so there was supposed to be a contingency for it, and we're now dealing with the complications of that." 

DCR's Office of Dam Safety is leading the $20 million removal of the classified "high hazard" dam, funded by American Rescue Plan Act dollars. It has been an area of concern for more than a decade. 

The dam on Pontoosuc Brook dates to 1832 and was used for nearly a hundred years to power a long-gone woolen mill. It's being targeted for removal, using American Rescue Plan Act funds, because the stacked stone structure poses a significant danger to homes and businesses downstream. Excavation of sediment began last fall by contractor SumCo Eco-Contracting of Wakefield. 

Earlier this month, community members noticed flooding at the site bordering Wahconah Street; water levels were down by the next week. Conservation commissioners called for the site visit with concerns about the effects of the water release and how it is being remedied.  

The group got a look at the large project area near the dam and asked questions. Chair James Conant explained that community members wanted to know the cause of the flooding. 

Jane Winn, former executive director of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team, said this was specifically brought up at the Conservation Commission hearing to ensure this sort of thing didn't happen. 

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