CHS MST Magnet Program

MIT BWSI Fall 2026 Programs for Girls

Katherine Liu — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 01:00:54 +0000

MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute fall outreach programs are designed for girls in Grades 10-11, with no prior experience required for many of the courses. Programs are offered virtually on Saturdays and include opportunities to explore engineering, AI, biotechnology, aircraft design, digital logic, Python, computational problem solving, and autonomous robotics.

Fall session dates: October 10 – December 5, 2026
Additional Autonomous Robots final event: December 12
Registration deadline: September 30, 2026
Format: Virtual through Zoom

Courses include:

Girls Who Can Learn Applied Engineering, AI & Future Technologies
Girls Who Can Learn Biotech
Girls Who Can Design, Build & Fly Model Aircraft
Girls Who Can Learn Digital Logic & Computer Design
Girls Who Can Do Computational Problem Solving
Girls Who Can Learn Python
Girls Who Can Learn Autonomous Robots

Register / learn more: BWSI Fall 2026 Registration

No prior experience is required — just curiosity, creativity, and the drive to be part of something amazing, with the chance to push the boundaries of what’s possible!

MIT BWSI CubeSat Challenge

Katherine Liu — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 01:00:14 +0000

Interested in space, satellites, or coding? The MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute invites high school students to participate in the CubeSat Challenge! Students will work in teams of five to build and program a prototype CubeSat and complete a science mission.

The challenge includes an online course, bi-weekly mentor office hours, and hardware kits for qualifying teams. To be considered for selection, all team members must register for the online course and complete Modules 1–3, and a coach must submit the team application.

Who: High school students
When: September 2026 – April 2027
Team application deadline: October 19, 2026
Teams notified of selection: October 23, 2026

Learn more: BWSI CubeSat Challenge website
Register for the online course: CubeSat online course registration

Mentors may apply here by October 21, 2026

CREATE Challenge Info Meeting Tomorrow!

Katherine Liu — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 01:08:46 +0000

Every year, the MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) hosts the CREATE Challenge, which invites teams of 2-5 young engineers to create assistive technologies under the guidance of an adult mentor. The information session for the CREATE challenge will be held tomorrow, September 10, at 8PM EST. Use this link to join: https://mit.zoom.us/j/99947639161

Welcoming Our MST Class of 2030!

Katherine Liu — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 01:00:46 +0000

The week before the start of school, the MST freshman class of 2030 kicked off the year with our annual MST Orientation. Students took part in a variety of team building activities such as three-legged team races and balloon popping relays in the Magnet Olympics before taking a tour of their classes and meeting their teachers. Congratulations to the Black Team for winning the MST Magnet Olympics this year. Their names will be engraved on the trophy to commemorate their success!

Rising MST Senior Combats Algae Blooms

Katherine Liu — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 01:00:57 +0000

For rising MST senior Emily Jiang, what started as an MST research project in 2024 has evolved into a community endeavor. As a sophomore, Emily researched blue-green algae and ways to combat its spread. Algae blooms, rapid growths of algae and cyanobacteria in bodies of water, are mainly caused by rising temperatures and fertilizer runoff. These blooms often produce toxins that can harm underwater organisms and other wildlife.

The Fallen Leaf Lake near the Lacamas Lake trail system became the target of Emily’s research. Algae blooms in the body of water are detrimental to pets and people around the area due to its proximity to the hiking trails, and instances of algae blooms in the area have significantly increased over the years. Determined to protect the natural resource for local visitors, Emily came across the idea of a “floating island,” a raft planted with native wetland species. The plants’ roots dangle into the water, absorbing excess nutrients like phosphorus that would otherwise fuel algae growth. This design offers a natural, chemical-free way to improve water quality.

Since commercially bought floating islands could not be used in the lake due to cost restrictions, Jiang decided to build her own prototype. With help from her father, Lipin Wang, she placed the island into the lake on July 3. In the coming months, Emily plans to compare plant growth and phosphorus levels between plants on the island and control plants grown at home to determine whether the floating island could become an effective lake-restoration strategy.

Ty Cobb, the president of the Lacamas Lake Watershed Council, notes that Emily’s findings could provide useful data for “scaling up floating wetlands in key hotspots around the lake system, giving us a cost-effective, natural tool to complement our and the city’s ongoing restoration strategy.” Cobb expressed strong support for Emily’s project, emphasizing that “seeing young stewards like [her] bring community focus to the health of our waters makes me deeply optimistic.”

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MST Alumni Earns Prestigious National Merit Scholarship

Katherine Liu — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 01:00:12 +0000

We are proud to congratulate our alumnus, David Li, on being named as a National Merit Scholar. The National Merit Scholarship Program is a highly prestigious academic competition that awards college undergraduate scholarships to high school students based on their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT as well as academic stats.

David first advanced to the Semifinalist stage along with five other CHS students before earning Finalist standing, a distinction awarded after a comprehensive review of academic records, course rigor, grades, extracurricular involvement, community contributions, essays, and letters of recommendation.

A member of the Class of 2026, David will attend the California Institute of Technology this fall, where he plans to study Electrical Engineering. Congratulations, David, on this remarkable achievement! We are excited to see all that you accomplish in the years ahead.

Magnetos Celebrate End of the School Year with Annual Barbeque!

Katherine Liu — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 01:00:33 +0000

Last Friday, Magnetos and their families gathered at Grace Church in the last MST event of the year. Event-goers chowed down on BBQ and sweet treats and enjoyed the wide variety of games brought by families. A big thank you to everyone who helped set up and clean up!

Save the Date: Magnet Orientation for Incoming Freshmen

Katherine Liu — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 01:00:35 +0000

Celebrating Our Graduating Seniors!

Katherine Liu — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 01:00:06 +0000

We wanted to take a moment to celebrate our amazing class of 2026!

As the school year comes to an end and seniors officially complete their senior boards, we couldn’t be prouder of everything they’ve accomplished. This year, magneto graduates are headed everywhere from UW right here at home to Johns Hopkins in Maryland, pursuing their passions and taking next steps in their academic journeys.

Our recent video highlighting seniors has gained traction on social media (around 30k views!), and it’s incredible to see people from the community and beyond coming together to support our graduating class. Be sure to check it out and join us in congratulating our class of 2026. Your futures are bright, and we can’t wait to see what you will do next!

Recapping our 19th MST Symposium

Katherine Liu — Sun, 31 May 2026 01:00:14 +0000

On May 20th, students of all four grades came together in our 19th annual MST Research Symposium to share the joy of research and collaboration. Students presented the projects that they had been working on for the school year before gathering in the theater for an awards presentation and a senior student Q&A panel. Thank you to all the family members, friends, and future magnetos who attended, and congratulations and good luck to our graduating seniors!