Saturday, October 27, 2012

NASA Education Express


NASA Education Express -- Oct. 25, 2012
 Posted on Oct 25, 2012 01:08:47 PM | Mindi Capp
 0 Comments |  | Poor Fair Average Good Excellent
Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.
NASA University Research Centers Virtual Poster Session and SymposiumAudience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Event Dates: Oct. 24-31 and Nov. 8, 2012
Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services ProjectAudience: K-12 Educators
Event Dates: Various Dates During October 2012
Meteorology: How Clouds Form Web Seminar
Audience: 5-8 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct. 25, 2012
Engineering Design Challenge: Water Filtration Web SeminarAudience: Grades 9-10 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct. 30, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. EDT

NASA History Program Office Spring and Summer 2013 Internships
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Spring 2013 Application Deadline: Oct. 30, 2012
Summer 2013 Application Deadline: Feb. 4, 2013


Heat Transfer: MESSENGER -- My Angle on Cooling Web Seminar
Audience: 5-8 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Nov 1, 2012
NASA's Digital Learning Network Presents Space Shuttle Atlantis "Roll Over" CelebrationAudience: Grades 4-12
Event Date: Nov. 2, 2012, 1 - 2 p.m. EDT

2013 Texas High School Aerospace Scholars

Audience: 9-12 Students
Application Deadline: Nov. 2, 2012

NASA’s Glenn Research Center's High School Shadowing Project

Audience: Students in Grades 10-12
Session I Application Deadline: Nov. 2, 2012
Session II Application Deadline: Jan. 25, 2013
Sessions III and IV Application Deadline: Feb. 22, 2013

NASA’s DEVELOP Program -- 2013 Spring and Summer Sessions
Audience: 9-12 and Higher Education Educators and Students
Spring Session Deadline: Nov. 15, 2012
Summer Session Deadline: Feb. 4, 2013
2012-2013 Real World Design ChallengeAudience: 9-12 Educators and Students -- U.S. Only
Registration Deadline: Nov. 16, 2012

2013 NASA Space Technology Research Fellowships
Audience: Higher Education Students
Application Deadline: Dec. 4, 2012
2013 RASC-AL Robo-Ops CompetitionAudience: Higher Education Students
Deadline: Dec. 9, 2012

2013 NASA High-Altitude Student Platform Opportunity
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Application Deadline: Dec. 14, 2012
2013 RASC-AL Lunar Wheel Design ChallengeAudience: Higher Education Students
Deadline: Dec. 16, 2012

National Space Biomedical Research Institute Summer Internship Program
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Application Deadline: Dec. 31, 2012

American Meteorological Society's DataStreme Earth's Climate System Professional Development Course
Audience: K-12 Educators
Course Begins: Jan. 14, 2013
New Module Available from NASA's Digital Learning Network: Digital BadgesAudience: 9-12 and Higher Education Educators

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NASA University Research Centers Virtual Poster Session and Symposium
NASA University Research Centers, or URC, is hosting a Virtual Poster Session and Symposium at the end of October and the beginning of November. These events will highlight talented students within the NASA URC program and their recent experiences as interns or co-ops at NASA.

During the session taking place Oct. 24-31, 2012, students will present virtual poster presentations of the research that was conducted during their internship or co-op. During the session, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, exchange information and ideas, and interact with students and other event participants via the Facebook social network. A panel of NASA subject matter experts will review and score the poster presentations.

Top finalists will give oral presentations of their research during a virtual symposium on Nov. 8, 2012.

To learn more about the NASA URC Virtual Poster Session and Symposium, visit
http://www.earthzine.org/nasa-urc-fall-2012-vpss/.
Questions about this event should be emailed to Daesha Roberts at
daesha.d.roberts@nasa.gov.

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Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services Project
The Aerospace Education Services Project is presenting a series of free webinars throughout October 2012. All webinars can be accessed online. Join aerospace education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

Here an Earth, There an Earth, Everywhere an Earth: The Kepler Telescope Search for Habitable Planets Beyond Our Solar System (Grades 6-12)

Oct. 25, 2012, 5 - 6 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Steve Culivan will discuss NASA's Kepler telescope and its search for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars. Participants will learn how to use Johannes Kepler's Third Law and actual Kepler telescope data to construct graphs to record and interpret data that determines if a planet orbiting a star in another solar system is a possible candidate to support life.

Robotics on a Budget (Grades 5-12)
Oct. 30, 2012, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Steve Culivan will explore how to use robotics to enhance your students' understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. Participants will also learn about NASA STEM robotics missions, curriculum and activities that are available.


For more information about these webinars, and to see a full list of webinars taking place through December 2012, visit http://neon.psu.edu/webinars/
.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to 
Katie Hayden at
Katie.S.Hayden@nasa.gov.


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Meteorology: How Clouds Form Web Seminar

As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a free 90-minute Web seminar on Oct. 25, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Learn about the relationships between air pressure, temperature, volume and cloud formation. Get an overview of the necessary conditions for cloud formation and then see how to make a cloud in a bottle. Information will be provided about an extension activity, the S'COOL Project, which involves student participation in authentic science.
For more information and to register online, visit URLhttp://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar10.aspx.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about this opportunity to the NASA Explorer Schools help desk at
 NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.
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Engineering Design Challenge: Water Filtration Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences for educators, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar on Oct. 30, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Get background information about water recycling on the International Space Station, and then see how to incorporate the information into an exciting hands-on, inquiry-based challenge requiring students to solve a problem. Participants will watch a video showing students engaged in the challenge and discuss possible modifications to the challenge to adapt it for different students and classroom situations.

This seminar will be repeated on Feb. 5, 2013.

For more information and to register online, visithttp://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar3.aspx.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit 
http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about this opportunity to 
NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.

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NASA History Program Office Spring and Summer 2013 Internships

The NASA History Program Office is seeking undergraduate and graduate students for spring and summer 2013 internships. The History Program Office maintains archival materials to answer research questions from NASA personnel, journalists, scholars, students at all levels and others from around the world. The division also edits and publishes several books and monographs each year. It maintains a large number of websites on NASA history.

Students of all majors are welcome to apply. While detailed prior knowledge of the aeronautics and space fields is not necessary, a keen interest and some basic familiarity with these topics are needed. Strong research, writing and editing skills are essential. Experience with computers, especially hypertext markup language, or HTML, formatting, is a plus.

Intern projects are flexible. Typical projects include handling a variety of information requests, editing historical manuscripts, doing research and writing biographical sketches, updating and creating websites, and identifying and captioning photos.

Applications for spring 2013 internships are due Oct. 30, 2012. Summer 2013 internship applications are due Feb. 4, 2013.

For more information, visit 
http://history.nasa.gov/interncall.htm.

If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Bill Barry at 
bill.barry@nasa.gov.

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Heat Transfer: MESSENGER -- My Angle on Cooling Web Seminar

As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute Web seminar on Nov 1, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Learn how the MESSENGER mission to Mercury takes advantage of passive cooling methods to keep the spacecraft functioning in a high-temperature environment. You will also see how to use the mission’s Staying Cool activities to lead students through an examination of different solutions to the problem of how to deal with too much sunlight and energy.
This seminar will be repeated on Mar. 21, 2013.
For more information and to register online, visithttp://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar11.aspx.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit 
http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about this opportunity to 
NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.
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NASA's Digital Learning Network Presents Space Shuttle Atlantis "Roll Over" Celebration

NASA's Digital Learning Network, or DLN, is hosting a special event on Nov. 2, 2012, at 1 p.m. EDT to commemorate the departure of space shuttle Atlantis. Join DLN hosts Rachel Power and Joshua Santora live at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as space shuttle Atlantis is transferred from the Vehicle Assembly Building to its permanent home at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis "Roll Over" Celebration will feature special guests including NASA Administrator and astronaut Charles Bolden, members of the space shuttle’s processing team and members from the team responsible for the design of the new home for Atlantis.

For more information and to watch the webcast online, visit the DLN website at
http://dln.nasa.gov.

Do you have a question you would like to see answered live during the webcast? Send questions to 
dlinfochannel@gmail.com.

Inquiries about this webcast should be directed to Joshua Santora atJoshua.Santora@nasa.gov.


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2013 Texas High School Aerospace Scholars

The Texas High School Aerospace Scholars project is an interactive, online learning experience. It is highlighted by a six-day internship where selected students are encouraged to study mathematics, science, engineering or computer science by interacting with engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The Texas High School Aerospace Scholars project is open to high school juniors throughout Texas. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have access to the Internet.
The application deadline is Nov. 2, 2012.
For additional information on the project and to apply online, visithttp://has.aerospacescholars.org/
Questions about this opportunity should be directed to jsc-aeroscho@mail.nasa.gov.

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NASA’s Glenn Research Center's High School Shadowing Project

NASA's Glenn Research Center, or GRC, in Cleveland, Ohio, is accepting applications for its High School Shadowing Project sessions for the 2012-2013 school year. This opportunity provides students with a one- to five-day career exploration experience at Glenn Research Center. 
The project provides high school students with an opportunity to explore career possibilities in a research and development environment while under the guidance of a NASA scientist, engineer, technician or administrative professional that serves as the student’s mentor. Students are provided information about various careers, career paths and Glenn Research Center educational resources and programs.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and at least 16 years old by the application deadline. Four sessions are scheduled for the 2012-2013 school year.
Session I -- 
Application Deadline: Nov. 2, 2012
Session Date: Dec. 4, 2012
Session II -- 
Application Deadline: Jan. 25, 2013
Session Date: Feb. 27, 2013
Session III -- 
Application Deadline: Feb. 22, 2013
Session Date: March 26, 2013
Session IV -- 
Application Deadline: Feb. 22, 2013
Session Date: April 24, 2013
For more information about this opportunity, please visithttp://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/education/ShadowingProgram_GRC.html.
Questions about the GRC High School Shadowing Project should be directed by email to GRC-Intern@mail.nasa.gov or by telephone to 216-433-6656.

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NASA’s DEVELOP Program -- 2013 Spring and Summer Sessions


DEVELOP is a NASA Science Mission Directorate Applied Sciences-sponsored internship that fosters the training and development of students in the Earth sciences. The DEVELOP Program extends the application of NASA Earth science research and technology to meet societal needs.

S
tudents conduct projects that focus on the practical application of NASA’s Earth science research and demonstrate how results can benefit partner organizations and local communities. Advisors and mentors, from NASA and partner institutions, provide guidance and support for the program. Students gain experience using NASA science and technology in a professional setting.

Students from high school through doctoral levels are selected through a competitive application process. Students chosen by DEVELOP work on teams onsite at 13 locations in North America. Activities are conducted during three 10-week terms per year: spring, summer and fall. To apply to a DEVELOP center at a NASA location, applicants must be a citizen of the U.S. However, international students currently registered at an accredited school in the U.S. are eligible to apply to DEVELOP regional locations. International applicants must already have a visa that permits them to work in the U.S.
Applications for the spring 2013 session are due Nov. 15, 2012. Summer 2013 applications are due Feb. 4, 2013.

For more information about this unique internship opportunity, please visit the DEVELOP website at 
http://develop.larc.nasa.gov.
Questions about the DEVELOP Program should be directed by email to NASA-DL-DEVELOP@mail.nasa.gov or by telephone to 757-864-3761.

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2012-2013 Real World Design Challenge
The Real World Design Challenge is an annual U.S. competition that gives students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to work on real-world engineering challenges in a team environment. This year, NASA is teaming up with other RWDC partners on the Aviation Challenge. This challenge invites students to design an unmanned aerial system to help locate a lost child.

Participating schools receive real engineering software and partner with mentors who are professional engineers. The contest provides students with opportunities to apply the lessons of the classroom to real technical problems.

The deadline for team registration is Nov. 16, 2012. Entries must be submitted by Jan. 18, 2013.

For more information about the challenge, visit http://www.realworlddesignchallenge.org.

Questions about the Real World Design Challenge should be directed to Ralph Coppola at
rcoppola@ptc.com.
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2013 NASA Space Technology Research Fellowships


NASA is seeking applications from current and prospective graduate students for the agency's third class of Space Technology Research Fellows. Applications will be accepted from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of individuals pursuing or planning to pursue master’s  or doctoral degrees in relevant space technology disciplines at their respective institutions beginning in fall 2013.

The fellowships will sponsor U.S. graduate student researchers who show significant potential to contribute to NASA's strategic goals and mission in the area of space technology. NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist and the Space Technology Program sponsor the fellowships with the goal of providing the nation a pipeline of highly skilled engineers and technologists to improve America's technological competitiveness. Fellows will perform innovative space technology research today while building the skills necessary to become future technological leaders.

The deadline for submitting applications is Dec. 4, 2012.

For more information on the fellowships, visit 
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/stp/strg/nstrf13.htmland http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/stp/strg/nstrf13_video.html.

All material related to this fellowship opportunity, including eligibility requirements and detailed instructions on how to submit an application, may be accessed from
http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId=%7b67565659-36F8-8888-A19E-6DC271DA6ED5%7d&path=open.
Please email any questions about this opportunity to Claudia Meyer at hq-nstrf-call@mail.nasa.gov.
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2013 RASC-AL Robo-Ops Competition
NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2013 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage Exploration Robo-Ops, also known as RASC-AL Robo-Ops, competition. This design competition is aimed at university-level engineering students.

The RASC-AL Robo-Ops contest challenges participants to build a planetary rover prototype and demonstrate its capabilities in field tests at NASA's Johnson Space Center’s, or JSC's, Rock Yard. Up to three members of the team (plus the faculty advisor) may travel to JSC for the onsite testing. The remaining team members will stay behind at the local university to conduct mission control tasks. The prototype rovers will be tele-operated by the university-based team members and must negotiate a series of obstacles while accomplishing a variety of tasks. The only information available to the rover controller to perform the required tasks will be information transmitted through onboard rover video camera(s) or other onboard sensors.

Teams will be required to do an education and outreach activity for their rovers that demonstrates participatory exploration approaches for future NASA missions.

Interested teams are encouraged to submit a notice of intent by Nov. 18, 2012, and teams must submit a project plan for their proposed project by Dec. 19, 2012. The RASC-AL Robo-Ops Steering Committee of NASA experts will evaluate the project plans and select as many as eight teams to compete against each other at the Rock Yard in June 2013.

The RASC-AL competition is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering or science at an accredited university. University design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a university affiliation and two or more undergraduate or graduate students. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

For more information about this competition, visit 
http://www.nianet.org/RoboOps-2013/index.aspx.
If you have questions about this competition, please contact Stacy Dees atstacy.dees@nianet.org or Shelley Spears at shelley.spears@nianet.org.

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2013 NASA High-Altitude Student Platform Opportunity

NASA is accepting applications from students at U.S. colleges and universities who want to send experiments to the edge of space on a high-flying scientific balloon.

The annual NASA project provides near-space access for 12 undergraduate and graduate student experiments to be carried by a NASA high-altitude research balloon. The flights typically last 15 to 20 hours and reach an altitude of 23 miles. Experiments may include compact satellites or prototypes.

The experiments are flown aboard the High-Altitude Student Platform, or HASP, a balloon-born instrument stack launched from the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility's remote site in Fort Sumner, N.M. The goals of the project are to provide a space test platform to encourage student research and stimulate the development of student satellite payloads and other space-engineering products.

HASP seeks to enhance the technical skills and research abilities of students in critical science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. The project is a joint effort between NASA and the Louisiana Space Grant Consortium.

The deadline for applications is Dec. 14, 2012.

For application information and technical details about the program, visit
http://laspace.lsu.edu/hasp.

Questions about the High-Altitude Student Platform opportunity should be directed to T. Gregory Guzik at 
guzik@phunds.phys.lsu.edu.

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2013 RASC-AL Lunar Wheel Design Challenge
NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2013 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts - Academic Linkage, or RASC-AL, Lunar Wheel Design Challenge. The challenge is aimed at multidisciplinary teams of university-level engineering students.

The RASC-AL Lunar Wheel Design Challenge invites student teams to design and build a lunar wheel prototype and demonstrate its capabilities while mounted on a utility vehicle during the “Roll-Off” (field tests at NASA's Johnson Space Center’s Rock Yard) in July 2013. Teams are challenged with developing a wheel that needs little maintenance, can travel at higher speeds needed for human rovers and can withstand several years of harsh temperature swings, abrasive regolith, intense sun radiation and lack of an Earth-like atmosphere.
In addition to the field tests, teams will present their wheel concepts to a design review panel comprising Space Exploration Vehicle, or SEV, engineers. Presentations will be based on each team's technical paper that details the wheel concept's path-to-flight (i.e., how the design can be applied to actual planetary exploration on an SEV).
Interested teams are encouraged to submit a notice of intent by Nov. 18, 2012, and teams must submit a project plan proposal by Dec. 16, 2012. Based on a review of each team’s proposal, up to eight teams will be selected to compete at the “Roll-Off” in July 2013.

The challenge
 is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering or science at an accredited university. University design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a university affiliation and two or more undergraduate or graduate students.

For more information about this competition, visit 
https://www.nianet.org/RASCAL-wheeldesign2012/index.aspx.

If you have questions about this competition, please contact Shannon Verstynen at
shannon.verstynen@nianet.org or Shelley Spears at shelley.spears@nianet.org
.
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National Space Biomedical Research Institute Summer Internship Program

Interns selected for the NSBRI’s summer program join ongoing project activities and gain hands-on experience in space biomedical research at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas; Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio; or Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. The program is open to graduate students, medical students and undergraduate students who have completed their second year of studies.

Applicants are asked to submit a curriculum vitae or resume, a letter of interest, two letters of recommendation, and college transcripts. Applicants must be available from May 27 through Aug. 2, 2013.The program is open to U.S. citizens.

Applications for the 2013 program are due Dec. 31, 2012.

For more information and to apply online, visit 
http://www.nsbri.org/summerinternship/. Questions about this opportunity should be directed to info@nsbri.org.

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American Meteorological Society's DataStreme Earth's Climate System Professional Development Course

The American Meteorological Society, with support from NASA and in partnership with the State University of New York's College at Brockport, is developing a national cadre of K-12 teachers highly trained in climate science and familiar with climate modeling. Teachers are trained through DataStreme Earth's Climate System, or ECS, a semester-long, graduate level, precollege teacher professional development course.

DataStreme ECS uses NASA Earth Observing System data and visualizations, and introduces the Educational Global Climate Model developed by the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, to explore the fundamentals of climate change. Teachers completing the course construct and execute a plan of action to advance public climate science literacy and affect curriculum change within their local schools and districts.

DataStreme ECS is administered through Local Implementation Teams across the country. The course is free to all participants, and the teachers are awarded three graduate credits upon successful completion of the course.

The spring 2013 course begins on Jan. 14, 2013.

For more information, including a listing of course offerings by state, and an application form, visit 
http://ametsoc.org/amsedu/ECS/index.html#participates.
Questions about these courses should be directed to amsedu@ametsoc.org.

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New Module Available from NASA's Digital Learning Network: Digital Badges
NASA's Digital Learning Network, or DLN, is excited to offer a unique opportunity to learn about a new innovative teaching tool called a digital badge. A digital badge is an ‘official’ file, that when awarded, contains all the hidden information about that achievement and who won it. This file can then be shared and posted.

When the Mars Curiosity Rover landed successfully on Aug. 5, 2012, Web surfers were introduced to the chance to win the first pilot Starlite Digital Badge developed in conjunction with NASA. By interacting with a brand-new type of 3D content, visitors have a chance to join in the excitement by testing a game that mimics some of the exciting new rover’s capabilities. In this interactive, game-based activity, players locate sedimentary rocks on a simulated Mars landscape and activate the rover's drill in search of evidence for past life. The game emphasizes advanced interactivity with robotics, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

During your event, the Digital Learning Network will give an overview of the Mars Curiosity Activity and provide additional information regarding digital badges for lifelong learning.

For more information and to register for an upcoming event, visit
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/dln/special/DigitalBadges.html
.

To try out the Mars Curiosity Activity and see the Curiosity badge in action, visit
http://www.starlitebadges.com/
.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Bob Starr at 
robert.m.starr@nasa.gov.


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Don't miss out on education-related opportunities available from NASA. For a full list of Current Opportunities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html.

Visit NASA Education on the Web:
For Educators: 
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: 
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: 
http://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

NASA Education Express -- Oct. 18, 2012
 Posted on Oct 18, 2012 02:05:30 PM | Mindi Capp
 0 Comments |  | Poor Fair Average Good Excellent
Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.
Solar System Exploration @ 50 SymposiumAudience: All Educators and 9-Higher Education Students
Registration Deadline: Oct. 19, 2012
Symposium Dates: Oct. 25-26, 2012
Free Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series

Audience: All Educators and 9-Higher Education Students
Next Lecture Date: Oct. 20, 2012
NASA University Research Centers Virtual Poster Session and SymposiumAudience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Event Dates: Oct. 24-31 and Nov. 8, 2012

Live Video Chat: 
Multiple Teams Make the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle
Audience: Grades 7-12
Event Date: Oct. 24, 2012, 1 p.m. EDT

2012 Cassini Scientist for a Day Essay Contest

Audience: 5-12 Students

Entry Deadline: Oct. 24, 2012, 3 p.m. EDT
Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services ProjectAudience: K-12 Educators
Event Dates: Various Dates During October 2012
Pythagorean Theorem: Exploring Space Through Math -- Lunar Rover Web Seminar
Audience: 8-12 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct. 24, 2012, 6:30 p.m. EDT

2013 NASA's Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program

Audience: Higher Education Educators & Students

Proposal Deadline: Oct. 24, 2012
Meteorology: How Clouds Form Web Seminar
Audience: 5-8 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct. 25, 2012, 7:30 p.m. EDT
NASA History Program Office Spring and Summer 2013 Internships
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Spring 2013 Application Deadline: Oct. 30, 2012
Summer 2013 Application Deadline: Feb. 4, 2013

Deadline Extended: 2012 Humans in Space Youth Art Competition
Audience: K-12 Students

New Deadline: Nov. 15, 2012

2013-14 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship
Audience: K-12 STEM Educators
Application Deadline: Dec. 5, 2012
RealWorld-InWorld NASA Engineering Design ChallengeAudience: 8-12 Educators and Students
Deadline: Jan. 31, 2013

NASA’s REEL Science Communication Contest

Audience: 9-12 Educators and Students
Deadline: Feb. 15, 2013


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Solar System Exploration @ 50 Symposium
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first successful planetary mission, Mariner 2 sent to Venus, the NASA History Program Office, NASA's Science Mission Directorate, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Division of Space History at the National Air and Space Museum are hosting a two-day symposium on the history of planetary exploration. This historical symposium will be held in Arlington, Va., on Oct. 25-26, 2012.

Entitled “Solar System Exploration @ 50,” this symposium will challenge us to consider what we have learned about the other bodies of the solar system and the process whereby we have learned it. This symposium seeks to pursue broader questions relating to the history of planetary exploration.
The event is free and open to the public, but advanced registration is required. Registration closes on Oct. 19, 2012.

For those unable to attend in person, the symposium will be webcast live, and you can follow along on social media with the hashtag #Planets50.

For more information, visit 
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/features/SSEat50.html.


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Free Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series
Curious about our nearest star, moon rocks, volcanoes and other wonders of the universe? Come to the Smithsonian's Stars, a series of 10 lectures by Smithsonian researchers who are exploring the sun, the moon, planets, stars, galaxies and the universe. These speakers will share behind-the-scenes details about how their research is done and technologies that advance new discoveries at the Smithsonian Institution.
Each lecture begins at 5:15 p.m. and is followed by a question-and-answer session. A Discovery Station activity will take place at 4 p.m. prior to each lecture. Stay after the lecture to visit the observatory, weather permitting.
Oct. 20, 2012 -- Mercury: Oh Strange New World
Data from the MESSENGER spacecraft orbiting Mercury shows us just how wondrous and unique the smallest planet in our solar system is. Planetary Geophysicist Michelle Selvans will discuss the complexities that make Mercury so wonderfully unique. 

Nov. 3, 2012 -- Moon Rocks and How They Became Famous
In the late 1960s, Apollo astronauts collected rocks from the moon and brought them back to Earth. Scientists studied these rocks, curators put them on display in museums around the world and President Nixon gave them as gifts to foreign heads of state. Teasel Muir-Harmony will explore the wide-ranging roles that these rocks played. 

Nov. 17, 2012 -- The Dynamic Sun
The sun is even more dynamic, mysterious and beautiful than you probably imagine. Astrophysicist Mark Weber will explore this incredible star with observations from some of the most advanced telescopes. Learn what scientists have discovered and what they are only beginning to understand. 
For more information about the Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series and to see a full schedule of upcoming lectures, visit http://airandspace.si.edu/events/lectures/stars/index.cfm.
Questions about this lecture series should be directed to the visitor service line at 202-633-1000. 
The Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series is made possible by a grant from NASA.

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NASA University Research Centers Virtual Poster Session and Symposium
NASA University Research Centers, or URC, is hosting a Virtual Poster Session and Symposium at the end of October and the beginning of November. These events will highlight talented students within the NASA URC program and their recent experiences as interns or co-ops at NASA.

During the session taking place Oct. 24-31, 2012, students will present virtual poster presentations of the research that was conducted during their internship or co-op. During the session, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, exchange information and ideas, and interact with students and other event participants via the Facebook social network. A panel of NASA subject matter experts will review and score the poster presentations.

Top finalists will give oral presentations of their research during a virtual symposium on Nov. 8, 2012.

To learn more about the NASA URC Virtual Poster Session and Symposium, visit
http://www.earthzine.org/nasa-urc-fall-2012-vpss/
.
Questions about this event should be emailed to Daesha Roberts at
daesha.d.roberts@nasa.gov.

________________________________________________________________

Live Video Chat: Multiple Teams Make the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle

NASA Explorer Schools is offering students in grades 7-12 an opportunity to ask questions of Nicole Smith, an aerospace engineer on the Orion crew and service module project. Join the video chat on Oct. 24, 2012, from 1 - 2 p.m. EDT to ask Smith questions about the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, America’s new spacecraft for human exploration. She also will address the importance of teamwork and her career as an aerospace engineer.

Students do not need to be in a school participating in the NASA Explorer Schools project in order to ask questions during this video chat.

Submit questions during the chat through a chat window, or send them to NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.

To learn more about NES, visit the 
explorerschools.nasa.gov website.

For more information and to view the video chat, visithttp://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/nes2/home/nicole-smith-chat.html.

If you have any questions about the video chat, contact 
NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.


________________________________________________________________

2012 Cassini Scientist for a Day Essay Contest
The Cassini Scientist for a Day contest challenges students to become NASA scientists studying Saturn. Participants examine three possible observations taken by Cassini and choose the one they think will yield the best scientific results. Students then write an essay under 500 words explaining their choice. Winners will participate in a teleconference with Cassini scientists.
The contest is open to all students in the United States in grades 5-12. The essays will be divided into three groups for scoring: grades 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12. All submissions must be students' original work. Each student can submit only one entry.
Deadline for fall 2012 submissions is 3 p.m. EDT on Oct. 24, 2012.
For more information, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/scientistforaday/
International participants are also encouraged to enter. Deadlines for individual countries vary. To see if your country is participating, visithttp://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/scientistforaday11thedition/international/
If you have questions about this contest, please email scientistforaday@jpl.nasa.gov.

________________________________________________________________

Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services Project
The Aerospace Education Services Project is presenting a series of free webinars throughout October 2012. All webinars can be accessed online. Join aerospace education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

Investigating the Climate System (Grades 5-12)
Oct. 24, 2012, 4 - 5 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist John Weis will introduce participants to the five problem-based learning educator guides in the NASA Investigating the Climate System series. Topics addressed will include wind, precipitation, energy, clouds and extreme weather. This webinar is part of the Department of Education Green Strides webinar series.
Here an Earth, There an Earth, Everywhere an Earth: The Kepler Telescope Search for Habitable Planets Beyond Our Solar System (Grades 6-12)
Oct. 25, 2012, 5 - 6 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Steve Culivan will discuss NASA's Kepler telescope and its search for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars. Participants will learn how to use Johannes Kepler's Third Law and actual Kepler telescope data to construct graphs to record and interpret data that determines if a planet orbiting a star in another solar system is a possible candidate to support life.

Robotics on a Budget (Grades 5-12)
Oct. 30, 2012, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Steve Culivan will explore how to use robotics to enhance your students' understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. Participants will also learn about NASA STEM robotics missions, curriculum and activities that are available.


For more information about these webinars, and to see a full list of webinars taking place through December 2012, visit http://neon.psu.edu/webinars/
.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to 
Katie Hayden at
Katie.S.Hayden@nasa.gov.


________________________________________________________________

Pythagorean Theorem: Exploring Space Through Math -- Lunar Rover Web Seminar

NASA Explorer Schools and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar for educators on Oct. 24, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Learn to use the distance formula and the Pythagorean theorem to determine the minimal path and minimal time for a lunar rover to perform tasks on the surface of the moon. Participants should have a basic knowledge of scale factor and application of the Pythagorean theorem. Having access to a calculator is helpful but not necessary for session.

Seminar participants will be given an overview of the lesson and a look at where it fits in the mathematics curriculum, including an alignment to the Common Core Standards for mathematics.

For more information and to register online, visithttp://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar9.aspx.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit 
http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about this opportunity to 
NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.

________________________________________________________________

2013 NASA's Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program

NASA is offering undergraduate students an opportunity to test experiments in microgravity aboard NASA's reduced gravity aircraft.
The opportunity is part of NASA's Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program, which gives aspiring explorers a chance to propose, design and fabricate a reduced-gravity experiment. Selected teams will test and evaluate their experiment aboard NASA's reduced-gravity airplane. The aircraft flies about 30 roller-coaster-like climbs and dips during experiment flights to produce periods of weightlessness and hypergravity ranging from 0 g to 2 g.
Proposals are due Oct. 24, 2012.
Interested students also should submit a letter of intent by Sept. 12, 2012. This step is optional but serves as an introductory notice that a team plans to submit a proposal for the upcoming competition.
NASA will announce selected teams Dec. 5, 2012. The teams will fly in the summer of 2013. Once selected, teams also may invite a full-time, accredited journalist to fly with them and document the team's experiment and experiences. All applicants must be full-time undergraduate students, U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old.
For more information about the opportunity and instructions for submitting a proposal, visithttp://microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov
Please email any questions about this opportunity to jsc-reducedgravity@nasa.gov.

________________________________________________________________

Meteorology: How Clouds Form Web Seminar

As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a free 90-minute Web seminar on Oct. 25, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Learn about the relationships between air pressure, temperature, volume and cloud formation. Get an overview of the necessary conditions for cloud formation and then see how to make a cloud in a bottle. Information will be provided about an extension activity, the S'COOL Project, which involves student participation in authentic science.
For more information and to register online, visit URLhttp://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar10.aspx.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit 
http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about this opportunity to the NASA Explorer Schools help desk at
 NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________
NASA History Program Office Spring and Summer 2013 Internships

The NASA History Program Office is seeking undergraduate and graduate students for spring and summer 2013 internships. The History Program Office maintains archival materials to answer research questions from NASA personnel, journalists, scholars, students at all levels and others from around the world. The division also edits and publishes several books and monographs each year. It maintains a large number of websites on NASA history.

Students of all majors are welcome to apply. While detailed prior knowledge of the aeronautics and space fields is not necessary, a keen interest and some basic familiarity with these topics are needed. Strong research, writing and editing skills are essential. Experience with computers, especially hypertext markup language, or HTML, formatting, is a plus.

Intern projects are flexible. Typical projects include handling a variety of information requests, editing historical manuscripts, doing research and writing biographical sketches, updating and creating websites, and identifying and captioning photos.


Applications for spring 2013 internships are due Oct. 30, 2012. Summer 2013 internship applications are due Feb. 4, 2013.

For more information, visit 
http://history.nasa.gov/interncall.htm.

If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Bill Barry at 
bill.barry@nasa.gov.


________________________________________________________________

Deadline Extended: 2012 Humans in Space Youth Art Competition
The international 2012 Humans in Space Youth Art Competition invites students ages 10-18 to express their ideas about the future of human space exploration through visual, literary, musical or digital art.
Artwork submissions will be judged on creativity, skill and demonstration of meaning relevant to expressing “How will humans use science and technology to explore space, and what mysteries will we uncover?”
Winning art will be showcased at displays and multimedia performances worldwide from 2013 to 2014, as well as in an online gallery. Submissions must be received by Nov. 15, 2012.
For additional information and a complete list of guidelines, visit www.humansinspaceart.org
Inquiries about this opportunity should be directed to Jancy McPhee atjancy.c.mcphee@nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________

2013-14 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship

Applications are currently available for the 2013-14 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program. This program is open to current public or private elementary and secondary mathematics, technology, engineering and science classroom teachers with demonstrated excellence in teaching. Applications are due Dec. 5, 2012.

Selected teachers 
spend a school year in Washington, D.C., sharing their expertise with policy makers. Einstein Fellows may serve with one of several government agency sponsors, such as the Department of Energy, NASA or the National Science Foundation.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and be currently employed full time in a public or private elementary or secondary school or school district. Applicants must have been teaching full time for at least five of the last seven years.
For more information about this opportunity and to apply online, visit 
www.einsteinfellows.org.

Inquiries about the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program should be directed to Brian O’Donnell at 
Brian.O'Donnell@science.doe.gov.


________________________________________________________________
RealWorld-InWorld NASA Engineering Design Challenge
The RealWorld-InWorld NASA Engineering Design Challenge encourages students in grades 8-12 to explore and build skills essential for successful careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through two phases of project-based learning and team competition. 
RealWorld (Phase 1): Teams of middle- and high-school-aged students, with support of their teachers/coaches/parents, work collaboratively as engineers and scientists to explore and design solutions related to the James Webb Space Telescope. 
RealWorld Phase ends: Jan. 31, 2013. To be considered to move to the InWorld phase, all RealWorld work must be submitted by this deadline. 
InWorld (Phase 2): Participating college students select teams of two to four middle- and high-school-aged students who have completed the RealWorld phase to build their InWorld teams. Participation is limited to U.S. citizens. Teams work in a 3-D virtual online environment using 21st century tools to refine designs and to create 3-D models of their design solutions.

InWorld Phase begins: Feb. 9, 2013.
InWorld Phase ends: April 26, 2013. 

NASA scientists and engineers visit and chat virtually throughout both phases of the challenge.

To learn more about the challenge and to register for online resources for this free and flexibleproject, visit 
www.nasarealworldinworld.org.


________________________________________________________________
NASA’s REEL Science Communication Contest
So you want to be a NASA producer? NASA is looking for talented high school students to create videos that engage students in earth science.

Students are consuming over 10 hours of media each day, and video is increasingly important to reach and engage this audience about science. NASA earth science missions are kicking off a new video contest challenging high school students to produce a two-minute video for middle school students. The videos should focus on one of three topics: Ozone in the Stratosphere, Ship Tracks and Our Environment, or The Water of the Water Planet.

Winning videos will be posted on NASA’s website. Winners will also get the opportunity to be a NASA producer working with NASA scientists and communication experts in July 2013 to produce an earth science feature video.

The deadline for submitting videos is Feb. 15, 2013.

For more information and instructions for submitting a video, visit
http://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov/reelscience
.

Questions about this contest should be emailed to Ginger Butcher at 
ginger.butcher-1@nasa.gov.

________________________________________________________________
Don't miss out on education-related opportunities available from NASA. For a full list of Current Opportunities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html.

Visit NASA Education on the Web:
For Educators: 
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: 
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: 
http://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

NASA Education Express -- Oct. 11, 2012
 Posted on Oct 11, 2012 12:38:24 PM | Mindi Capp
1 Comments |  | Poor Fair Average Good Excellent
Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.
Engineering Design: Forces and Motion -- The Great Boomerang Challenge Web Seminar

Audience: 5-8 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct. 11, 2012

Celebrate Earth Science Week 2012
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Dates: Oct. 14-20, 2012

Celebrate Solar Week -- Fall 2012
Audience: K-12 Educators
Event Dates: Oct. 15-19, 2012

Center of Mass and Center of Pressure: Engineering a Stable Rocket Web Seminar
Audience: 9-12 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct. 16, 2011
Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services ProjectAudience: K-12 Educators
Event Dates: Various Dates During October 2012
Linear Equations: NASA CONNECT -- Breaking Barriers Web Seminar
Audience: 6-8 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct 17, 2012
Deadline Approaching: Earth Science Week Contests

Audience: All Educators and Students
Deadline for Entries: Oct. 19, 2012
2012 OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Video Contest
Audience: Grade 3-12 Students
Registration Deadline: Dec. 15, 2012

NASA Releases Interactive Space Communications Mobile Game App

Audience: All Educators and Grade 5-Higher Education Students


________________________________________________________________

Engineering Design: Forces and Motion -- The Great Boomerang Challenge Web Seminar

As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a free 90-minute professional development Web seminar for educators on Oct. 11, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Learn how forces and motion are used in boomerang design to increase performance. During the session, participants will be introduced to the Boomerang Design Challenge and learn how to incorporate this activity into science classes. The seminar also includes information about two unique extensions. In the first, students access a free computer simulation illustrating the airflow around an airfoil to determine the correct flow equation, and a second extension uses an interactive simulation to determine the airflow around various shapes of airfoils.
For more information and to register online, visithttp://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar6.aspx.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit 
http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about this opportunity to the NES Help Desk at NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.


________________________________________________________________

Celebrate Earth Science Week 2012

Who are NASA's Earth Explorers and what does it take to become one of them?

Under the theme “Discovering Careers in the Earth Sciences,” this year’s Earth Science Week will focus on this very topic: the story of the Earth Explorers who contribute to our understanding of the planet. As a leader in Earth science research and applications, NASA plays a key role in this annual celebration. The American Geosciences Institute, or AGI, has organized this event since 1998.

During Oct. 14-20, 2012, students of all ages can connect to an incredible group of NASA Earth Explorers -- from scientists and engineers, to multimedia producers, educators and writers. Find out about their careers, why and how they study the planet and what their typical day is like. Blog posts, Google+ Hangouts and Twitter chats, as well as a webinar and radio interview in Spanish, are just some of the media activities that will allow explorers to tell their stories. You can directly participate by asking questions during the live events or by sending in questions beforehand.

The current schedule of Earth Science Week events includes:

-- Tuesday, Oct. 16, 1-2 p.m. EDT -- Twitter Chat with polar scientist Thorsten Markus
-- Tuesday, Oct. 16, 1-2 p.m. EDT -- Univisión Radio interview with scientists Erika Podest and Miguel Román (in Spanish)
-- Wednesday, Oct. 17, 1-2 p.m. EDT -- Google+ Hangout with Operation IceBridge scientist Christy Hansen, on location near Antarctica
-- Wednesday, Oct. 17, 4-5 p.m. EDT -- Webinar with Aquarius engineers (in Spanish)
-- Thursday, Oct. 18, noon-1 p.m. EDT -- Twitter chat with atmospheric research scientist Erica Alston
-- Thursday, Oct. 18, 6-7 p.m. EDT -- Reddit Interview with Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist Josh Willis
In addition, on Oct. 18, the many contributions of women at NASA to Earth science will be highlighted as part of Female Geoscientist’s Day. Together with the NASA Earth Science Week website, the Women@NASA blog will feature three remarkable Earth Explorers.

Visit the 2012 NASA Earth Science Week website (
http://climate.nasa.gov/esw2012) for a collection of articles, event information, blog posts, videos and other educational resources in English and Spanish.

Visit the Women@NASA Blog page: 
http://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/newui/blog/viewpostlist.jsp?blogname=womenatnasa
Questions and feedback about Earth Science Week should be submitted tohttp://climate.nasa.gov/feedback/index.cfm?ReferPg=ESW.


________________________________________________________________

Celebrate Solar Week -- Fall 2012

Solar Week provides a weeklong series of Web-based educational classroom activities and games with a focus on the sun-Earth connection geared for upper elementary, middle and high school students. Students learn about solar careers, sunspots and solar storms through a series of activities, games and lessons.

Solar Week is ideal for students studying the solar system, the stars and astronomy in general. Students will also learn about solar scientists and other science career choices. The website is for all students, but it is especially designed to spark the interest of pre- and early-teen girls with activities and online interaction with leading female scientists at the forefront of s
un-Earth research.

To learn more and to register to participate, visit 
http://www.solarweek.org.

Questions about Solar Week may be emailed to solarweek@solarweek.org.


________________________________________________________________

Center of Mass and Center of Pressure: Engineering a Stable Rocket Web Seminar

As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences for educators, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar for educators on Oct. 16, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Learn how to incorporate rocketry into your teaching repertoire. During this seminar, participants will get an overview of an activity from NASA's "Rockets Educator Guide" that addresses forces and motion, center of mass and center of pressure. This seminar provides an overview of the activity, explores the NASA connections, shares tips and tricks for implementing this lesson in the classroom, showcases videos of students engaged in the lesson and discusses possible modifications or extensions.

This seminar will be repeated on April 23, 2013.

For more information and to register online, visit
http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar7.aspx.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit 
http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about this opportunity to 
NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.


________________________________________________________________

Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services Project
The Aerospace Education Services Project is presenting a series of free webinars throughout October 2012. All webinars can be accessed online. Join aerospace education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

Solar System and the Periodic Table
 (Grades 3-8)
Oct. 17, 2012, 5 - 6 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Sandy Kaszynski will lead this standards-based webinar that teaches participants basic principles of what the periodic table represents, using the solar system as an exciting basis for understanding. This is an introductory lesson with a concluding game.

Investigating the Climate System (Grades 5-12)
Oct. 24, 2012, 4 - 5 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist John Weis will introduce participants to the five problem-based learning educator guides in the NASA Investigating the Climate System series. Topics addressed will include wind, precipitation, energy, clouds and extreme weather. This webinar is part of the Department of Education Green Strides webinar series.

Robotics on a Budget (Grades 5-12)
Oct. 30, 2012, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Steve Culivan will explore how to use robotics to enhance your students' understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. Participants will also learn about NASA STEM robotics missions, curriculum and activities that are available.


For more information about these webinars, and to see a full list of webinars taking place through December 2012, visit http://neon.psu.edu/webinars/
.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to 
Katie Hayden at
Katie.S.Hayden@nasa.gov.


________________________________________________________________

Linear Equations: NASA CONNECT -- Breaking Barriers Web Seminar
NASA Explorer Schools and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar for educators on Oct. 17, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. EDTDuring this professional development session, participants will receive information about the applications of linear equations at NASA and learn how to implement the Breaking Barriers activity. Breaking Barriers provides students an opportunity to step into the shoes of a NASA engineer to design, build and test an X-1 balloon.

This seminar will be repeated on Feb. 20, 2013.

For more information and to register online, visithttp://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar8.aspx.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit 
http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about this opportunity to the NASA Explorer Schools help desk at
 NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________

Deadline Approaching: Earth Science Week Contests for 2012
Take part in the following contests to celebrate Earth Science Week. This year’s celebration takes place Oct. 14-20, 2012.
Earth Science Week 2012 Photography Contest -- Open to All Ages
http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/photography/index.html

The American Geosciences Institute is sponsoring a photography contest to celebrate Earth Science Week 2012. Photographs should support the topic “Earth Science Is a Big Job” and reflect the important work earth scientists do in their communities. Any resident of the United States or any AGI International Affiliate may enter.. Entries must be submitted electronically. Only one entry will be accepted per person. Entries are due Oct. 19, 2012.

Earth Science Week 2012 Visual Arts Contest -- Open to Students in Grades K-5
http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/visualarts/index.html


The American Geosciences Institute is sponsoring a visual arts contest to celebrate Earth Science Week 2012. Artwork should focus on the topic “Imagine Me, an Earth Scientist!” The contest is open to students in grades K-5 who are residents of the United States. Participants should submit an original two-dimensional visual arts project that shows themselves as earth scientists. Entries are due Oct. 19, 2012, and must be submitted by mail.
Earth Science Week 2012 Essay Contest -- Open to Students in Grades 6-9
http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/essay/index.html

The American Geosciences Institute is sponsoring an essay contest to celebrate Earth Science Week 2012. Essays should focus on the theme “Geoscientists Working Together.” The contest is open to students in grades 6-9 who are residents of the United States. Participants should submit an original essay no more than 300 words in length, typed and formatted to fit on one page. Entries must be submitted electronically. The deadline for submitting entries is Oct. 19, 2012.
If you have any questions about these contests, please email the Earth Science Week staff atinfo@earthsciweek.org.

________________________________________________________________

2012 OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Video Contest

NASA has opened registration for the 2012 OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Video Contest. Featuring OPTIMUS PRIME, the leader from the popular TRANSFORMERS brand, the contest highlights spinoffs from NASA technologies that are used on Earth. The goal is to help students understand the benefits of NASA technology to their daily lives.

Each student, or group of students, will submit a three- to five-minute video on a selected NASA spinoff technology listed in NASA’s 2011 “Spinoff” publication. Videos must demonstrate an understanding of the NASA spinoff technology and the associated NASA mission, as well as the commercial application and public benefit associated with the spinoff technology.

Participants must register for the contest by Dec. 15, 2012.

Video entries will be posted on the NASA YouTube channel, and the public will be responsible for the first round of judging. The top five submissions from each of the three grade groups (elementary [3rd-5th], middle [6th-8th] and high school [9th-12th]) will advance for final judging. A NASA panel will select a winning entry from each group. The students submitting the winning entries will be the guests of honor at the OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Contest awards ceremony in May 2013. While there, the winners will receive the OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Contest trophy and have the opportunity to meet NASA VIPs, astronauts and actor Peter Cullen, who voices the character OPTIMUS PRIME.

TRANSFORMERS and OPTIMUS PRIME are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2012 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

For more information, visit 
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/releases/2012/12-077.html.

Questions about this contest should be directed to Darryl Mitchell at 
Darryl.R.Mitchell@nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________
NASA Releases Interactive Space Communications Mobile Game App

Just in time for World Space Week, NASA has released a new mobile application that challenges gamers to take on the role of a space communications network manager and puts them in charge of building a communications network to support scientific missions.

The educational application, "Space Communications and Navigation: NetworKing," was developed at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., for the iPad and iPhone. NetworKing provides an interactive, 3-D experience with an insider's perspective into how mission controllers and scientists communicate with spacecraft and satellites using the space, deep space and near Earth networks.

NetworKing allows players to build increasingly large and complex communication networks to support client satellites conducting scientific missions. Players who upgrade their communication networks can acquire more complex clients, such as the International Space Station and NASA's Hubble and Kepler space telescopes.

By providing insight into the complex world of communications between astronauts, mission controllers, scientists and satellites in real mission scenarios, the game is not only challenging, but also entertaining.

In addition to the mobile application, NetworKing also is available free on the NASA 3-D Resources website. Players can access the game on their web browsers or it can be downloaded and run on PC or Macintosh operating systems.

For links to download the app, download the game or play in a web browser, visit
http://go.nasa.gov/OFkcot.
________________________________________________________________

Don't miss out on education-related opportunities available from NASA. For a full list of Current Opportunities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html.

Visit NASA Education on the Web:
For Educators: 
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: 
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: 
http://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

NASA Education Express Message -- Oct. 4, 2012
 Posted on Oct 04, 2012 01:30:30 PM | Mindi Capp
 0 Comments |  | Poor Fair Average Good Excellent
Celebrate World Space Week With NASA
Audience: All Educators 
Event Date: Oct. 4-10, 2012

Celebrate World Space Week
Audience: All Educators 
Event Date: Oct. 4-10, 2012

Celebrate World Space Week With Free Education Webinars from the Aerospace Education Services ProjectAudience: K-12 Educators
Event Dates: Oct. 4-9, 2012
NASA's Digital Learning Network Celebrates World Space Week Special Events Featuring Curiosity!Audience: Grades 5-12
Event Dates: Oct. 4-10, 2012
Electromagnetic Spectrum: Remote Sensing Ices on Mars Web SeminarAudience: 8-12 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct. 4, 2012

Free Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series

Audience: All Educators and 9-Higher Education Students

Next Lecture Date: Oct. 6, 2012

Engineering Design Process: On the Moon Educator Guide Web Seminar
Audience: 6-12 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct. 10, 2012
Space Station Expedition Webcasts
Audience: K-12 Educators
Event Dates: Oct. 11-12, 2012
Engineering Design: Forces and Motion -- The Great Boomerang Challenge Web Seminar
Audience: 5-8 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct. 11, 2012

Celebrate Earth Science Week 2012
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Dates: Oct. 14-20, 2012

New Space Life Sciences Website for Educators and Students
Audience: All Educators and Students
Now Available Online: Smart Skies Training VideosAudience: Grades 5-9 Educators
________________________________________________________________
Celebrate World Space Week With NASA
World Space Week kicks off today and runs through Oct. 10 in more than 100 countries with hundreds of education-related activities for teachers and students. NASA’s Education Division will introduce a few of its own new features designed to inspire formal and informal educators and help them encourage students to pursue studies in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields (STEM).
Space Life Sciences Website
The agency’s new Space Life Sciences education website went live on Sept. 28, athttp://www.nasa.gov/education/spacelife. Development of the website was a collaborative effort between NASA’s Teaching From Space project and Educational Technology Services.
Features focus on the human body in space, plants in space, space food and nutrition, space habitats and the potential for life beyond Earth. The website will serve as a single location for education content, resources, opportunities and updates on space life sciences.
Educators will find classroom materials, links to other NASA websites, announcements about life science research conducted in space, and information on opportunities for educators and students.

NASA’s Digital Learning Network
NASA’s Digital Learning Network will host several events at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., focused on the Mars Curiosity rover that recently landed on the Red Planet. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the mission from NASA experts. For a schedule of events, visit http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/dln/index.html.

Aerospace Education Services Webinars
NASA’s Aerospace Education Services Project, managed by Penn State University, will host a series of webinars through the NASA Educators Online Network, or NEON. During the month of October, educators and students will hear from experts on a variety of topics, including living and working on the International Space Station, the Kepler and DAWN missions, the solar system and robotics.
A complete webinar schedule is available at http://neon.psu.edu/webinars. The webinars are hosted athttps://meeting.psu.edu/neon.

NASA’s Teaching From Space Project
NASA’s Teaching From Space project is devoted to helping educators make STEM come alive for learners. A team of former classroom teachers offer experiences and resources intended to be unique and accessible and to provide real-life connections to the world of STEM. Students can get involved in real NASA missions and research, gain access to NASA experts, and use NASA equipment to take learning to a new level. Visithttp://www.nasa.gov/education/tfs for more information and a schedule of activities.
TFS will focus on World Space Week with its Amateur Radio on the International Space Station activities in the U.S. and several other countries, Oct. 5-13.
Assembling and using amateur radios, students from around the world can talk directly with crew members on the International Space Station for about 10 minutes and ask questions about life in space and other space-related topics as the station passes over their area.
On Oct. 13, a scheduled ARISS radio contact and presentation by NASA astronaut Dr. Lee M. Morin will highlight youth activities at the PACIFICON 2012 premiere wireless event during the American Radio Relay League Pacific Division Conference in Santa Clara, Calif.
International ARISS events will be held at schools in Turkey, Malaysia, Luxembourg and Italy. For general information and a complete schedule of ARISS activities, visit https://www.nasa.gov/education/tfs/ariss.

NASA’s INSPIRE Online Learning Community
At Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA’s Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Online Learning Community will hold a one-hour “LiveChat” for a group of high school students, Oct. 4. The online session will feature two newly-inducted NASA student ambassadors.
The ambassadors will discuss what influenced them to pursue an education in a STEM field of study, their college experiences and future goals, and answer questions.
NASA recently inducted 100 high-performing interns into the 2012 NASA Student Ambassadors Virtual Community. Their selection is part of NASA’s effort to engage undergraduate and graduate students in STEM research and interactive opportunities.
For information about INSPIRE activities, visit www.nasa.gov/education/INSPIRE.

Space Place Prime App
The agency also introduced “Space Place Prime,” a new application for iPads. The app updates daily with articles from the Space Place website and the best of NASA images and videos. Users can search the Apple App Store for this new application.
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Celebrate World Space Week
Join educators and space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2012. This international event commemorates the beginning of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957.
World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with celebrations in more than 50 nations. During World Space Week, teachers are encouraged to use space-themed activities. The theme for 2012, "Space for Human Safety and Security," has been chosen to celebrate the many ways in which mankind's activities in space improve our daily lives.
To find NASA educational resources that can be used during World Space Week, visit the Educational Materials Finder: http://search.nasa.gov/search/edFilterSearch.jsp?empty=true.
To learn more about World Space Week, search for events in your area and find educational materials related to the event, visit www.worldspaceweek.org.
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Celebrate World Space Week With Free Education Webinars From the Aerospace Education Services Project
The Aerospace Education Services Project is celebrating World Space Week with a series of free webinars taking place Oct. 4-9, 2012. All webinars can be accessed online. Join aerospace education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.
The Aerospace Education Services Project is celebrating World Space Week with a series of free webinars taking place Oct. 4-9, 2012. All webinars can be accessed online. Join aerospace education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

The International Space Station: Life in Space (Grades 4-12)
Oct. 4, 2012, 5 - 6 p.m. EDT
The International Space Station is a unique and exciting classroom in space. Join aerospace education specialist Steve Culivan as he shares inquiry activities and online resources for your classroom on Earth. NASA STEM resources, space food and nutrition, and Newton's Laws of Motion are just some of the topics integrated during the out of this world webinar.

Kepler Mission (Grades K-12)
Oct. 4, 2012, 6 - 7:30 p.m. EDT
Join aerospace education specialist Tony Leavitt as he discusses NASA's Kepler mission to find Earth-like planets. Participants will also learn about Kepler-related educational materials and how to use the activities with their students.

The Origins of the Solar System: The Dawn Mission (Grades 4-12)
Oct. 5, 2012, 1 - 2 p.m. EDT and 4 - 5 p.m.
Join aerospace education specialist Rachelle Oblack as she discusses the Dawn mission. Learn how this mission will characterize the early solar system and the processes that dominated its formation by studying asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres, celestial bodies believed to have accreted early in the history of the solar system.

Exploring Strange New Worlds (Grades K-12)
Oct. 8, 2012, 4 - 5 p.m. EDT
Most of our knowledge about the solar system and objects beyond our celestial neighborhood comes to us through remote sensing, fly-by, orbiter and robotic missions. Join aerospace education specialist Rick Varner as he discusses these information gathering techniques. Participants will be introduced to the "Strange New Worlds" classroom activity.

Solar System Resources (Grades 2-12)
Oct. 9, 2012, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. EDT
Join aerospace education specialists John Weis and Brandon Hargis for an overview of NASA resources available for teaching about the solar system. Resources will focus on hands-on activities and include topics such as scale, missions, moons and eclipses.
For more information about these webinars, and to see a full list of webinars taking place through December 2012, visit http://neon.psu.edu/webinars/.
Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Katie Hayden at Katie.S.Hayden@nasa.gov.
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NASA's Digital Learning Network Celebrates World Space Week Special Events Featuring Curiosity!
Join NASA's Digital Learning Network, or DLN, for a trio of special events to celebrate World Space Week (Oct. 4-10, 2012).
On Oct. 9, 2012, at 3:30 p.m. EDT and Oct. 10, 2012, at 6 p.m. EDT, the DLN presents opportunities for students to interact with experts at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. During these special live events, students can discuss the Curiosity mission to Mars with NASA experts who helped design the mission. Visit the DLN website to learn how your class can participate.
For more information and to watch the webcasts online, visit the DLN website at http://dln.nasa.gov.
Inquiries about these events should be directed to Caryn Long at caryn.long@nasa.gov.
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Electromagnetic Spectrum: Remote Sensing Ices on Mars Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute Web seminar on Oct. 4, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Learn how to use authentic NASA mission data to investigate the composition and distribution of ices in the high-latitude regions of Mars through analysis of visible light, infrared light and gamma rays. The seminar includes information about a unique student extension activity, where students access a free computer simulation illustrating how gamma rays are used to determine the chemical composition of Mars.
To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.
Email any questions about this opportunity to the NES Help Desk at NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.
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Free Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series
Curious about our nearest star, moon rocks, volcanoes and other wonders of the universe? Come to the Smithsonian's Stars, a series of 10 lectures by Smithsonian researchers who are exploring the sun, the moon, planets, stars, galaxies and the universe. These speakers will share behind-the-scenes details about how their research is done and technologies that advance new discoveries at the Smithsonian Institution.
Each lecture begins at 5:15 p.m. and is followed by a question-and-answer session. A Discovery Station activity will take place at 4 p.m. prior to each lecture. Stay after the lecture to visit the observatory, weather permitting.
Oct. 6, 2012 -- Three Decades of Telescopes for Observing the Sun
Thirty years ago, Smithsonian scientists and engineers began developing a new technique for coating mirrors to look at the sun. The resulting telescopes have driven three decades of new discoveries. Senior Project Engineer Peter Cheimets will discuss the telescopes that have made this golden age of solar observation possible and the breathtaking results. 
Oct. 20, 2012 -- Mercury: Oh Strange New World
Data from the MESSENGER spacecraft orbiting Mercury shows us just how wondrous and unique the smallest planet in our solar system is. Planetary Geophysicist Michelle Selvans will discuss the complexities that make Mercury so wonderfully unique. 

Nov. 3, 2012 -- Moon Rocks and How They Became Famous
In the late 1960s, Apollo astronauts collected rocks from the moon and brought them back to Earth. Scientists studied these rocks, curators put them on display in museums around the world and President Nixon gave them as gifts to foreign heads of state. Teasel Muir-Harmony will explore the wide-ranging roles that these rocks played. 

Nov. 17, 2012 -- The Dynamic Sun
The sun is even more dynamic, mysterious and beautiful than you probably imagine. Astrophysicist Mark Weber will explore this incredible star with observations from some of the most advanced telescopes. Learn what scientists have discovered and what they are only beginning to understand. 
Dec. 1, 2012 -- A Universe of Data
This century has seen stunning cosmic discoveries. The digital age has given everyone free access to space data; the trick is to turn that data into quantitative science and pictures that tell a story. Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell will use images from the Chandra Space Telescope to help explain how astronomers study space in the computer age. 
Dec. 15, 2012 -- The Mission of the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity
Since landing on Mars in early August 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover has returned an array of stunning data that is being used to evaluate whether Mars may have harbored habitable environments. Geologist John Grant will delve into the recent findings from Curiosity. 

Jan. 5, 2013 -- Trees in the City

Tree cover is an important element of the urban environment that plays an increasingly larger role in ecosystem processes. Geographer Andrew Johnston will discuss how satellite data is used to make reliable observations about urban tree cover variability, why it matters to urban residents and how these same data are used to map changes in tree cover.
Feb. 2, 2013 -- Volcano Breath
Join Global Volcanism Program Director Liz Cottrell for a lecture about volcanoes on a global scale. Learn how the gaseous contents of volcanoes propel their explosions and impact our climate. Hear the latest about volcanic gas research and explore the latest discoveries about how the deep Earth is recycling the air we breathe. 
Feb. 16, 2013 -- Venus: 50 Years After Mariner 2
Fifty years ago Mariner 2 flew past Venus, becoming the first space probe to explore another planet. But Venus, our nearest neighbor, still holds many mysteries. On Feb. 16, 2013, Geophysicist Bruce Campbell will discuss what is known about Venus, including how it differs from Earth, and how future explorers may provide crucial clues to understanding this hot, dry world. 
March 2, 2013 -- Robots and Humans Unite
The universe is far older and vaster than anyone imagined a century ago. To help scientists map the structure and evolution of the universe, a special instrument called a Hectospec was needed. A Hectospec uses the precision technology of optical fibers placed by delicate but very fast robots. Senior Physicist Dan Fabricant will discuss how the Hectospec was developed, how it works and how it is used by astronomers for scientific discovery. 


For more information about the Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series, visithttp://airandspace.si.edu/events/lectures/stars/index.cfm.
Questions about this lecture series should be directed to the visitor service line at 202-633-1000.
The Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series is made possible by a grant from NASA.
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Engineering Design Process: On the Moon Educator Guide Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar on Oct. 10, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. This seminar showcases two lessons from the “On the Moon” educator guide: “On Target” and “Feel the Heat.” Learn how to use the engineering design process to challenge students to solve problems related to exploring the moon. This session will fully prepare you to implement these activities in your classroom.
For more information and to register online, visit URLhttp://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar5.aspx.
To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.
Email any questions about this opportunity to the NASA Explorer Schools help desk at NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.
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Space Station Expedition Webcasts
NASA's Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate project and NASA's Teaching From Space office are presenting three free webcasts that focus on the International Space Station. All three webcasts will cover the same material. Each webcast will kick off with an introduction to space station expeditions and will then explore NASA's most relevant classroom resources.
Webcasts will take place on Oct. 11-12, 2012. Participants must register online. Registration closes three days prior to each session.
Questions about this opportunity should be directed to nasa_endeavor@us-satellite.net.
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Engineering Design: Forces and Motion -- The Great Boomerang Challenge Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a free 90-minute professional development Web seminar for educators on Oct. 11, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Learn how forces and motion are used in boomerang design to increase performance. During the session, participants will be introduced to the Boomerang Design Challenge and learn how to incorporate this activity into science classes. The seminar also includes information about two unique extensions. In the first, students access a free computer simulation illustrating the airflow around an airfoil to determine the correct flow equation, and a second extension uses an interactive simulation to determine the airflow around various shapes of airfoils.
To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.
Email any questions about this opportunity to the NES Help Desk at NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.
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Celebrate Earth Science Week 2012
Who are NASA's Earth Explorers and what does it take to become one of them?
Under the theme “Discovering Careers in the Earth Sciences,” this year’s Earth Science Week will focus on this very topic: the story of the Earth Explorers who contribute to our understanding of the planet. As a leader in Earth science research and applications, NASA plays a key role in this annual celebration. The American Geosciences Institute, or AGI, has organized this event since 1998.
During Oct. 14-20, 2012, students of all ages can connect to an incredible group of NASA Earth Explorers -- from scientists and engineers, to multimedia producers, educators and writers. Find out about their careers, why and how they study the planet and what their typical day is like. Blog posts, Google+ Hangouts and Twitter chats, as well as a webinar and radio interview in Spanish, are just some of the media activities that will allow explorers to tell their stories. You can directly participate by asking questions during the live events or by sending in questions beforehand.
The current schedule of Earth Science Week events includes:
-- Tuesday, Oct. 16, 1-2 p.m. EDT -- Twitter Chat with polar scientist Thorsten Markus
-- Tuesday, Oct. 16, 1-2 p.m. EDT -- Univisión Radio interview with scientists Erika Podest and Miguel Román (in         Spanish)
-- Wednesday, Oct. 17, 1-2 p.m. EDT -- Google+ Hangout with Operation IceBridge scientist Christy Hansen, on         location near Antarctica
-- Wednesday, Oct. 17, 4-5 p.m. EDT -- Webinar with Aquarius engineers (in Spanish)
-- Thursday, Oct. 18, noon-1 p.m. EDT -- Twitter chat with atmospheric research scientist Erica Alston
Coming soon:
-- TBA -- Reddit Interview with Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist


In addition, on Oct. 18, the many contributions of women at NASA to Earth science will be highlighted as part of Female Geoscientist’s Day. Together with the NASA Earth Science Week website, the Women@NASA blog will feature three remarkable Earth Explorers.
Visit the 2012 NASA Earth Science Week website (http://climate.nasa.gov/esw2012) for a collection of articles, event information, blog posts, videos and other educational resources in English and Spanish.
Questions and feedback about Earth Science Week should be submitted tohttp://climate.nasa.gov/feedback/index.cfm?ReferPg=ESW.
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New Education Website on Space Life Sciences
NASA is releasing a new education website centered on living organisms in the space environment. The Space Life Sciences Education website focuses on the human body in space, plants in space, space food and nutrition, space habitats, and the potential for life beyond Earth. The website serves as a single location for education content, resources, opportunities and updates. Visitors to the site will find classroom materials, links to NASA websites, announcements about life science research conducted in space, and information on opportunities for educators and students.
Visit the new website at www.nasa.gov/education/spacelife.
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Now Available Online: Smart Skies Training Videos
NASA's Smart Skies has brought its LineUp With Math™ professional development workshop to the Web in the form of a video workshop. Educators can now watch a series of eight topic-driven, on-demand training videos that introduce the product, show how to solve a problem on the air traffic control simulator and explain the math used to solve the problems. The videos are viewable on computers, tablets and smart phones and serve as a great resource for new teachers or educators wishing to conduct a Smart Skies workshop of their own.
The Smart Skies website features two mathematics products for grades 5-9. LineUp With MathTM taps into prealgebra skills to challenge students with distance-rate-time problems in a fun interactive air traffic control simulator interface. FlyBy MathTM uses hands-on activities that incorporate graphing as students solve distance-rate-time problems. Both activities are aligned with state education standards.
To download these free education materials, visit http://smartskies.nasa.gov/.
To view the training videos and learn how these lessons and activities can be used in the classroom, visithttp://smartskies.nasa.gov/trainer/videos.html.
Questions about Smart Skies should be directed to ARC-smartskies@mail.nasa.gov.

NASA Education Express -- Sept. 27, 2012
 Posted on Sep 27, 2012 12:30:41 PM | Mindi Capp
 0 Comments |  | Poor Fair Average Good Excellent
Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.
REGISTER NOW -- REGISTRATION CLOSES SEPT. 28 -- Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2012Audience: 9-12 Educators and Students
Registration Deadline: Sept. 28, 2012

Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services ProjectAudience: K-12 Educators
Event Dates: Various Dates During October 2012

Solar System Ambassadors Program Accepting ApplicationsAudience: All Educators
Application Deadline: Sept. 30, 2012

2012-2013 National Student Solar Spectrograph Competition
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students

Deadline to register and apply for build awards: Sept. 30, 2012

Engineering Design Challenge: Water Filtration Web SeminarAudience: Physics Teachers and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct. 2, 2012

Electromagnetic Spectrum: Remote Sensing Ices on Mars Web SeminarAudience: 8-12 and Informal Educators
Event Date: Oct. 4, 2012

Celebrate World Space Week
Audience: All Educators 

Event Date: Oct. 4-10, 2012

NASA's Digital Learning Network Celebrates World Space Week Special Events Featuring Curiosity!Audience: Grades 5-12
Event Dates: Oct. 4-10, 2012

Celebrate World Space Week With Free Education Webinars from the Aerospace Education Services ProjectAudience: K-12 Educators
Event Dates: Oct. 4-9, 2012

2013 Texas High School Aerospace Scholars
Audience: 9-12 Students
Application Deadline: Nov. 2, 2012

NASA Sponsors Odyssey of the Mind Long-Term Problem -- It's How You Look at ItAudience: All Educators and Students
Visit Website for Regional Competition Dates

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REGISTER NOW -- REGISTRATION CLOSES SEPT. 28 -- Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2012
NASA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology's, or MIT's, Space Systems Laboratory are proud to announce that the next Zero Robotics High School Tournament will take place this fall, offering high school students the opportunity to design experiments that will be tested in space.
Zero Robotics challenges high school student teams to write their own algorithms to fly the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites, or SPHERES. The competition starts online where teams compete to solve an annual challenge guided by mentors. Students can create, edit, share, save, simulate and submit code, all from a Web browser. After several phases of virtual competition, finalists are selected to compete in a live championship aboard the International Space Station!
Teams may register now:
1) Go to http://zerorobotics.mit.edu/.
2) Log In or Create an Account. (Note: You can start programming in the online integrated development environment at this point!)
3) Click "Tournaments" and register for the High School Tournament.
4) Create a team and invite other users.
5) Visit Resources to get started.
Registration closes on Sept. 28, 2012. Visit the site now to create an account and join the competition!
The Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2012 is brought to you by NASA and DARPA, and facilitated by the MIT Space Systems Laboratory, TopCoder and Aurora Flight Sciences.
To see a promotional video for the competition, visit http://www.youtube.com/roboticsinspace
Please email any questions about this opportunity to zerorobotics@mit.edu.

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Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services Project
The Aerospace Education Services Project is presenting a series of free webinars throughout October 2012. All webinars can be accessed online. Join aerospace education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

I'm Signed up for NEON -- Now What? (Grades K-12)
Sept. 29, 2012, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Anne Weiss will introduce participants to basic features of the NASA Educators Online Network, or NEON, professional/collaborative learning community. Participants will also learn how to use NEON to find appropriate NASA standards-aligned activities that satisfy state-specific teaching standards.

Applying the Engineering Process to STEM (Grades K-12)
Oct. 2, 2012, 5 - 6 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist John Weis will discuss the uses of the Engineering Design Process as a method of problem solving in subject areas other than engineering.

Engineering Is Elementary (Grades 3-8)
Oct. 3, 2012, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Brandon Hargis will discuss ways to incorporate the engineering design process using NASA-developed engineering design challenges for students in grades 3-8. These challenges will engage students' creativity, foster their curiosity, and encourage their interest in space.

Solar System and the Periodic Table (Grades 3-8)
Oct. 17, 2012, 5 - 6 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Sandy Kaszynski will lead this standards-based webinar that teaches participants basic principles of what the periodic table represents, using the solar system as an exciting basis for understanding. This is an introductory lesson with a concluding game.

Investigating the Climate System (Grades 5-12)
Oct. 24, 2012, 4 - 5 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist John Weis will introduce participants to the five problem-based learning educator guides in the NASA Investigating the Climate System series. Topics addressed will include wind, precipitation, energy, clouds and extreme weather. This webinar is part of the Department of Education Green Strides webinar series.

Robotics on a Budget (Grades 5-12)
Oct. 30, 2012, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Steve Culivan will explore how to use robotics to enhance your students' understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. Participants will also learn about NASA STEM robotics missions, curriculum and activities that are available.


For more information about these webinars, and to see a full list of webinars taking place through December 2012, visit http://neon.psu.edu/webinars/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to 
Katie Hayden atKatie.S.Hayden@nasa.gov.


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Solar System Ambassadors Program Accepting Applications
The NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Ambassadors, or SSA, Program, a nationwide network of space enthusiast volunteers, is accepting applications through Sept. 30, 2012.

Highly motivated individuals will be given the opportunity to represent NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory as volunteer Solar System Ambassadors to the public for a one-year, renewable term beginning Jan. 1, 2013.

While applications are being sought nationwide, interested parties from the following states are especially encouraged to apply: Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and southern Arizona (near Tucson). Successful applicants from southern Arizona will also have the opportunity to support the University of Arizona locally as OSIRIS-REx Ambassadors. The Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer, also known as OSIRIS-Rex, is a NASA planetary science mission that will send a spacecraft to an asteroid in 2016.

To learn more about the Solar System Ambassador Program and to apply online, visit
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/.

If you have questions about this opportunity, contact Kay Ferrari, SSA Coordinator, by email at
ambassad@jpl.nasa.gov.

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2012-2013 National Student Solar Spectrograph Competition

The National Student Solar Spectrograph Competition is the Montana Space Grant Consortium’s Education Program for NASA’s Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, mission. IRIS will use spectrography and imaging in ultraviolet wavelengths to reveal the dynamics of the sun’s chromospheres and transition region. 
This yearly competition is open to undergraduate interdisciplinary teams from colleges and universities across the U.S. Teams are challenged to design and build a working ground-based solar spectrograph and demonstrate the capabilities of the spectrograph as defined by their science goal. Typical teams have three to six students and must have a faculty advisor. 
Both substantial scholarship prizes and travel prizes will be given in four categories: best design, best build, best science observations and best presentation of results. Teams may apply for funding of $2,000 per team for project materials. Priority for build funds will be given to minority-serving institutions, community colleges and institutions with less aerospace activity. 
Applications for build awards and registrations are due on Sept. 30, 2012.
The competition will be held in Bozeman, Mont., in May 2013.
For more information and to register online, visithttp://www.spacegrant.montana.edu/IRIS/index.html.
Please email any questions about this competition to Randy Larimer atrlarimer@ece.montana.edu.

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Engineering Design Challenge: Water Filtration Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences for educators, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar for educators on Oct. 2, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. EDT.

Earth recycles water naturally. Water is also recycled in processing plants and in the Water Recycling Assembly on the International Space Station. During this seminar, participants will receive background information about the principles that apply to all three systems, and then see how to incorporate the information into an exciting hands-on, inquiry-based challenge requiring students to solve a problem in the best way they can create.

For more information and to register online, visithttp://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar3.aspx.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about this opportunity to NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.


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Electromagnetic Spectrum: Remote Sensing Ices on Mars Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute Web seminar on Oct. 4, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Learn how to use authentic NASA mission data to investigate the composition and distribution of ices in the high-latitude regions of Mars through analysis of visible light, infrared light and gamma rays. The seminar includes information about a unique student extension activity, where students access a free computer simulation illustrating how gamma rays are used to determine the chemical composition of Mars.

For more information and to register online, visit
http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar4.aspx.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about this opportunity to the NES Help Desk at
 NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.

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Celebrate World Space Week
Join educators and space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2012. This international event commemorates the beginning of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957.
World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with celebrations in more than 50 nations. During World Space Week, teachers are encouraged to use space-themed activities. The theme for 2012, "Space for Human Safety and Security," has been chosen to celebrate the many ways in which mankind's activities in space improve our daily lives.
To find NASA educational resources that can be used during World Space Week, visit the Educational Materials Finder: http://search.nasa.gov/search/edFilterSearch.jsp?empty=true
To learn more about World Space Week, search for events in your area and find educational materials related to the event, visit www.worldspaceweek.org.

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NASA's Digital Learning Network Celebrates World Space Week Special Events Featuring Curiosity!
Join NASA's Digital Learning Network, or DLN, for a trio of special events to celebrate World Space Week (Oct. 4-10, 2012).

On Oct. 4, 2012, at 12:30 p.m. EDT, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland are teaming up to celebrate the landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars! This live event will explore NASA's latest rover on the Red Planet, and students will learn from NASA experts about how both centers contributed to the mission.

On Oct. 9, 2012, at 3:30 p.m. EDT and Oct. 10, 2012, at 6 p.m. EDT, the DLN presents opportunities for students to interact with experts at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. During these special live events, students can discuss the Curiosity mission to Mars with NASA experts who helped design the mission. Visit the DLN website to learn how your class can participate.

For more information and to watch the webcasts online, visit the DLN website athttp://dln.nasa.gov.

Inquiries about these events should be directed to Caryn Long at caryn.long@nasa.gov.

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Celebrate World Space Week With Free Education Webinars from the Aerospace Education Services Project
The Aerospace Education Services Project is celebrating World Space Week with a series of free webinars taking place Oct. 4-9, 2012. All webinars can be accessed online. Join aerospace education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

Kepler Mission (Grades K-12)
Oct. 4, 2012, 6 - 7:30 p.m. EDT
Join aerospace education specialist Tony Leavitt as he discusses NASA's Kepler mission to find Earth-like planets. Participants will also learn about Kepler-related educational materials and how to use the activities with their students.

The International Space Station: Life in Space (Grades 4-12)
Oct. 4, 2012, 5 - 6 p.m. EDT
The International Space Station is a unique and exciting classroom in space. Join aerospace education specialist Steve Culivan as he shares inquiry activities and online resources for your classroom on Earth. NASA STEM resources, space food and nutrition, and Newton's Laws of Motion are just some of the topics integrated during the out of this world webinar.

The Origins of the Solar System: The Dawn Mission (Grades 4-12)
Oct. 5, 2012, 1 - 2 p.m. EDT and 4 - 5 p.m.
Join aerospace education specialist Rachelle Oblack as she discusses the Dawn mission. Learn how this mission will characterize the early solar system and the processes that dominated its formation by studying asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres, celestial bodies believed to have accreted early in the history of the solar system.

Exploring Strange New Worlds (Grades K-12)
Oct. 8, 2012, 4 - 5 p.m. EDT
Most of our knowledge about the solar system and objects beyond our celestial neighborhood comes to us through remote sensing, fly-by, orbiter and robotic missions. Join aerospace education specialist Rick Varner as he discusses these information gathering techniques. Participants will be introduced to the "Strange New Worlds" classroom activity.

Solar System Resources (Grades 2-12)
Oct. 9, 2012, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. EDT
Join aerospace education specialists John Weis and Brandon Hargis for an overview of NASA resources available for teaching about the solar system. Resources will focus on hands-on activities and include topics such as scale, missions, moons and eclipses.


For more information about these webinars, and to see a full list of webinars taking place through December 2012, visit http://neon.psu.edu/webinars/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to 
Katie Hayden atKatie.S.Hayden@nasa.gov

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2013 Texas High School Aerospace Scholars

The Texas High School Aerospace Scholars project is an interactive, online learning experience. It is highlighted by a six-day internship where selected students are encouraged to study mathematics, science, engineering or computer science by interacting with engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Texas High School Aerospace Scholars project is open to high school juniors throughout Texas. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have access to the Internet.

The application deadline is Nov. 2, 2012.

For additional information on the project and to apply online, visithttp://has.aerospacescholars.org/.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to jsc-aeroscho@mail.nasa.gov.

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NASA Sponsors Odyssey of the Mind Long-Term Problem -- It's How You Look at It
NASA is sponsoring the Odyssey of the Mind Long-Term Problem -- It's How You Look at It.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that offers creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Participants apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretations of literary classics. The teams then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state and international levels.

This year’s NASA-sponsored problem requires teams to create and present an original humorous performance that includes two characters that act naturally -- to them -- but odd to those around them. One scene will establish the "normal" behavior of one character that, at some point in the performance, finds itself among others who react to the out-of-place behavior. The other character's behavior will stand out too, but this character will end up in a setting where its odd behavior is considered normal. The performance will also include a meter that indicates the degree of odd/normal behavior and a creative scene change.

For more information and to find dates for regional competitions, visit
http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email 
info@odysseyofthemind.com.

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Don't miss out on education-related opportunities available from NASA. For a full list of Current Opportunities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html.

Visit NASA Education on the Web:
For Educators: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: http://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

NASA Education Express -- Sept. 20, 2012
 Posted on Sep 20, 2012 12:50:37 PM | Mindi Capp
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Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.
Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services ProjectAudience: K-12 Educators
Event Dates: Various Dates During September 2012

"Curiosity Has Landed in Your Classroom" Educator ConferenceAudience: K-12 and Informal Educators
Registration Deadline: Sept. 21, 2012
Conference Date: Sept. 29, 2012

Live Video Chat: 
Life as an Astronaut
Audience: Grades 4-12
Event Date: Sept. 25, 2012, 1-1:45 p.m. EDT

2012 Gregory G. Leptoukh Online Giovanni Workshop 
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Workshop Dates: Sept. 25-28, 2012

Solar System Ambassadors Program Accepting ApplicationsAudience: All Educators
Application Deadline: Sept. 30, 2012

2012-2013 National Student Solar Spectrograph Competition
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Deadline to register and apply for build awards: Sept. 30, 2012

2013 RASC-AL CompetitionAudience: Higher Education Students
Deadline: Jan. 19, 2013

New DIY Podcast Module Available -- Failure Prevention
Audience: 5-12 Educators and Students

New NASA iPad Magazine "Space Place Prime" Now AvailableAudience: Educators of Grades 3-14
Have a Blast Learning About the Moon With New Selene Video Game
Audience: All Educators and Grade 5-Higher Education Students

Discovery Dome Loaner ProgramAudience: Informal Educators and Museum Curators

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Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services Project
The Aerospace Education Services Project is presenting a series of free webinars throughout September 2012. All webinars can be accessed online. Join aerospace education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

Putting NEON to Work for You (Grades K-12)
Sept. 20, 2012, 5 - 6 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Anne Weiss explains how to use the NASA Educators Online Network, or NEON’s, most important feature: the interest groups. Participants will role-play several scenarios to find out how NEON's various tools can be used to find NASA activities that align to state-specific standards.

Are Microbes Alive? (Grades 5-12)
Sept. 25, 2012, 4 - 5 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Susan Kohler will discuss how scientists define life and what characteristics are common to living things. This webinar will focus on a problem- based learning activity that connects the concept of requirements for life and serves as a bridge to activities in which participants speculate on the possibilities of life (possibly microbial life) on other planets in our solar system.

Are Microbes Alive? (Grades 5-12)
Sept. 25, 2012, 7 - 8 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Susan Kohler will discuss how scientists define life and what characteristics are common to living things. This webinar will focus on a problem- based learning activity that connects the concept of requirements for life and serves as a bridge to activities in which participants speculate on the possibilities of life (possibly microbial life) on other planets in our solar system.

Mission to Planet Earth: Remote Sensing (Grades 2-8)
Sept. 26, 2012, 4 - 5 p.m. EDT
The world around us is constantly changing. Sometimes these changes happen suddenly and are easily observed. In many cases, changes in the Earth are not easily seen, yet are readily apparent in comparisons made over time. Join aerospace education specialist Rick Varner for this session designed to help teachers and students appreciate these changes and study the impacts of Earth's natural systems and how humans affect their environment.

I'm Signed up for NEON -- Now What? (Grades K-12)
Sept. 29, 2012, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. EDT
Aerospace education specialist Anne Weiss will introduce participants to basic features of the NASA Educators Online Network, or NEON, professional/collaborative learning community. Participants will also learn how to use NEON to find appropriate NASA standards-aligned activities that satisfy state-specific teaching standards.


For more information about these webinars, and to see a full list of webinars taking place through December 2012, visit http://neon.psu.edu/webinars/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to 
Katie Hayden atKatie.S.Hayden@nasa.gov.


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"Curiosity Has Landed in Your Classroom" Educator Conference
Learn how to bring STEM concepts from NASA's newest Mars rover, Curiosity, into your classroom during a free educator conference at Arizona State University! Special presenters from NASA’s Mars team will share the latest news and discoveries from the Red Planet, and education specialists will showcase hands-on activities to help educators extend their students' science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, learning.

A certificate for 6.5 professional development clock hours will be given for this conference. Conference participants will receive lesson plans, NASA materials and resources.

The conference will take place on Sept. 29, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The deadline to register is Sept. 21, 2012.

For more information and to register, visit http://marsed.asu.edu/curiosityhaslanded

Questions about this conference should be directed to marsed@mars.asu.edu.

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Live Video Chat: Life as an Astronaut

NASA Explorer Schools is offering students in grades 4-12 an opportunity to ask questions of Bob Cabana, astronaut and Director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Join the video chat onSept. 25, 2012, from 1-1:45 p.m. EDT to ask Cabana questions about his education, astronaut training, living and working in space and the future of space exploration.

Students do not need to be in a school participating in the NASA Explorer Schools project in order to ask questions during this video chat.

Submit questions during the chat through a chat window, or send them to NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.

To learn more about NES, visit the explorerschools.nasa.gov website.

For more information and to view the video chat, visithttp://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/nes2/home/cabana-chat.html.

If you have any questions about the video chat, contact NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.


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2012 Gregory G. Leptoukh Online Giovanni Workshop 

Join the NASA Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Services Center for the 2012 Gregory G. Leptoukh Online Giovanni Workshop taking place Sept. 25-28, 2012. This workshop will focus on the use of the pioneering data visualization and analysis tool, Giovanni. The online workshop will be organized around four main themes: Earth system research utilizing Giovanni; Giovanni applications (air quality, disaster management, environmental monitoring, etc.); planned and desired augmentation of Giovanni; and educational use of Giovanni.

The workshop will primarily consist of online author-led presentations coupled with real-time discussions about these presentations. Presentations and chat logs will be available online for review for those unable to participate in live sessions.

To learn more, visithttp://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/giovanni/additional/newsletters/gregory_leptoukh_2012_online_giovanni_workshop.

Questions about this workshop should be directed to Dr. James G. Acker atJames.G.Acker@nasa.gov.


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Solar System Ambassadors Program Accepting Applications
The NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Ambassadors, or SSA, Program, a nationwide network of space enthusiast volunteers, is accepting applications through Sept. 30, 2012.

Highly motivated individuals will be given the opportunity to represent NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory as volunteer Solar System Ambassadors to the public for a one-year, renewable term beginning Jan. 1, 2013.

While applications are being sought nationwide, interested parties from the following states are especially encouraged to apply: Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and southern Arizona (near Tucson). Successful applicants from southern Arizona will also have the opportunity to support the University of Arizona locally as OSIRIS-REx Ambassadors. The Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer, also known as OSIRIS-Rex, is a NASA planetary science mission that will send a spacecraft to an asteroid in 2016.

To learn more about the Solar System Ambassador Program and to apply online, visithttp://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/.

If you have questions about this opportunity, contact Kay Ferrari, SSA Coordinator, by email atambassad@jpl.nasa.gov.


________________________________________________________________

2012-2013 National Student Solar Spectrograph Competition

The National Student Solar Spectrograph Competition is the Montana Space Grant Consortium’s Education Program for NASA’s Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, mission. IRIS will use spectrography and imaging in ultraviolet wavelengths to reveal the dynamics of the sun’s chromospheres and transition region.

This yearly competition is open to undergraduate interdisciplinary teams from colleges and universities across the U.S. Teams are challenged to design and build a working ground-based solar spectrograph and demonstrate the capabilities of the spectrograph as defined by their science goal. Typical teams have three to six students and must have a faculty advisor.

Both substantial scholarship prizes and travel prizes will be given in four categories: best design, best build, best science observations and best presentation of results. Teams may apply for funding of $2,000 per team for project materials. Priority for build funds will be given to minority-serving institutions, community colleges and institutions with less aerospace activity.

Applications for build awards and registrations are due on Sept. 30, 2012.

The competition will be held in Bozeman, Mont., in May 2013.

For more information and to register online, visithttp://www.spacegrant.montana.edu/IRIS/index.html.

Please email any questions about this competition to Randy Larimer atrlarimer@ece.montana.edu.


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2013 RASC-AL Competition
NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2013 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage, or RASC-AL, Competition. RASC-AL is a design project competition aimed at university-level engineering students.

The RASC-AL contest challenges participants to design projects based on real NASA projects. Participants can choose from three different themes. Concepts derived from the design projects potentially could be implemented by NASA.

Interested teams are encouraged to submit a notice of intent by Nov 9, 2012, and teams must submit an abstract for their proposed project by Jan. 19, 2013. The RASC-AL Steering Committee of NASA and industry experts will evaluate the proposals and select as many as 10undergraduate and five graduate teams to compete against each other at a forum in June 2013 in Florida.

The RASC-AL competition is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering or science at an accredited university. University design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a university affiliation and two or more undergraduate or graduate students. A group of universities may also work in collaboration on a design project entry. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

For more information about this competition, visit http://www.nianet.org/rascal/index.html.

If you have questions about this competition, please contact Shelley Spears atShelley.Spears@nianet.org or Stacy Dees at stacy.dees@nianet.org.

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New DIY Podcast Module Available -- Failure Prevention

For every NASA mission, the goal is success. If a vehicle, hardware or system fails, it can cost time, equipment, money or even lives. NASA’s Do-It-Yourself Podcast’s newest module is "Failure Prevention." In this module, you will find background information on how failure plays a role in the engineering design process. Audio and video clips contain interviews with NASA specialists who analyze failure, as well as clips of vehicle and system tests that have both failed and succeeded.

Visit NASA’s DIY Podcast site today to introduce your students to this topic. Integrate technology into your lessons by asking your students to make a podcast. Students may use the information in the overview as a starting point, then develop a script for their podcasts as they add audio and video clips to support their topics.

Come on! Integrate to educate: your students will love it! And what’s more, there are teaching tips and hints on the DIY Podcast blog.

NASA’s DIY Podcast: Failure Prevention
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/diypodcast/failure-prevention-index-diy.html

NASA’s DIY Podcast Blog http://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/newui/blog/viewpostlist.jsp?blogname=diyPodcastBlog

If you have questions or comments about NASA’s DIY Podcast, please emaileducationpodcast@nasa.gov.


________________________________________________________________

New NASA iPad Magazine "Space Place Prime" Now Available
Announcing "Space Place Prime," the new NASA magazine for iPad. This brand new app gathers some of the best and most recent Web offerings from NASA. It taps engrossing articles from The Space Place website, enlightening NASA videos and daily images such as the Astronomy Picture of the Day and the NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day.

“Space Place Prime” targets a multigenerational audience. Kids, teachers, parents, space enthusiasts and everyone in between will find fascinating features on this new, free NASA app.

For more information about the new magazine, visit http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ios/.

iPad is a registered trademarks of Apple Inc.


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Have a Blast Learning About the Moon With New Selene Video Game

Use your computer to journey back some 4.5 billion years, and prepare to blast away -- you’re going to make a moon just like Earth's. All you need to do is to register to play the award-winning "Selene" online video game from the Center for Educational Technologies, or CET. CET is the home of NASA-sponsored Classroom of the Future at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W.Va.

In "Selene: A Lunar Construction Game," you and your students learn about basic geological processes on Earth and in the solar system while helping educational researchers study how and when people learn through educational video games.

Funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation, "Selene" has won numerous awards, and research has shown that the game aids learning. But we need players. To register your students, email selene@cet.edu with your contact info and times when you would be available for a short 30-minute orientation.

New for the 2012-2013 school year is a Spanish-language version of the game. The game is open to ages 9 and up and can be played anytime, anyplace. To learn more about "Selene," read testimonials about it or see how it aligns with national and state science standards. Visit the "Selene" website at http://selene.cet.edu.

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Discovery Dome Loaner Program
Thanks to NASA support from the Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums, museums, science centers, Challenger centers and other 501(c)(3) community organizations are eligible for a free Discovery Dome loaner program.

The Discovery Dome is available for monthlong loans. The dome includes the show "We Choose Space," but will also include other NASA-sponsored planetarium shows. Stellarium star software and WorldWide Telescope galactic exploration software will also be included. In addition, a free immersive game "Monster Trucks on the Moon" is included. This game allows participants to test their driving skills by navigating a truck on the moon without turning it over or spilling its cargo.

To watch the "We Choose Space" show for free, to download educational resources, and to order the show on DVD, visit 
http://www.spaceupdate.com/?shows/ddome/we_choose_space/we_choose_space.html.

To watch all of the planetarium shows, visit 
http://tinyurl.com/domeshows.

In order to receive a loaner Discovery Dome, your organization must:

-- commit to sending someone to Houston, Texas, or Washington, D.C., for training (or pay travel expenses for a trainer to come to your site).
-- pay for one-way return shipping of the system to Houston (or to its next location).
-- have insurance or guarantee for any loss or damage. If the mirror is damaged during use, the cost will vary from $100 (minor scratch) to $1,000 (replacement). Total financial commitment is approximately $2,000 or less.
-- commit for a person to operate the dome, at least part time. Venues are allowed to sell tickets or otherwise charge (especially if offsite travel is involved), but to maximize usage it is requested that fees are kept to a minimum.

Organizations that are accepted must keep usage statistics for NASA metrics and fill out an evaluation form.

Preference will be given to rural sites, sites more than 100 miles from a digital planetarium and sites serving minority groups.

Interested organizations should fill out the online application form at
https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=BvNwE2deC-oenx7oKwe3wQ.
Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Patricia H. Reiff at reiff@rice.edu or 713-348-4634.

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Don't miss out on education-related opportunities available from NASA. For a full list of Current Opportunities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html

Visit NASA Education on the Web:
 
For Educators: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html 
For Students: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html 
NASA Kids’ Club: http://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub 

DATE CHANGE: NASA's Digital Learning Network Presents Space Shuttle Endeavour 'Fly-Out' Celebration
 Posted on Sep 18, 2012 12:44:48 PM | Mindi Capp
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NASA's Digital Learning Network Presents Space Shuttle Endeavour "Fly-Out" Celebration
Audience: Grades 4-12
Event Date: Sept. 19, 2012, 1 - 2 p.m. EDT

NASA's Digital Learning Network, or DLN, is hosting a special event on Sept. 19, 2012, at 1 p.m. EDT to commemorate the departure of space shuttle Endeavour. Join DLN hosts Rachel Power and Joshua Santora live at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as space shuttle Endeavour continues her journey on the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified 747, to its final destination at the California Science Center in the heart of Los Angeles.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour "Fly-Out" Celebration will include special guests that have worked on the space shuttle over the years both on land and in space. Also, the DLN team from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, located in Pasadena, Calif., will be giving a preview of what awaits Endeavour on the West Coast.

For more information and to watch the webcast online, visit the DLN website athttp://dln.nasa.gov.

Do you have a question you would like to see answered live during the webcast? Send questions to dlinfochannel@gmail.com.

Inquiries about this webcast should be directed to Joshua Santora atJoshua.Santora@nasa.gov.

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