Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below. NES Web Seminar -- Weather and Climate: Satellite Meteorology Audience: 6-8 and Informal Educators Event Date: April 10, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. EDT Take the Plunge: LADEE Impact Challenge Audience: All Educators and Students Entry Deadline: 3 p.m. PDT (6 p.m. EDT) on April 11, 2014 2014 International Space Apps Challenge Audience: All Educators and 9-Higher Education Students Event Dates: April 12-13, 2014 Free Education Webinar Series from NASA Educator Professional Development Audience: K-12 and Informal Educators Next Webinar Date: April 14, 2014, at 5:30 p.m. EDT NES Web Seminar -- Human Body: Space Adaptations Audience: 4-8 and Informal Educators Event Date: April 15, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. EDT The Scale of Discovery Educator Workshops Audience: All Educators Registration Deadline: April 15, 2014 Workshop Date: April 26, 2014 NASA Mars Educator Symposium -- The Search for Habitable Environments: Finding Curiosity in Your Classroom Audience: All Educators Application Deadline: April 15, 2014 Symposium Dates: June 16-20, 2014 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Audience: All Educators and Students Nomination Deadline: April 15, 2014 Virginia Space Grant Consortiums 2014-2016 Integrative STEM for Preservice Teachers Program Audience: Preservice Educators in Virginia Application Deadline Extended: April 15, 2014 Ask NICE Online Professional Development Series Audience: K-12 Educators Next Event Date: April 17, 2014, at 4 p.m. EDT NES Web Seminar -- Engineering Design Challenge: Thermal Protection System Audience: 6-8 and Informal Educators Event Date: April 17, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. EDT Spring 2014 Cassini Scientist for a Day Essay Contest Audience: 5-12 Students Entry Deadline: April 17, 2014 Free Program -- Cubes in SpaceTM Audience: Middle School Educators and Students Registration Deadline: April 18, 2014 2014-15 NASA LEARN Opportunity Audience: 6-12 Educators Application Deadline: April 21, 2014 NASAs Digital Learning Network Event -- Climate Change Effects Audience: All Educators and Students Event Date: April 22, 2014, Noon - 1:15 p.m. EDT NASAs Digital Learning Network™ Event -- Mission Mars Virtual Field Trip Audience: All Educators and Students Event Date: Friday, April 25, 2014, 2 - 3 p.m. EDT 2015 eXploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students Proposal Due Date: April 30, 2014 RockOn 2014 University Rocket Science Workshop Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students Registration Deadline: May 2, 2014 Workshop Dates: June 14-19, 2014 Center for Astronomy Education Teaching Excellence Workshops Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students Event Dates: Multiple Dates May - September 2014 2014 Thacher Environmental Research Contest Audience: 9-12 Students Entry Deadline: May 5, 2014 Kepler Art of Discovery Art Contest Audience: Artists ages 13 and older Entry Deadline: May 5, 2014 Solar System Exploration Pre-Service Teacher Institute Audience: Future Middle School Science Teachers and Mentoring Educators Workshop Dates: May 13-17 or June 23-27, 2014 2014 IGES Earth Day Photo and Essay Contest Audience: Students in Grades 5-8 Entry Deadline: May 16, 2014 Lunar and Planetary Institute Workshop: Mars Through Time Audience: 9-12 Educators and Pre-service Teachers Application Deadline: May 16, 2014 Workshop Dates: July 8-11, 2014 Dont miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities. For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educator and Student Current Opportunity pages on NASAs website: -- Educators nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html -- Students nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/current-opps-index.html ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NES Web Seminar -- Weather and Climate: Satellite Meteorology 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 professional development Web seminar for educators on April 10, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Participants will learn to use the data from NASAs research satellite program in their meteorology lessons. This Web seminar features Monitoring the Global Environment, one of eight modules within the satellite meteorology course. The activities within this module incorporate the use of authentic data acquired by NASAs Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites and Polar Operational Environmental Satellites. Attendees will learn how to locate and download satellite data then use the data to create graphs. The featured activity provides opportunities for incorporating national science, technology and mathematics learning standards into the curricula and addresses the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards for grade 8. This is the last time this Web seminar will be offered during the current school year. For more information and to register online, visit learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES4/webseminar31.aspx. To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit explorerschools.nasa.gov. Email any questions about this opportunity to the NES Help Desk at [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Take the Plunge: LADEE Impact Challenge NASAs Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, or LADEE, spacecraft is gradually lowering its orbital altitude over the moon as it continues to make important science observations. LADEE mission managers expect the spacecraft will impact the moons surface on or before April 21, 2014. When do you think it will take the plunge? Anyone is eligible to enter the Take the Plunge: LADEE Impact Challenge. Winners will be announced after impact and will be emailed a commemorative, personalized certificate from the LADEE program. Entries are due by 3 p.m. PDT on April 11, 2014. Only one submission per person is allowed. For complete challenge rules and information about how to enter, visit nasa.gov/content/take-the-plunge-ladee-impact-challenge. Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Rachel Hoover at [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2014 International Space Apps Challenge NASA and space agencies around the world are preparing for the third annual International Space Apps Challenge, which will be held April 12-13, 2014. Participants will develop mobile applications, software, hardware, data visualization and platform solutions that could contribute to space exploration missions and help improve life on Earth. The two-day challenge will be a codeathon event locally hosted at almost 100 locations spanning six continents. More than 200 data sources, including data sets, data services and tools will be made available. This event will bring tech-savvy citizens, scientists, entrepreneurs, educators and students together to help solve challenges relevant to both space exploration and social needs. This year, more than 40 new challenges will represent NASA mission priorities and be organized in five themes: Earth Watch, Technology in Space, Human Spaceflight, Robotics and Asteroids. About half of the challenges are in the Earth Watch theme, which supports NASAs focus on Earth science in 2014. Registration for citizen participation is now open. To learn more about the International Space Apps Challenge, get the latest updates and register to attend an event, visit spaceappschallenge.org/. If you have questions about the challenge, please visit spaceappschallenge.org/about/contact/. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Free Education Webinar Series from NASA Educator Professional Development NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom. Newtons Laws and NASA Audience: Pre-service and in-service educators of grades K-12 Event Date: April 14, 2014, at 5:30 p.m. EDT During this 90-minute webinar, participants will be introduced to NASA resources and activities for teaching students about friction and Newtons laws of motion. Webshop Facilitator Training Audience: Pre-service and in-service educators of grades K-12 Event Date: April 16, 2014, at 2 p.m. EDT Attend this 90-minute webinar and learn how to be a webshop facilitator. Whispers From Space: The Deep Space Network Audience: Pre-service and in-service educators of grades K-12 Event Date: April 16, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. EDT Attend this 90-minute webinar celebrating the 50th anniversary of NASAs Deep Space Network. The Engineering Evolution: Argument From Evidence Audience: Pre-service and in-service educators of grades K-12 Event Date: April 17, 2014, at 4:30 p.m. EDT Attend this 60-minute webinar and learn how NASA uses evidence to engage in productive argument to advance society. For more information about these webinars and to register online, visit https://paragon-tec.adobeconnect/admin/show-event-catalog. Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to John Entwistle at [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NES Web Seminar -- Human Body: Space Adaptations 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 Web seminar on April 15, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Space is a harsh environment. When an astronaut goes into space, his or her body immediately begins to change, causing the astronaut to feel and even look slightly different. Learn more about the effects of microgravity on astronauts. During this seminar, participants will be guided through three student activities, which provide a first-hand look at the effects of reduced gravity on bones, the fluid shifts in the body and the amount of oxygen needed to survive. The activities provide opportunities for incorporating national science, technology and mathematics learning standards into the curricula as well as address Next Generation Science Standards. This is the last time this Web seminar will be offered during the current school year. For more information and to register online, visit learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES4/webseminar21.aspx. To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit explorerschools.nasa.gov. Email any questions about this opportunity to the NASA Explorer Schools help desk at [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Scale of Discovery Educator Workshops You want to go where? What does to take to make a NASA mission happen, and who are the people that drive these tremendous projects? In Discovery and New Frontiers Program’s fourth annual multisite professional development workshop, we delve into issues of scale -- distance, time, size, models, comparative planetology and more. We learn the stories behind amazing NASA missions, from conception to science results, and how talented team members collaborate to meet the challenges of complex missions successfully. The Scale of Discovery workshop will take place on April 26, 2014, in four locations. -- NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. -- NASAs Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas -- Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont. -- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md. Two interactive panels of scientists and engineers will represent all of the current Discovery and New Frontiers missions. All sites offer hands-on activities and resources for K-12 and out-of-school-time educators. The cost of the workshop is $25. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Registration closes on April 15, 2014. For more information, visit dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/discovery/scale_of_discovery.asp. Please email any questions about this opportunity to Mary Cullen at [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NASA Mars Educator Symposium -- The Search for Habitable Environments: Finding Curiosity in Your Classroom How do scientists search for habitable environments beyond Earth? What makes an environment habitable? Are the criteria for life the same or different beyond Earth? The science of astrobiology is at the forefront addressing these types of challenging questions, including where can life exist? Currently, NASAs Curiosity Rover is exploring Gale Crater on Mars to investigate a site that has a very interesting history that could include habitability! Join the Mars Rover scientists as they lead a five-day interdisciplinary, immersive educator field experience to explore areas on Earth similar to environments on Mars. Help expand your students understanding of how biology, geology and chemistry are essential to this fascinating search for life elsewhere. The symposium will take place June 16-20, 2014, at the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Ariz. Participants will be responsible for transportation to and from Arizona State University, lodging and meals. Transportation between campus and the field trip sites will be provided. Some hiking will be required to participate in this field experience. Participants will receive a certificate with a minimum of 45 professional development hours. Space is limited to 30 participants. Applications are due April 15, 2014. For more information, visit marsed.asu.edu/curiositysymposium-ft2014. Questions about the symposium should be directed to Sheri Klug Boonstra at [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching The National Science Foundation is currently accepting nominations and applications for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, or PAEMST, program. PAEMST is the highest recognition that a K-12 mathematics or science (including computer science) teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Since 1983, more than 4,200 teachers have been recognized for their contributions to mathematics and science education. Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education. Up to 108 awardees may be recognized each year. Presidential awardees receive a certificate signed by the president of the United States, a trip for two to Washington, D.C., to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities, and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on the behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The PAEMST program is open to outstanding mathematics and science teachers in the 50 states and the four U.S. jurisdictions (Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Department of Defense education activity schools and the U.S. territories as a group). Anyone -- principals, teachers, parents, students or members of the public -- may nominate a teacher by completing the nomination form available on the PAEMST website. Teachers may also apply directly. Nominations for elementary school teachers (grades K-6) are due April 15, 2014. Secondary school teachers (grades 7-12) are eligible to apply in 2015. For more information, visit paemst.org/. Please email any questions about this opportunity to [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Virginia Space Grant Consortiums 2014-2016 Integrative STEM for Preservice Teachers Program The Virginia Space Grant Consortium is seeking applications for the 2014-2016 Integrative STEM for Preservice Teachers program, or InSTEP. This two-year program serves to increase future educators understanding of STEM and how to teach integrative STEM in the classroom. Applicants must have demonstrated interest in teaching in grades 4-8, as well as science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics. The program includes $2,500 scholarship each year, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, or FIRST, Lego robotics training, conference travel and registration, travel support to two NASA centers for innovative STEM training and more. To be eligible, applicants must be rising juniors (third year of a preservice teacher program) in Summer 2014 at a partnering Virginia college/university. Preference will be given to students currently enrolled in programs at College of William and Mary, Hampton University, Old Dominion University, Virginia Tech, The University of Virginia, Norfolk State University and Virginia State University. The deadline for submitting applications has been extended to April 15, 2014. For more information, visit vsgc.odu.edu/inSTEP/index.html. Please email any questions about this opportunity to Elizabeth Joyner at [email protected] or to Chris Carter at [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ask NICE Online Professional Development Series Join the NASA Innovations in Climate Education, or NICE, team for the final webinar of the 2013-14 school year in their series of Google Plus Hangout professional development sessions. Extended workshops will be held over the summer with those who have participated in the series. A new series of online Ask NICE sessions will begin in the fall. This months webinar topic is: Climate Change Summary: What We Know and How We Know It -- April 17, 2014, at 4 p.m. EDT From proxy data to direct observations, all signs point to the same conclusion: Earths climate system is warming at an unprecedented rate. Join presenter Margaret Mooney from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies to learn more about how scientists measure and document warming trends along with tools to teach this topic to your students. Certificates of professional development hours are available upon request. Additional session dates will be announced soon. For more information, visit https://nice.larc.nasa.gov/asknice/ or dln.nasa.gov. Questions about this series should be sent to Bonnie Murray at [email protected]. This series is sponsored by Minority University Research and Education Program and NICE, and is part of the Digital Learning Network program to expand the reach of NICE projects. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NES Web Seminar -- Engineering Design Challenge: Thermal Protection System 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 April 17, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Learn about the science of heat transfer and heat dissipation related to NASA vehicles, and receive an introduction to the associated engineering design challenge, Thermal Protection System. In this activity, students are challenged to design a thermal protection system and test it using a propane torch. The student activity provides opportunities for addressing national science, technology and mathematics standards as well as middle school Next Generation Science Standards. This is the last time this Web seminar will be offered during the current school year. For more information and to register online, visit learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES4/webseminar12.aspx. To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit explorerschools.nasa.gov. Email any questions about this opportunity to [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Spring 2014 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. This years targets are Saturns F Ring, Saturns largest moon Titan and Saturn itself. After researching the three options, students write an essay under 500 words explaining their choice. 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. Participants may enter as individuals or as part of a team of up to four students. The deadline for entries is April 17, 2014. For more information, visit go.nasa.gov/1k1sDGj. If you have questions about this contest, please email [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Free Program -- Cubes in SpaceTM The Rubik Learning Initiative™, the Colorado Space Grant Consortium and NASAs Sounding Rocket Program is offering a free science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics focused education program for students ages 11-14. Cubes in Space™ provides students an opportunity to design and compete to launch an experiment into space. Using formal or informal learning environments, students and educators will be exposed to engaging content and activities in preparation for the design and development of an experimental payload to be integrated into a small cube. These cubes will be launched via a Terrier-Orion sounding rocket from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va., in late June 2014. Leveraging the excitement of space exploration, students and educators will learn about the methodology for taking an idea from design through the review process. Throughout the experience, students will acquire key 21st century skills necessary for success in a highly connected, global society. The deadline for program registration is April 18, 2014. For more information, visit CubesInSpace. Questions about this program should be directed to info@cubesinspace. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2014-15 NASA LEARN Opportunity The Long-term Engagement in Authentic Research at NASA, or LEARN, Project is seeking educators for an innovative program that provides onsite research and training opportunities with NASA scientists in the summer and guided research projects that continue throughout the school year. Participants conduct their own research with help of a team of NASA scientists and share and integrate these projects into the classroom. This summer, participants will complete two weeks of onsite work at NASAs Langley Research Center during the weeks of July 7-11 and July 14-18, 2014. Teachers will receive approximately 70 hours of professional development. Onsite work will be followed by continued research through 2015 via virtual research team meetings and data presentations. A stipend is offered for participants, and educators may present proposals for travel funding to present their research at regional conferences. This opportunity is open to science, technology, engineering and mathematics educators of grades 6-12. Earth science, physics, chemistry and mathematics teachers are strongly encouraged to apply. Application is open to U.S. citizens only. Applications are due April 21, 2014. For more information and to register for the workshops, visit science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/LEARN/. Questions about these workshops should be directed to Margaret Pippin at [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NASAs Digital Learning Network Event -- Climate Change Effects Join NASAs Digital Learning Network, the Environment Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for an educational investigation into the effects of climate change. Students across the nation will speak to climate change experts and experience climate change simulations using NASA satellite data. Students will learn the effects of climate change on our planet and how each of us can make a difference. The live webcast event will take place on April 22, 2014, from noon to 1:30 p.m. EDT. For more information and to view the webcast, visit dln.nasa.gov. Questions about the event should be emailed to DLInfochannel@gmail. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NASAs Digital Learning Network™ Event -- Mission Mars Virtual Field Trip NASAs Digital Learning Network™, or DLN, the U.S. Department of States Collaboratory, and Googles Connected Classrooms invite educators and students to their Mission Mars Mission Virtual Field Trip. The online event will take place on Friday, April 25, 2014, from 2-3 p.m. EDT, in conjunction with the 2014 USA Science and Engineering Festival at the Washington D.C. Convention Center. This virtual event will feature a special lesson about Mars rovers presented by education and content experts from NASAs Jet Propulsion Lab. Middle schools from Texas and New Jersey, along with international schools from Nicaragua and Argentina, will connect and interact via Google Hangouts with on-site guests and local students at the Festival in Washington, D. C. The event will be hosted by Lisa May, the program executive at NASA Headquarters for the Mars Exploration program. She will be accompanied by Dr. Jim Green, NASA Headquarters Planetary Science Division director, and a prominent State Department official. Join us in celebrating National Science and Technology Week, and let’s get youth excited about STEM education! For more information and to view the live webcast of the event, visit https://plus.google/events/clh5chhn9eqbl0cv4rfm0eqk788. Email questions about this event to DLInfochannel@gmail. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2015 eXploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge In a continuing effort to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields and provide a real-world challenge, exposing students to the engineering and design processes, the Advanced Exploration Systems Habitation Systems Deep Space Habitat Project team has begun accepting applications for the 2015 eXploration Habitat, or X-Hab Challenge. Post-secondary students engaged in a variety of curricula will work together to create a solution to a need for living and working in space or on another celestial body. The winners of the challenge will receive between $10,000 and $20,000 to design and produce functional products of interest to the Deep Space Habitat project. Proposals are due April 30, 2014, and awardees should expect to deliver their product to NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, in May or June of 2015. Proposals will be accepted from university faculty who are U.S. citizens and currently teach an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology accredited engineering senior or graduate design, industrial design or architecture curriculum at an accredited university in the U.S. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and other minority serving educational institutions are particularly encouraged to apply. Proposals from women, members of underrepresented minorities groups and persons with disabilities also are highly encouraged. For more information about the challenge, visit spacegrant.org/xhab/. If you have any questions about the X-Hab Challenge, please email [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RockOn 2014 University Rocket Science Workshop University and community college faculty and students are invited to a weeklong workshop to learn how to build and launch a scientific experiment into space. NASAs Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia is hosting the RockOn 2014 workshop June 14-19, 2014, in partnership with the Colorado and Virginia Space Grant Consortia. Workshop participants must be U.S. citizens. The registration deadline for the workshop is May 2, 2014. The hands-on workshop teaches participants to build experiments that fly on sounding rockets. During the week, participants will work in teams of three to construct and integrate a sounding rocket payload from a kit. On the fifth day of the workshop, the experiments will fly on a sounding rocket expected to reach an altitude of more than 70 miles. Each experiment will provide valuable scientific data, analyzed as part of the student-led science and engineering research. The program engages faculty and students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills critical to NASAs future engineering, scientific and technical missions. For more information about RockOn and to register online, visit spacegrant.colorado.edu/rockon/. Questions about the workshop or the registration process should be directed to Chris Koehler by email at [email protected] or by telephone at 303-492-4750. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Center for Astronomy Education Teaching Excellence Workshops NASAs Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators. These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each others implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratorys Exoplanet Exploration Program. May 3, 2014 -- Oceanside, Calif. CAE Southwest Regional Teaching Exchange May 31-June 1, 2014 -- Boston, Mass. CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors June 23-27, 2014 -- College Park, Md. New Faculty Workshop for Physics and Astronomy August or September, 2014 -- South Carolina CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors For more information and to register for workshops online, visit astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm. Inquiries about this series of workshops should be directed to Gina Brissenden at [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2014 Thacher Environmental Research Contest The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies is pleased to invite U.S. high school students to participate in the 2014 Thacher Environmental Research Contest. This annual contest gives students the opportunity to show off their science and technology skills by submitting research projects focused on the use of remote sensing and analysis tools. Students are asked to identify a U.S. protected area of interest, and design a research project that identifies why the area is unique, why it significantly contributes to our society, how this area has changed over time, and ways remote sensing and geospatial tools can be used to monitor these environmental treasures. Applicants must be U.S. citizens in grades 9-12. Students in public, private, parochial, Native American reservation and home schools are eligible. Entries may be submitted by individuals or teams. The grand prize winner will have their work featured in a geospatial publication. Cash awards will be given to students in the top three places. Awards will also be given to the winning students teachers. Entries must be postmarked by May 5, 2014. Entries may also be submitted electronically. For full contest rules and to enter, visit strategies.org/education/student-contests/thacher-contest/. Questions about this contest should be emailed to [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Kepler Art of Discovery Art Contest Commemorate the fifth anniversary of NASAs Kepler mission to search for habitable planets with the Kepler Art of Discovery art contest. The contest is open to artists ages 13 and older who reside in the continental U.S. The contest invites artists to submit creative artwork that depicts, or relates to, the exciting discoveries made possible by the Kepler spacecraft and its team of scientists and engineers. The best artwork, selected by a combination of participants’ votes and expert judges’ scores, will be displayed as the Top 100 in the Gallery of the Art of Discovery website. The contest registration deadline is May 5, 2014. Entries are due May 12, 2014. For full details on the contest and to submit artwork, visit keplerart.seti.org. Questions about the contest should be directed to [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Solar System Exploration Pre-Service Teacher Institute The Solar System Exploration Pre-Service Teacher Institute is a free workshop for future middle school science teachers and the educators who mentor them. Presented by the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and the Lunar Planetary Institute, the workshop will take place in Houston, Texas. Workshop participants will explore questions relating to the nature of science and how scientists conduct their work. Planetary scientists will be available to discuss their research and recent discoveries. Hands-on activities will be demonstrated, and participants will discover ways to connect solar system topics to Earth science, life science and physical science. A tour of the lunar rock laboratory at NASAs Johnson Space Center is also planned. Workshop dates are being finalized. Possible dates include May 13-17 and June 23-27, 2014. Final dates will be determined based on application data. Institute registration is free, and lunches are included. Participants will receive a certificate for professional development hours. For more information and to apply for the workshop, visit lpi.usra.edu/education/workshops/SSE/. Questions about the workshop should be directed to Christine Shupla at [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2014 IGES Earth Day Photo and Essay Contest The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, or IGES, invites students in grades 5-8 to submit photos to the 2014 IGES Earth Day Photo and Essay Contest. We know that our Earth is dynamic, constantly changing and shifting due to weather, seismic activities, erosion and even asteroids! Change is part of living on Earth. To participate in the contest, take a photograph of something that is changing in your local natural environment. The photo can be taken anytime from Monday, April 14 through Friday, April 25, 2014. (Earth Day is April 22.) The photo can showcase something changing in your backyard or neighborhood, near your school or in a local park, on the ground or high in the sky, in the distance toward the horizon or anywhere you happen to be. After selecting a photo, write an essay of up to 400 words to describe the change happening in your photo. First-, second- and third-place prize winners will receive gift cards. The top 10 entries will receive a photo book showcasing the winning artwork and essays. Winning photos and essays also will be featured on the IGES website. Entries are due May 16, 2014. For complete contest rules and information about how to enter, visit strategies.org/education/student-contests/photo-contest/2014-photo-contest/. Questions about this opportunity should be directed to [email protected]. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lunar and Planetary Institute Workshop: Mars Through Time The Lunar and Planetary Institute and the ChemCam instrument team invite high school teachers, both in-service and pre-service, to attend the Mars Through Time workshop. This four-day workshop will take place July 8-11, 2014, at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. Attendees will discover the relationship between technology and science as it relates to our understanding of Mars. Attendees will also discuss the nature and process of science with invited speakers. Classroom resources will be provided. Workshop registration is free. This workshop is limited to 20 participants. Interested educators are encouraged to apply early to secure a spot. Qualified applicants will be accepted in the order they apply. The application closes May 16, 2014. For more information and to apply for the workshop, visit lpi.usra.edu/education/workshops/mars/. Questions about the workshop should be directed to Andy Shaner at [email protected]. ________________________________________ Note: You received this message due to your subscription to the NASA Education EXPRESS mailing list. If you wish to unsubscribe, go to nasa.gov/education/express and follow the instructions.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 02:05:45 +0000
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