NASA Education Express Message — July 31, 2014

Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Postsecondary Sustainability Awards
Audience: Higher Education
Intent to Nominate Date: Aug. 1, 2014

Family Day Event at Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Aug. 2, 2014

Free Education Webinar Series From NASA Educator Professional Development — Engineering in the Classroom Series
Audience: Grades K-12 In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Webinar Date: Aug. 5, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT

“Ask NICE” Workshops in Virginia
Audience: Middle School and High School Educators
Event Dates: Aug. 6-7, 2014

Louisiana Tech University Online Course — Steps to STEM: NASA Education Resources for STEM Engagement
Audience: K-12 Educators
Application Deadline: Aug. 30, 2014

Destination Station: San Diego
Audience: All Educators and Students
Exhibit Open Through Sept. 2, 2014

REGISTRATION OPEN: Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2014
Audience: 9-12 Educators and Students
Registration Deadline: Sept. 5, 2014

Free Webinar — Secrets to Fundraising for Competing in NASA Challenges
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Webinar Date: Sept. 10, 2014

2015 ICESat-2 Mission Hexacopter Engineering Challenge
Audience: Undergraduate College Students from Accredited U.S. Colleges and Universities
Application Deadline: Sept. 12, 2014

Call for Papers — The NACA Centenary: A Symposium on 100 Years of Aerospace Research and Development
Audience: Scholars and Graduate Students
Submission Deadline: Sept. 15, 2014

MAVEN Workshop — Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore!
Audience: Elementary Educators
Application Deadline: Sept. 15, 2014
Workshop Date: Sept. 21, 2014

Second Annual Astrobiology Symposium at the Library of Congress
Audience: All Educators and 9-Higher Education Students
Symposium Dates: Sept. 18-19, 2014

Send Your Name to the Asteroid Bennu!
Audience: Educators and Students Worldwide
Deadline: Sept. 30, 2014

Celebrate World Space Week 2014
Audience: All Educators
Event Date: Oct. 4-10, 2014

OSSI NIFS — Spring 2015 Opportunities
Audience: Higher Education Students
Application Deadline: Oct. 12, 2014

Earth Science Week 2014 Contests
Audience: All Educators and Students
Entry Deadline: Oct. 17, 2014

NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowships
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Next Application Deadline: Nov. 1, 2014

Don’t 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 NASA’s website:
— Educators http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/current-opps-index.html

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U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) has introduced a new Postsecondary Sustainability Award for the 2014-2015 cycle. In addition to a total of five school and district nominees, each state may nominate one postsecondary institution for exemplary achievement in all three of the program’s Pillars: Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs, Improved Health and Wellness, and Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education. For this award, state selection committees are particularly encouraged to document how the nominees’ sustainability work has reduced college costs, increased completion rates, led to employment, and ensured robust civic skills among graduates; and to make an effort to consider diverse types of institutions. Interested colleges and universities should contact their state higher education authorities for information on how to apply in their states.

Like the PK-12 awards, this category is entirely voluntary. Hearing from interested colleges and universities may be helpful to state authorities considering 2014 – 2015 participation. State higher education authorities should contact U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for more information. They can find updated criteria and other state implementation guidance on our website. All state authorities are encouraged to indicate their intent to nominate in 2015 by Aug. 1, 2014.

Competitions vary by state, but most states will be posting their applications in the fall with deadlines to submit to them in the winter. State authorities’ school, district and postsecondary nominations are due to the Department of Education by Feb. 1, 2015. Interested PK-12 schools and districts should continue to contact their state education agencies about the school and district award applications. Do you have doubts about ED-GRS? Some Frequently Asked Questions on all three award categories are available here.

For more information, visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/eligibility.html. 

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to green.ribbon.schools@ed.gov.

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Family Day Event at Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum

The Smithsonian’s Family Day event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire family. The events are free and open to the public.

We Share STEM! Connecting Across Cultures
Aug. 2, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia
Learn about the contributions of scientists and engineers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, professions across cultures. Talk to an astronaut, meet pilots and see their helicopters, including a gyroplane, and participate in hands-on activities. Spanish-language activities and story times along with events featuring Latino STEM professionals will also take place.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=10772

Questions about this series of events should be directed to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-1000.

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Free Education Webinar Series From NASA Educator Professional Development

NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a free series of webinars designed to help teachers incorporate engineering design as a problem-solving method. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.

Engineering in the Classroom Part 1: Introduction to Engineering Design
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: Aug. 5, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
During this 60-minute webinar, participants will focus on an Introduction to Engineering Design.

Engineering in the Classroom Part 2: Single-Class Projects
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: Aug. 6, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
During this 60-minute webinar, participants will focus on a single-class project — ‘Water Filtration.’Engineering in the Classroom Part 3: Long-Term Projects
Audience: Pre-service and In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: Aug. 7, 2014, at 7 p.m. EDT
During this 60-minute webinar, participants will focus on long-term engineering projects.

For more information about these webinars and to register online, visit https://paragon-tec.adobeconnect.com/admin/show-event-catalog.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Phyllis Alford at palford@paragon-tec.com .

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“Ask NICE” Workshops in Virginia

The NASA Innovations in Climate Education, or NICE, team is going on the road this summer to visit groups of teachers who connected with them for the online sessions offered throughout the 2013-2014 school year.

Onsite “Ask NICE” workshops will be offered during the first week of August to provide NASA Earth Systems Science training for middle and high school teachers. Many NASA resources will be investigated and time will be spent learning how to collect and analyze data. NICE is funded through the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP.

Events are scheduled for: 
— Aug. 6, 2014 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. EDT at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, Virginia
— Aug. 7, 2014, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. EDT at the Lake Country Distance Education Center in Clarksville, Virginia

Archived recordings of the 2013-2014 online sessions can be found at the bottom of the page at https://nice.larc.nasa.gov/asknice/.

For more information about the workshops and to register to attend, please contact Bonnie Murray at bonnie.murray@nasa.gov.

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Louisiana Tech University Online Course — Steps to STEM: NASA Education Resources for STEM Engagement

Louisiana Tech University is teaming up with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to offer a 10-week course for educators interested in putting a space-themed twist on learning. The course is designed to be a self-paced, online professional development experience focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, education resources available from NASA. These resources have application methods for use in grades 4-9 classrooms with the goal of advancing high quality STEM education utilizing NASA’s unique capabilities.

Applications are due Aug. 30, 2014. 

For more information and to enroll in the course, visit http://scitecatlatech.weebly.com/opeo.html.

Questions about these courses should be directed to Amy McDowell at amy.mcdowell@nasa.gov.

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Destination Station: San Diego

Ever wonder what it’s like to live and work in space? Find out at the Destination Station exhibit! This multimedia exhibit showcases what it’s like to live aboard the International Space Station. The exhibit will be open to the public through Sept. 2, 2014, at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego, California.

To learn more, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/destination_station/index.html. 

Questions about this exhibit should be directed to Megan Sumner at megan.c.sumner@nasa.gov.

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REGISTRATION OPEN: Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2014

The Zero Robotics High School Tournament 2014 will take place this fall, offering U. S. 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 from a Web browser. After several phases of virtual competition, finalists will be selected to compete in a live championship aboard the International Space Station.

Registration for the competition closes on Sept. 5, 2014. The competition begins with a live webcast kickoff event from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Sept. 6, 2014. 

For more information about the tournament and to register your team to participate, visit http://www.zerorobotics.mit.edu.

Zero Robotics is organized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Space Systems Laboratory, Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation and TopCoder, and is sponsored by The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA and the Center for Advancement of Science in Space.

Please email any questions about this opportunity to zerorobotics@mit.edu.

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Free Webinar — Secrets to Fundraising for Competing in NASA Challenges

NASA has several exciting technical challenges open for universities and colleges. The challenges include the Student Launch, the Robotic Mining Competition, the Human Exploration Rover Challenge, the X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge, as well other challenges. In order to be successful, teams not only need to master engineering and technical obstacles, they must also raise the funding necessary for equipment and travel expenses.

To help all universities and colleges interested in competing, the NASA Minority Innovation Challenges Institute, or MICI, is hosting a free webinar on Sept. 10, 2014, at 3 p.m. EDT. Topics covered during the session will include: 

— Fundraising practices utilized by teams that competed in the 2014 NASA Robotic Mining Competition.
— How to locate potential donors, and the best way to land contributions.
— How to use crowdfunding websites to expand fundraising efforts to regional and national levels.
— Grant opportunities that are open and receptive to funding university teams.

The webinar will be hosted by a certified fundraising executive along with two certified grant writers.

To sign up for this webinar and gain access to MICI’s other free webinars, visit http://nasamici.com/upcoming-sessions.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Mary Baker at mary@nasamici.com.

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2015 ICESat-2 Mission Hexacopter Engineering Challenge

The Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, mission will host the 2015 ICESat-2 Mission Hexacopter Engineering Challenge at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, on April 17, 2015. This challenge will task teams of students with measuring the height of Earth around us, from tree canopies to bodies of water. This challenge will be the first of its kind in a yearly series of ICESat-2 engineering challenge events.

Student teams will be selected to participate in this challenge through a proposal and selection process. Participating teams will design and build hexacopter multirotors that can create a digital elevation model of a specific area within a predetermined amount of time. Students will also submit technical and educational reports describing in detail their efforts throughout the competition process.

This challenge is open to undergraduate college students from accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Teams may consist of one to five students and a university mentor/instructor. Due to the nature of the challenge, multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

Applications are due Sept. 12, 2014.

For more information about the 2015 ICESat-2 Mission Hexacopter Engineering Challenge, visit http://icesat.gsfc.nasa.gov/icesat2/epo_hex.php.

Questions about this challenge should be directed to hexacopter challenge coordinator Brian Campbell at Brian.A.Campbell@nasa.gov.

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Call for Papers — The NACA Centenary: A Symposium on 100 Years of Aerospace Research and Development

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, or NASM, and NASA’s History Program Office invite proposals for papers to a special symposium commemorating a century of aerospace research and development. On March 3, 1915, the U.S. Congress established the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA, “to separate the real from the imagined and make known the overlooked and unexpected” in the quest for flight. In honor of that centennial, NASA and NASM will team to present a symposium on the history of the NACA. This historical symposium will be held in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 3-4, 2015.

All are invited to submit proposals. Major themes to be addressed in the symposium include:

— The NACA organizational and institutional structure and evolution.
— The NACA model of public/private partnerships in aerospace research.
— The NACA’s contributions to aerospace theory, ground research and flight operations.
             — Individual projects.
             — Broad themes in the history of the agency.
             — Research projects versus other structural attributes.
— The social, economic and/or political history of the NACA.
— The NACA culture and its evolution.
— The relationship of the NACA to other entities, both private and public.
— Innovation in aerospace research.
— Models of partnership.

Possible topics are not restricted to these major themes. All papers are envisioned as scholarly contributions exploring broad thematic issues and questions.

Contributions from international scholars and graduate students with an interest in this history are welcome.

Some travel support scholarships may be available for international scholars and graduate students. Please indicate your interest in a need statement included with your paper proposal. 

We intend that a subset of the papers will merit publication. 

Proposals for papers should include a title and an abstract, as well as the author’s curriculum vita, and travel support need statement (as appropriate). Please send all proposals, in the form of a 300-word abstract and a brief vita electronically to Dr. William P. Barry, NASA chief historian, atbill.barry@nasa.gov, and Dr. Roger D. Launius, associate director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs at the National Air and Space Museum, launiusr@si.edu. The deadline for abstract submissions is Sept. 15, 2014.

Decisions about acceptance and support will be made by Nov. 1, 2014.

For more information about the Call for Papers, visit http://www.nasa.gov/naca100years/.

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MAVEN Workshop — Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore!

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, mission is set to arrive at Mars on Sept. 21, 2014. Celebrate the arrival with the MAVEN education team at this one-day workshop about the mission and the accompanying elementary program, Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore! The program features six standards-based lessons that combine science, literacy and art to help students understand planetary habitability and the MAVEN mission. 

The workshop will include dinner and lectures by MAVEN scientists. Following the workshop, participants will watch the NASA TV broadcast of the MAVEN spacecraft’s arrival at Mars. 

The workshop will take place on Sept. 21, 2014, in Boulder, Colorado. Registration is $20 and includes coffee, snacks and dinner. Applications are due Sept. 15, 2014, but space is limited so interested educators are encouraged to apply early.

For more information about the workshop and to apply online, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education-outreach/for-educators/red-planet/boulder-workshop/. 

Please email any questions about this opportunity to epomail@lasp.colorado.edu.

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Second Annual Astrobiology Symposium at the Library of Congress

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress in the District of Columbia, in cooperation with the NASA Astrobiology Program, is hosting the second annual Astrobiology Symposium on Sept. 18-19, 2014.

“Preparing for Discovery: A Rational Approach to the Impact of Finding Microbial, Complex or Intelligent Life Beyond Earth,” is a two-day symposium featuring panel discussions, lectures and audience question-and-answer sessions. Panel members include professors, scientists, philosophers and astronomers representing various universities and organizations including NASA, the SETI Institute and the Library of Congress.

The event is free and open to the public. No pre-registration is required.

For more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/news/nasa-program-2014.html.

Questions about the symposium should be directed to Jason Steinhauer at jste@loc.gov.

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Send Your Name to the Asteroid Bennu!

NASA is inviting people around the world to submit their names to be etched on a microchip aboard a spacecraft headed to the asteroid Bennu in 2016.

The “Messages to Bennu!” microchip will travel to the asteroid aboard the Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, spacecraft. The robotic mission will spend more than two years at the asteroid, which has a width of approximately 1,760 feet (500 meters). The spacecraft will collect a sample of Bennu’s surface and return it to Earth in a sample return capsule.

The deadline to submit names online is Sept. 30, 2014. Participants who submit their names to the “Messages to Bennu!” campaign will be able to print a certificate of appreciation to document their involvement.

For more information and to submit your name, visit http://planetary.org/bennu.

Participants who “follow” or “like” the mission on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OSIRISREx) will receive updates on the location of their names in space from launch time until the asteroid samples return to Earth in 2023. Facebook fans also will receive mission progress and late-breaking news through regular status updates.

For more information about the OSIRIS-REx mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex and http://osiris-rex.lpl.arizona.edu.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to tps@planetary.org.

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Celebrate World Space Week 2014

Imagine an entire week of space-themed activities to enhance learning. Join educators and space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2014.

World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with over 1,400 events in more than 80 countries held during the week of Oct. 4-10.

In 2014, World Space Week encourages the use global navigation satellite systems space-themed activities.

To learn more about World Space Week, find educational materials, and register your event, visit http://www.worldspaceweek.org.

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OSSI NIFS — Spring 2015 Opportunities

NASA’s One Stop Shopping Initiative for Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships, or OSSI NIFS, strives to provide high school students and undergraduate and graduate students at all institutions of higher education access to a portfolio of internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities offered by NASA mission directorates and centers.

Visit the Office of Education Infrastructure Division LaunchPad to find information on internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities. The site features the OSSI NIFS online application for recruiting NASA interns, fellows and scholars. This innovative system allows students to search and apply for all types of higher education NASA internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities in one location. A single application places the student in the applicant pool for consideration by all NASA mentors.

Applications for spring 2015 opportunities are due Oct. 12, 2014.

To find available opportunities and to fill out an online application, visit https://intern.nasa.gov/index.html. 

Inquiries about OSSI NIFS should be submitted via https://intern.nasa.gov/oic/.

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Earth Science Week 2014 Contests

The American Geosciences Institute is sponsoring a series of contests to celebrate Earth Science Week 2014. This year’s celebration takes place Oct. 12-18, 2014. 

Earth Science Week 2014 Photography Contest — Open to All Ages
http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/photography/index.html
Earth science is the study of the geosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air) and biosphere (living things). These spheres — or earth systems — are continually affecting and influencing one another. In our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces and in our public gathering places, we can observe the dynamic interactions of “earth system science.” In a photograph, capture evidence of the connections of earth systems in your community.

Earth Science Week 2014 Visual Arts Contest — Open to Students in Grades K-5
http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/visualarts/index.html
Earth scientists — or geoscientists — study land, water, air and living things. In particular, these scientists pay attention to the ways these “connected systems” affect each other. For example, scientists study how water shapes the land, how living things use air and how air and water act on each other. How do these connected systems affect you? Use artwork to show how land, water, air and living things are connected in the world around you.

Earth Science Week 2014 Essay Contest — Open to Students in Grades 6-9
http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/essay/index.html
Our planet’s land, water, air, and living things each affect and are affected by one another. Earth scientists observe these interactions among earth systems — the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. Scientists study these interactions to seize opportunities and address challenges in areas such as harnessing energy, farming land, ensuring safe water, preparing for natural disasters, protecting the environment and building communities. Explain one way that geoscientists’ study of Earth’s connected systems is helping to improve the world today.

The entry deadline for all three contests is Oct. 17, 2014. Visit the contest websites for full details.

If you have any questions about these contests, please email the Earth Science Week staff at info@earthsciweek.org.

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NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowships

The NASA Postdoctoral Program, or NPP, supports NASA’s goal to expand scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live.

Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP fellows complete one- to three-year fellowships that offer scientists and engineers unique opportunities to conduct research in fields of science relevant to NASA.

These opportunities advance NASA’s missions in earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, space bioscience, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration and space operations, and astrobiology. Opportunities are available at NASA centers and other NASA-approved sites.

As a result, NPP fellows contribute to national priorities for scientific exploration, confirm NASA’s leadership in fundamental research and complement the efforts of NASA’s partners in the national science community.

U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a research scholar may apply. Applicants must have completed a doctorate or equivalent degree before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing degree requirements. Applicants who earned the Ph.D. more than five years before the deadline date are categorized as senior fellows; all applicants, no matter their category, must apply and become eligible for an NPP award via the same process.

Interested applicants may apply by one of three annual application deadlines: March 1, July 1 and November 1.

For more information and application procedures, go to http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to nasapostdoc@orau.org.