No Boundaries Project and Student Competition

Encourage your classes to participate in the No Boundaries National Competition, a joint educational initiative created by NASA and USA TODAY Education. This competition is designed to help students explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The effort also offers students the opportunity to learn more about NASA.

When people hear the word “NASA,” they often think of astronauts’ amazing journeys. While astronauts are the public face of NASA, thousands of people at the space agency collaborate to send astronauts into space.

The goal of this project is for students to work in small groups to develop a creative project (website, video, podcast, song, etc.) that markets careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to teens. These student groups then will present their projects to their classmates and a class of younger peers.

The No Boundaries website includes a Teacher Toolkit and step-by-step instructions for teachers to implement the project in the classroom. Background information and links to websites with career information also are provided.

After presenting their projects, groups are encouraged to enter them in the No Boundaries National Competition. All contest entries must be submitted to USA TODAY Education no later than April 1, 2011. Winning teams can win $2,000, passes to a VIP NASA experience and the chance to present their project to NASA.

To learn more about the project and to enter the competition, visit www.noboundaries-stemcareers.com.

Please e-mail any questions about the No Boundaries Competition to Marcie Peck at mpeck@usatoday.com.