NASA “Science WOW!” Message – April 25, 2018

Check out the latest edition of NASA’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA science opportunities for educators and students.

This newsletter is the final edition of NASA Science WOW! But there is good news! The NASA EXPRESS has recently been updated and revamped, so if you aren’t a subscriber already, please subscribe to the NASA EXPRESS newsletter at nasa.gov/education/express.


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: How Many Trips Around Earth Has the Hubble Space Telescope Made?

Happy anniversary, Hubble! The Hubble Space Telescope has been observing the cosmos from Earth orbit for 28 years. During its mission, Hubble has made more than 1.5 million observations, but how far has it travelled? Find out and see Hubble’s anniversary image featuring the Lagoon Nebula.

http://hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2018-21


Have You Seen This?


Do you want to fly through a nebula or zoom in on a star cluster? Browse NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Video Playlist to learn about the latest discoveries and the history behind the record-breaking telescope.

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/videos/index.html

Want to watch archived recordings of lectures related to Hubble and space science? Check out the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Public Lecture Series Webcasts page.

https://webcast.stsci.edu/webcast/searchresults.xhtml?searchtype=20&eventid=40&sortmode=1


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


 


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


Help NASA Predict Landslides — Citizen Science: Landslide Reporter
Audience: All Educators and Students

Landslides affect all countries, yet scientists don’t have a clear picture of where and when landslides occur globally. To predict landslides more accurately, NASA scientists are building the Cooperative Open Online Landslide Repository with data of past landslides — and you can help. Learn how to add to the COOLR catalog using the Landslide Reporter citizen science application.

To learn more, visit https://landslides.nasa.gov.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to landslide_support@nccs.nasa.gov.


Citizen Science Project: Cosmoquest’s Image Detective
Audience: All Educators and Students

CosmoQuest’s Image Detective, a NASA-funded citizen science project, invites the public to identify Earth features in photographs taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Citizen scientists are asked to help identify geographic features (natural or human-made) in astronaut photographs and then determine the location on Earth where the photo is centered.

Your efforts can enhance NASA’s database of images taken by astronauts from the space station. To learn more, visit http://cosmoquest.org/ImageDetective.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to info@cosmoquest.org.


Be a Citizen Scientist With the ‘Aurorasaurus’ Project
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Timeframe: Ongoing

Aurorasaurus is the first and only citizen science project that tracks auroras around the world via online reports, mobile apps and social media.

Aurorasaurus is a citizen science project that gathers real-time data about aurora sightings and sends out notifications to users when the northern or southern lights are likely visible in their area. Registered users get location-based notifications and a real-time monitor of space weather activity. The project also allows users to help verify tweets and search for real sightings. Plus, the website features answers to science and aurora questions.

To learn more, visit http://www.aurorasaurus.org/.

Please direct questions about this project to aurorasaurus.info@gmail.com.

This project receives support from the National Science Foundation and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


2018 Texas Space Grant Consortium STEM Educator Scholarships
Audience: Educators Enrolled in Programs for a Master’s Degree in a STEM Field at Member Institutions of the Texas Space Grant Consortium
Application Deadline: April 27, 2018

The Texas Space Grant Consortium’s Educator STEM Scholarship Program provides $1,500 scholarships to eligible teachers enrolled in master’s programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Applicants must be U.S. citizens who hold a bachelor’s degree and are enrolled in a master’s program at a Texas Space Grant Consortium institution. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/edu_stem/.

Please direct questions about this scholarship to scholarships@tsgc.utexas.edu.


2018 NASA SEES TEX2 Teacher Externship Program
Audience: Secondary Educators in Texas
Application Deadline: May 1, 2018

Join NASA, the Texas Space Grant Consortium and The University of Texas at Austin Center for Space Research for a weeklong “externship” this summer. Educators will collaborate with students selected from across the nation and NASA scientists. Participants will conduct research using Earth-observing satellite data and explore STEM careers. Housing, meals and a stipend will be provided.

For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/sees-externship/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to baguio@csr.utexas.edu.


**NEW** Free Webinar — Sailing Through the Universe: Propelling Your Classroom Into STEM
Audience: Educators of Grades 5-10
Event Date: May 2, 2018, at 6 p.m. EDT

Join NASA’s Beginning Engineering, Science and Technology educators for a free 60-minute professional development webinar. Learn how NASA is using sunlight as an inexpensive option for propelling spacecraft beyond Earth’s orbit. Using NASA’s BEST Space Sailing Instructional Guide, participants will build a small space probe prototype. Learn how to incorporate engineering challenges and the engineering design process into your school science program.

For more information and to register to participate, visit https://nasasbestspacesailing.eventbrite.com.

Please direct questions about this webinar to afrc-nasabestedu@mail.nasa.gov.


Online Training Session: Using NASA Earth Observing Data for Monitoring and Response to Vector-borne and Water-borne Diseases

Audience: All Educators
Event Date: May 8, 2018, 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. EDT

Vectors are living organisms that are able to transmit diseases between humans or from animals to humans. Vectors include mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, fleas and other insects.

Join NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement mission for a beginner-level online training webinar to learn how NASA Earth-observing satellite data sets can be used to identify environmental conditions that may result in the onset of vector-borne diseases. Two sessions are being offered. To learn more and to register to attend, visit https://pmm.nasa.gov/disease-initiative.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to dorian.w.janney@nasa.gov.


NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement Mission’s Vector-borne and Water-related Disease Initiative Workshop
Audience: All Educators
Event Date: May 17, 2018, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. EDT

Vector-borne diseases are responsible for over 17 percent of all the infectious diseases globally. Many of these diseases are preventable through protective measures.

Join NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement mission for a daylong workshop at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., to hear success stories that showcase how NASA data is being used to inform, predict and better understand water-related and vector-borne disease. Register online to attend the workshop in person or remotely.

For more information, visit https://pmm.nasa.gov/disease-initiative.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to dorian.w.janney@nasa.gov.

 


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


NASA Stennis Community College and Education Faculty Fellowship Program
Audience: Full-time Faculty at Accredited Higher Education Institutions in Mississippi and Louisiana
Application Deadline: April 27, 2018, at 5 p.m. CDT
Fellowship Dates: June 4 – Aug. 10, 2018

The NASA Stennis Community College and Education Faculty Fellowship Program provides opportunities for STEM faculty to do research for 10 weeks during the summer at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens working full time at a two-year or four-year accredited university or college in Mississippi or Louisiana. The program provides a weekly stipend. Qualified faculty from minority-serving institutions are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applications are due April 27, 2018, at 5 p.m. CDT. For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/2018_nasa_stennis_community_college_and_education_summer_faculty_fellowship_program_announcement.pdf.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to mitch.krell@nasa.gov.


Call for Papers: 2018 International Space Station Research and Development Conference
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Abstract Submission Deadline: April 27, 2018

The seventh annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference will be held July 23-26, 2018, in San Francisco, California

NASA, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, and the American Astronomical Society are seeking abstracts under the categories of Biology and Medicine; Human Health in Space; Commercial and Nongovernment Use; Physical Sciences and Materials Development; Plant Science; Earth Science and Remote Sensing; Innovative Solutions; Technology Development and Demonstration; Finances; and STEM Education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Topics should relate to science, exploration and technology activities (past, present, planned or under development) on the International Space Station.

Both the conference and abstract submittal are open to entrepreneurial, commercial, academic and government agency attendees, both from and outside the United States. Eligible attendees include professionals, young professionals, students and interested parties. The working language for the conference is English. The conference will include plenaries for topics of general interest and technical sessions for focused discussions.

Because of the large number of expected submissions, presenters are encouraged to submit abstracts early. The deadline is April 27, 2018.

For more information about the conference and how to submit an abstract for consideration, visit http://www.issconference.org/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to ISSTechChair@atdl-inc.com.


2018 Columbia Crew Memorial Undergraduate Scholarships
Audience: Undergraduate Students at Member Institutions of the Texas Space Grant Consortium
Application Deadline: April 27, 2018

The Texas Space Grant Consortium and the Aviation and Space Foundation of Texas, in partnership with NASA, are offering undergraduate scholarships of $1,500 in memory of the Space Shuttle Columbia astronauts. These scholarships recognize outstanding students and encourage graduate studies in STEM-related fields. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and registered for at least a half-time course load at a Texas Space Grant Consortium institution. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/grants/scholars_announcement.html.

Please direct questions about this scholarship to scholarships@tsgc.utexas.edu.


2018-2019 Texas Space Grant Consortium Graduate Fellowships
Audience: Graduate Students at Member Institutions of the Texas Space Grant Consortium
Application Deadline: April 27, 2018

Texas Space Grant Consortium Fellowships encourage graduate study in the fields of space science and engineering. Interdisciplinary and integrated work experience are emphasized. Each $5,000 award supplements half-time graduate support (or a fellowship) provided by a consortium institution. Applicants must be U.S. citizens registered for full-time study in a graduate program at one or more of the Texas Space Grant Consortium institutions. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/grants/fellows_announcement.html.

Please direct questions about this fellowship to fellowships@tsgc.utexas.edu.


Free ‘Sun, Earth, Universe’ Exhibition Available for Eligible Institutions
Audience: Informal Science Education Institutions in the U.S. within the NISE Network (NISENet)
Application Deadline: May 1, 2018

In collaboration with NASA, NISENet is accepting applications from eligible institutions to receive a free “Sun, Earth, Universe” exhibition. This engaging and interactive museum exhibition about Earth and space science has been curated with science experts and designed for family audiences. Visit the site for eligibility details.

The exhibition is designed for NISENet partners located within the United States and U.S. territories. Applicants must be informal science education institutions such as science museums and science centers, children’s museums, natural history museums and nature centers, public planetariums and observatories, and NASA visitor centers.

To learn more, visit https://science.nasa.gov/news-articles/Free-Science-Exhibits-Available-for-Eligible-Institutions.

Please note that K-12 schools, afterschool programs, libraries, parks, summer camps and astronomy clubs are not eligible to exhibit. If your institution is not eligible, consider downloading a digital version of the “Explore Science: Earth & Space Toolkit” to engage audiences in hands-on Earth and space science activities with connections to science, technology and society. Digital toolkits are available for free download at: http://www.nisenet.org/earthspacekit.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to exhibits@nisenet.org.

 


Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities
.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educators and Students 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

Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum?
Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom.
NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

Visit NASA Education on the web:
NASA Office of Education: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

Did you miss last week’s NASA Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

Science WOW! Newsletter Ending on April 25

The final Science WOW! newsletter will be posted on April 25, 2018.

Dear Science WOW! Subscriber,

The Science WOW! newsletter is coming to an end this month. The final Science WOW! newsletter will be posted on April 25, 2018.

We will miss sharing weekly updates on NASA science opportunities on Wednesdays, but don’t worry! You can still receive weekly updates featuring NASA internships, webinars, contests and more STEM opportunities. Sign up to receive the NASA EXPRESS newsletter — your STEM Connection.

The NASA EXPRESS is a weekly newsletter featuring updates from NASA and STEM associates about workshops, internships and fellowships; applications for grants and collaborations; online professional development; student competitions; and more. Subscribe to get updates sent to your inbox each Thursday. nasa.gov/education/express

We hope you have enjoyed the Science WOW! newsletter and will sign up to receive the NASA EXPRESS highlighting news about future NASA opportunities for the education community.

NASA “Science WOW!” Message – April 11, 2018

Check out the latest edition of NASA’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA science opportunities for educators and students delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: What Is Citizen Science?

You don’t have to be a professional scientist to help NASA researchers learn about our home planet and make discoveries about space science! You can take part in citizen science — a form of open collaboration in which individuals or organizations participate voluntarily in the scientific process in various ways, including enabling the formulation of research questions; creating and refining project design; conducting scientific experiments; collecting and analyzing data; interpreting the results of data; developing technologies and applications; making discoveries; and solving problems.

Are you looking for ways to celebrate Citizen Science Day on April 14? This week’s Science WOW! newsletter is full of citizen science projects. For even more, click on the link below to see the many opportunities NASA has for citizen scientists!

https://science.nasa.gov/citizenscientists


Have You Seen This?


See what NASA Science is up to with the ScienceCasts video series. ScienceCasts are short videos about fun, interesting and unusual science topics encountered by NASA’s science missions.

https://science.nasa.gov/science-news


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


 


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


 **NEW** Help NASA Predict Landslides — Citizen Science: Landslide Reporter
Audience: All Educators and Students

Landslides affect all countries, yet scientists don’t have a clear picture of where and when landslides occur globally. To predict landslides more accurately, NASA scientists are building the Cooperative Open Online Landslide Repository with data of past landslides — and you can help. Learn how to add to the COOLR catalog using the Landslide Reporter citizen science application.

To learn more, visit https://landslides.nasa.gov.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to landslide_support@nccs.nasa.gov.


NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge
Audience: All Educators and Students
Challenge Dates: March 15-April 15, 2018

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, invites educators, students, and the public to enter up to 10 cloud observations per day from March 15-April 15, 2018. Observations can be logged using the GLOBE Program’s data entry options or the GLOBE Observer app. Participants with the most observations will be congratulated by a NASA scientist with a video posted on the NASA GLOBE Clouds website.

To learn more, visit https://www.globe.gov/web/marile.colonrobles/home/blog/-/blogs/37565448.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to marile.colonrobles@nasa.gov.


Citizen Science Project: Cosmoquest’s Image Detective
Audience: All Educators and Students

CosmoQuest’s Image Detective, a NASA-funded citizen science project, invites the public to identify Earth features in photographs taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Citizen scientists are asked to help identify geographic features (natural or human-made) in astronaut photographs and then determine the location on Earth where the photo is centered.

Your efforts can enhance NASA’s database of images taken by astronauts from the space station. To learn more, visit http://cosmoquest.org/ImageDetective.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to info@cosmoquest.org.


Help NASA Search the Realm Beyond Neptune at Backyard Worlds: Planet 9
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Timeframe: Ongoing

Is a large planet at the fringes of our solar system awaiting discovery, a world astronomers call Planet Nine? Using data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission, NASA scientists are looking for this planet and for new brown dwarfs in the backyard of the solar system. But they need your help! Finding these dim objects requires the human eye to comb through the images to distinguish moving celestial bodies from ghosts and other artifacts. Participants in this citizen science project will share the credit for their discoveries in any scientific publications that result from the project.

For more information and to learn how to participate, visit the “Backyard Worlds: Planet 9” website at http://backyardworlds.org.

To learn more about NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and its mission to image the entire sky in the infrared, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/main/index.html.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Marc Kuchner at marc.j.kuchner@nasa.gov.


Help NASA Find New Planetary Systems — Become a Disk Detective!
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Timeframe: Now Through 2018

Help NASA find new disks, homes of extrasolar planets, by classifying images from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer telescope and other observatories. In this citizen science project, you’ll view animated images of disk candidates and classify them, distinguishing good candidates from galaxies, asteroids and image artifacts. This project, suitable for elementary students through expert adults, will yield targets for the James Webb Space Telescope and publications in professional scientific literature.

This project is ongoing and expected to run through 2018. For more information and to start hunting for planets, visit http://www.diskdetective.org/.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Marc Kuchner at marc.j.kuchner@nasa.gov.


Be a Citizen Scientist With the ‘Aurorasaurus’ Project
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Timeframe: Ongoing

Aurorasaurus is the first and only citizen science project that tracks auroras around the world via online reports, mobile apps and social media.

Aurorasaurus is a citizen science project that gathers real-time data about aurora sightings and sends out notifications to users when the northern or southern lights are likely visible in their area. Registered users get location-based notifications and a real-time monitor of space weather activity. The project also allows users to help verify tweets and search for real sightings. Plus, the website features answers to science and aurora questions.

To learn more, visit http://www.aurorasaurus.org/.

Please direct questions about this project to aurorasaurus.info@gmail.com.

This project receives support from the National Science Foundation and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

 


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University 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 that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

Earth Right Now: Weather and Climate
Audience:
6-8, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: April 12, 2018, at 6 p.m. EDT
Learn about weather and how it is forecast, and explore how weather and climate differ. NASA missions, STEM classroom resources and lessons will guide us through a “storm” of classroom activities that address Next Generation Science Standards MS-ESS2-5,6. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/316063

**NEW** Earth Right Now: GLOBE Atmosphere, Clouds and Contrails
Audience:
K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: April 17, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Learn about clouds and contrails using the GLOBE Program. GLOBE is an international science and education program that lets students worldwide participate in data collection and the scientific process. Learn how your students can contribute to understanding of the Earth system and global environment. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/319067

**NEW** Earth Right Now: STEM Activites for Relationships in Ecosystems
Audience:
K-5, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: April 18, 2018, at 5 p.m. EDT
Learn about the Elementary GLOBE “Earth System Module” containing storybooks and STEM activities. Activities help students learn what plants need from water, sunlight and soil; explain how Earth’s processes and components are interconnected; and demonstrate their knowledge of how water, air, soil and living things interact in the Earth system. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/327332

**NEW** Earth Right Now: Exploring Our Earth From Space
Audience:
5-9, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: April 19, 2018, at 6 p.m. EDT
Explore Earth from above with the help of astronauts and satellites. Learn how observations from space teach us about our planet and the processes that shape it. Using NASA missions, real data, online resources and classroom lessons, we’ll investigate Earth with eyes from above. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/327116

For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


Free Webinar — Shake, Bake and Shout: Materials ISS Experiment-X (MISSE-X)
Audience: 5-12 Educators
Event Date: April 18, 2018, at 6 p.m. EDT

Join NASA’s Beginning Engineering, Science and Technology educators for a free 60-minute professional development webinar. Learn how NASA is using a series of experiments mounted externally on the space station to investigate the effects of long-term exposure to the harsh environment of space. Using NASA’s BEST engineering design process, participants will test a variety of materials to determine if they would be suitable for long-term use in space.

For more information and to register to participate, visit https://www.eiseverywhere.com/329527.

Please direct questions about this webinar to afrc-nasabestedu@mail.nasa.gov.


**NEW** NASA Mars Science: MAVEN Outreach Webinar — Do Habitable Worlds Require Magnetic Fields?
Audience: Formal and Informal Educators, Parents and Teens
Event Date: April 18, 2018, 7 p.m. EDT

MAVEN Outreach Webinars are virtual gatherings of team members from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, mission. The webinars offer professional development for formal and informal educators, troop leaders, museum docents, and others interested in MAVEN and Mars science.

Join the MAVEN team on April 18, 2018, at 7 p.m. EDT, for the “Do Habitable Worlds Require Magentic Fields?” webinar. What makes a planet hospitable for life? Join MAVEN Co-Investigator Dr. Dave Brain of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) to learn about the role that a global magnetic field may play in the evolution of a planet’s atmosphere and in planetary habitability.

For more information, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education-outreach/maven-outreach-webinars/.

Questions about this webinar should be directed to epomail@lasp.colorado.edu.


 **NEW** 2018 Texas Space Grant Consortium STEM Educator Scholarships
Audience: Educators Enrolled in Programs for a Master’s Degree in a STEM Field at Member Institutions of the Texas Space Grant Consortium
Application Deadline: April 27, 2018

The Texas Space Grant Consortium’s Educator STEM Scholarship Program provides $1,500 scholarships to eligible teachers enrolled in master’s programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Applicants must be U.S. citizens who hold a bachelor’s degree and are enrolled in a master’s program at a Texas Space Grant Consortium institution. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/edu_stem/.

Please direct questions about this scholarship to scholarships@tsgc.utexas.edu.


 **NEW** 2018 NASA SEES TEX2 Teacher Externship Program
Audience: Secondary Educators in Texas
Application Deadline: May 1, 2018

Join NASA, the Texas Space Grant Consortium and The University of Texas at Austin Center for Space Research for a weeklong “externship” this summer. Educators will collaborate with students selected from across the nation and NASA scientists. Participants will conduct research using Earth-observing satellite data and explore STEM careers. Housing, meals and a stipend will be provided.

For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/sees-externship/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to baguio@csr.utexas.edu.


GLOBE Student Research Campaign — Water in Our Environment
Audience: K-12 Educators
Campaign Dates: Now Through June 30, 2018

Water continuously circulates through one of Earth’s most powerful systems: the water cycle. Join GLOBE for its latest campaign that uses a set of guiding investigative questions to enable students to meaningfully explore water in their local environment and collaborate to consider the influence of water on a global scale. The project is flexible, allowing teachers to choose between many options to involve their students.

Visit the site for details about the project and upcoming informational webinars.

https://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign/water-in-our-environment-student-research-campaign

Please direct questions about this opportunity to http://www.globe.gov/support/contact.

 


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


**NEW** Call for Papers: 2018 International Space Station Research and Development Conference
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Abstract Submission Deadline: April 27, 2018

The seventh annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference will be held July 23-26, 2018, in San Francisco, California

NASA, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, and the American Astronomical Society are seeking abstracts under the categories of Biology and Medicine; Human Health in Space; Commercial and Nongovernment Use; Physical Sciences and Materials Development; Plant Science; Earth Science and Remote Sensing; Innovative Solutions; Technology Development and Demonstration; Finances; and STEM Education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Topics should relate to science, exploration and technology activities (past, present, planned or under development) on the International Space Station.

Both the conference and abstract submittal are open to entrepreneurial, commercial, academic and government agency attendees, both from and outside the United States. Eligible attendees include professionals, young professionals, students and interested parties. The working language for the conference is English. The conference will include plenaries for topics of general interest and technical sessions for focused discussions.

Because of the large number of expected submissions, presenters are encouraged to submit abstracts early. The deadline is April 27, 2018.

For more information about the conference and how to submit an abstract for consideration, visit http://www.issconference.org/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to ISSTechChair@atdl-inc.com.


**NEW** 2018 Columbia Crew Memorial Undergraduate Scholarships
Audience: Undergraduate Students at Member Institutions of the Texas Space Grant Consortium
Application Deadline: April 27, 2018

The Texas Space Grant Consortium and the Aviation and Space Foundation of Texas, in partnership with NASA, are offering undergraduate scholarships of $1,500 in memory of the Space Shuttle Columbia astronauts. These scholarships recognize outstanding students and encourage graduate studies in STEM-related fields. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and registered for at least a half-time course load at a Texas Space Grant Consortium institution. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/grants/scholars_announcement.html.

Please direct questions about this scholarship to scholarships@tsgc.utexas.edu.


**NEW** 2018-2019 Texas Space Grant Consortium Graduate Fellowships
Audience: Graduate Students at Member Institutions of the Texas Space Grant Consortium
Application Deadline: April 27, 2018

Texas Space Grant Consortium Fellowships encourage graduate study in the fields of space science and engineering. Interdisciplinary and integrated work experience are emphasized. Each $5,000 award supplements half-time graduate support (or a fellowship) provided by a consortium institution. Applicants must be U.S. citizens registered for full-time study in a graduate program at one or more of the Texas Space Grant Consortium institutions. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/grants/fellows_announcement.html.

Please direct questions about this fellowship to fellowships@tsgc.utexas.edu.

 


Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities
.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educators and Students 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

Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum?
Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom.
NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

Visit NASA Education on the web:
NASA Office of Education: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

Did you miss last week’s NASA Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA “Science WOW!” Message – March 21, 2018

Check out the latest edition of NASA’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA science opportunities for educators and students delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: Where Is Most of Earth’s Water?

Tomorrow is World Water Day. Celebrate by diving into this site to learn “10 Interesting Things About Water.” Find answers to this week’s question and more!

https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2478/10-interesting-things-about-water/


Have You Seen This?


Earth’s oceans are playing an important role in absorbing the heat generated by climate change. Explore the science behind this with a hands-on demonstration.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/global-warming-demonstration/


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


 


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


**NEW** GOLD Science Communications Webinar — Hitching a Ride on a Commercial Communications Satellite
Audience: All Students and Educators
Event Date: March 21, 2018, 4 p.m. EDT

NASA’s Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission launched on Jan. 25, 2018, and is making its way into a geostationary orbit, some 22,000 miles above Earth.

Join GOLD project manager Rory Barrett to learn how the GOLD instrument — an ultraviolet imaging spectrograph — will capture unprecedented images of Earth’s interface to space. The spectrograph is flying as a hosted payload on board SES-14, a commercial communications satellite.

For more information, visit http://gold.cs.ucf.edu/multimedia/gold-webinars/.


**NEW** Webinar — Meet Parker Science Probe Project Scientist Dr. Nicky Fox
Audience: Young Science Enthusiasts
Event Date: March 22, 2018, 1 p.m. EDT

The Parker Solar Probe will be the first mission to touch the Sun! Set to launch later this year, the probe will to fly into the solar corona to study how the corona is heated and how the solar wind and solar energetic particles are accelerated.

Join Dr. Nicky Fox of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission for a youth-oriented 30-minute webinar. Fox will describe the mission and its scientific goals, and will answer questions about the Sun, the new solar probe and life as a scientist.

For details on how to join the webinar, visit http://multiverse.ssl.berkeley.edu/Solar-Week.

Please direct questions about this event to outreach@ssl.berkeley.edu.


2018 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: March 22 and 23, 2018, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, shares the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

Next Lecture in the Series:
Planning Cassini’s Grand Finale: A Retrospective
Event Date:
March 22 and 23, 2018, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2018&month=3
On Sept. 15, 2017, the Cassini spacecraft plunged into Saturn for a mission-ending grand finale. Join systems engineer Erick Sturm from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a look back at the various scenarios envisioned and contingency plans made by the Cassini team as they steered the spacecraft into unexplored territory.

For more information about the Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, including a complete list of upcoming lectures, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures.php.

Questions about this series should be directed to http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.


**NEW** Celebrate Women’s History Month With the ‘NASA Women of STEM’ Website
Audience: All Educators and Students

Through their accomplishments and dedication, women at NASA embody the essence of Women’s History Month. They serve as role models to young women in their pursuit of careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The “NASA Women of STEM” website features career profiles, videos and news articles about the women helping NASA reach for new heights.

Visit the website at http://www.nasa.gov/education/womenstem.


NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge
Audience: All Educators and Students
Challenge Dates: March 15-April 15, 2018

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, invites educators, students, and the public to enter up to 10 cloud observations per day from March 15-April 15, 2018. Observations can be logged using the GLOBE Program’s data entry options or the GLOBE Observer app. Participants with the most observations will be congratulated by a NASA scientist with a video posted on the NASA GLOBE Clouds website.

To learn more, visit https://www.globe.gov/web/marile.colonrobles/home/blog/-/blogs/37565448.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to marile.colonrobles@nasa.gov.

 


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University 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 that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

Technology Drives Exploration: Robotics on a Budget
Audience:
4-8, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: March 22, 2018, at 6 p.m. EDT
Robots are a part of everyday life, but what exactly are they? How are robots used in our lives? How are they used at NASA? Explore answers to these questions and learn how to use robotics inexpensively in your classroom by integrating NASA STEM robotic missions, curriculum and online resources. Register online to participate.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/310028

**NEW** Technology Drives Exploration: Integrating NASA Based Digital Content in Your Classroom
Audience:
4-9, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: March 26, 2018, at 4:30 p.m. EDT
Participants will explore a variety of NASA-based digital content and develop strategies for integrating the resources in culturally responsive ways. Register online to participate.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/320783

**NEW** Technology Drives Exploration: Telescopes — The Exoplanet Hunters
Audience:
K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: March 27, 2018, at 7 p.m. EDT
Category: Online Professional Development
Telescopes are NASA’s exoplanet hunters. They have gathered critical insights into other solar-system-like star-planet formations that may have “habitable” conditions. Participants will discuss inquiry-based activities covering math and optics concepts related to telescopes from NASA’s Great Observatories and Optics educator guides. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/324209

**NEW** Technology Drives Exploration: Careers
Audience:
K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: March 28, 2018, at 6 p.m. EDT
Working at NASA is not just being an astronaut. Explore the many NASA STEM careers needed to successfully accomplish the exciting missions that explore and build a better understanding of Earth and the universe beyond. NASA career education lessons and resources will be integrated into this online learning session. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/321424

**NEW** Technology Drives Exploration: STEM Interactive Technology
Audience:
4-10, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: March 29, 2018, at 5 p.m. EDT
Learn to use the NASA Space Place website to investigate the sun, Earth, solar system, universe, technology and science through interactive technology. Use ebooks, games, media and activities to understand STEM content. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/317469

For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


Summer Institute — Liftoff 2018: Reach New Heights, Reveal the Unknown, Benefit All Humankind
Audience: Educators of Grades 4-12
Application Deadline: March 30, 2018
Institute Dates: June 24-29, 2018

The 2018 LiftOff Summer Institute is a weeklong training event sponsored by NASA’s Texas Space Grant Consortium and held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The theme is “Reach New Heights, Reveal the Unknown, Benefit All Humankind.” The event will celebrate all that NASA has contributed and the engineering behind its accomplishments.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens currently employed as classroom teachers of grades 4-12, with at least one year teaching experience prior to the institute.

For more information and to register to attend, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/liftoff/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Margaret Baguio at baguio@tsgc.utexas.edu.


**NEW** Earth Day Workshop: Investigating Our Earth From Above and Below
Audience: Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: April 14, 2018, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. PDT

Join NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on April 14, 2018, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. PST for an educator workshop to explore activities to celebrate Earth Day in the classroom. The workshop will take place at the Chino Basin Water Conservation District in Montclair, California.

Participants will investigate the water cycle in Southern California and demonstrate curriculum resources that help students explore rainfall patterns, aquifers and satellite data. Learn how engineering feats have allowed scientists to measure water from space. Bring your kids or grandkids to participate in youth education programs during the workshop!

For more information and to register to attend, visit https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/events/2018/4/14/earth-day-educator-workshop-investigating-our-earth-from-above-and-below/.

Please direct questions about this workshop to Brandon Rodriguez at Brandon.Rodriguez@jpl.nasa.gov.

 


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


NASA Stennis Community College and Education Faculty Fellowship Program
Audience: Full-time Faculty at Accredited Higher Education Institutions in Mississippi and Louisiana
Application Deadline: April 27, 2018, at 5 p.m. CDT
Fellowship Dates: June 4 – Aug. 10, 2018

The NASA Stennis Community College and Education Faculty Fellowship Program provides opportunities for STEM faculty to do research for 10 weeks during the summer at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens working full time at a two-year or four-year accredited university or college in Mississippi or Louisiana. The program provides a weekly stipend. Qualified faculty from minority-serving institutions are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applications are due April 27, 2018, at 5 p.m. CDT. For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/2018_nasa_stennis_community_college_and_education_summer_faculty_fellowship_program_announcement.pdf.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to mitch.krell@nasa.gov.


Free ‘Sun, Earth, Universe’ Exhibition Available for Eligible Institutions
Audience: Informal Science Education Institutions in the U.S. within the NISE Network (NISENet)
Application Deadline: May 1, 2018

In collaboration with NASA, NISENet is accepting applications from eligible institutions to receive a free “Sun, Earth, Universe” exhibition. This engaging and interactive museum exhibition about Earth and space science has been curated with science experts and designed for family audiences. Visit the site for eligibility details.

The exhibition is designed for NISENet partners located within the United States and U.S. territories. Applicants must be informal science education institutions such as science museums and science centers, children’s museums, natural history museums and nature centers, public planetariums and observatories, and NASA visitor centers.

To learn more, visit https://science.nasa.gov/news-articles/Free-Science-Exhibits-Available-for-Eligible-Institutions.

Please note that K-12 schools, afterschool programs, libraries, parks, summer camps and astronomy clubs are not eligible to exhibit. If your institution is not eligible, consider downloading a digital version of the “Explore Science: Earth & Space Toolkit” to engage audiences in hands-on Earth and space science activities with connections to science, technology and society. Digital toolkits are available for free download at: http://www.nisenet.org/earthspacekit.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to exhibits@nisenet.org.

 


Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities
.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educators and Students 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

Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum?
Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom.
NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

Visit NASA Education on the web:
NASA Office of Education: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

Did you miss last week’s NASA Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA “Science WOW!” Message – March 14, 2018

Check out the latest edition of NASA’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA science opportunities for educators and students delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: How Does Our Sun Compare to Other Stars?

The Sun is a hot ball of glowing gases. Its gravity holds the Solar System together, keeping everything from the biggest planets to the smallest particles of debris in its orbit. Our Sun is pretty impressive, but how does it compare to other stars?

Visit NASA Space Place to find out!
English — https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sun-compare/en/
Spanish — https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sun-compare/sp/


Have You Seen This?


This summer, a spacecraft the size of a small car will launch on a mission to travel directly into the Sun’s atmosphere — and your name can tag along for the ride!

NASA is inviting people around the world to submit their names online to be placed on a microchip aboard NASA’s historic Parker Solar Probe. Facing brutal heat and radiation, the mission will study the corona and solar winds as the probe travels through the Sun’s atmosphere.

http://go.nasa.gov/HotTicket


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


 


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


NASA Pi Day Challenge 2018
Audience: Educators and Students in Grades 6-12
Challenge Release Date: March 9, 2018
Pi Day: March 14, 2018

Celebrate Pi Day with NASA! On March 9 — in advance of the math world’s favorite holiday, Pi Day (March 14) — NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will release the fifth installment of its popular Pi Day Challenge. The illustrated math problem set gets students and adults thinking like NASA scientists to find solutions to real problems posed in space and planetary exploration. It’s a great way to get students excited about the “M” in STEM.

To learn more and to check out challenges from past years, visit https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/events/2018/3/9/celebrate-pi-day-with-nasa/.


Celebrate Solar Week — Spring 2018
Audience: Educators and Students in Grades 5-9, Informal Educators
Event Dates: March 19-23, 2018

Solar Week provides a series of web-based educational activities focusing on the sun-Earth connection. Students ages 10-14 can learn about solar careers, sunspots, solar energy and solar storms through games and lessons.

This spring’s Solar Week activities will highlight the ionosphere. In constant motion, this mysterious region of Earth’s upper atmosphere is our interface to space. In 2018, the ionosphere’s secrets will be probed by two NASA satellite missions, GOLD and ICON.

For more information, visit http://www.solarweek.org.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to solarweek@solarweek.org.


2018 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: March 22 and 23, 2018, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, shares the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

Next Lecture in the Series:
Planning Cassini’s Grand Finale: A Retrospective
Event Date:
March 22 and 23, 2018, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2018&month=3
On Sept. 15, 2017, the Cassini spacecraft plunged into Saturn for a mission-ending grand finale. Join systems engineer Erick Sturm from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a look back at the various scenarios envisioned and contingency plans made by the Cassini team as they steered the spacecraft into unexplored territory.

For more information about the Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, including a complete list of upcoming lectures, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures.php.

Questions about this series should be directed to http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.


**NEW** Video — ‘Mission Possible: Women of the Hubble Space Telescope’
Audience: All Educators and Students

Do you want to inspire girls to pursue careers in STEM fields and go after their dreams? Share this new video, released in celebration of Women’s History Month, that features six women whose careers led them to NASA to work with the Hubble Space Telescope. From astronaut to social media lead, from scientists to engineers, these “Women of Hubble” overcame obstacles and persevered to achieve success and help make Hubble one of the greatest exploration machines in human history. Their inspirational stories teach you that anyone can succeed if you stay curious, never give up and don’t let anything keep you from reaching your goals.

Watch the video at https://youtu.be/NGWR1pZa7w4.

To learn more about the Hubble Space Telescope, visit https://www.nasa.gov/hubble.

 


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University 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 that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

Technology Drives Exploration: Engineering Design in Your Classroom
Audience:
K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: March 15, 2018, at 6 p.m. EDT
Explore engineering design and the engineering design process with its application to real-world problem solving. Learn about NASA engineering design challenges and other NASA STEM classroom resources. Engineering design is a common topic in each grade level of the Next Generation Science Standards and an important concept in understanding our world. Register online to participate.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/310026

**NEW** Technology Drives Exploration: BEST Satellite and Engineering Design
Audience:
K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: March 20, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Learn about the International Space Station as a manmade satellite and explore the BEST (Beginning Engineering Science & Technology) activities that focus on using the engineering design process in the classroom. Register online to participate.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/316518

**NEW** Technology Drives Exploration: Robotics on a Budget
Audience:
4-8, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: March 22, 2018, at 6 p.m. EDT
Robots are a part of everyday life, but what exactly are they? How are robots used in our lives? How are they used at NASA? Explore answers to these questions and learn how to use robotics inexpensively in your classroom by integrating NASA STEM robotic missions, curriculum and online resources. Register online to participate.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/310028

For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


Summer Institute — Liftoff 2018: Reach New Heights, Reveal the Unknown, Benefit All Humankind
Audience: Educators of Grades 4-12
Application Deadline: March 30, 2018
Institute Dates: June 24-29, 2018

The 2018 LiftOff Summer Institute is a weeklong training event sponsored by NASA’s Texas Space Grant Consortium and held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The theme is “Reach New Heights, Reveal the Unknown, Benefit All Humankind.” The event will celebrate all that NASA has contributed and the engineering behind its accomplishments.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens currently employed as classroom teachers of grades 4-12, with at least one year teaching experience prior to the institute.

For more information and to register to attend, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/liftoff/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Margaret Baguio at baguio@tsgc.utexas.edu.

 


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


Call for Proposals — NASA Fellowship Activity 2018
Audience: First-year Master’s or Doctoral Students
Proposal Deadline: March 20, 2018, by 5:59 p.m. EDT

The NASA Office of Education Fellowship Activity funds candidates for graduate research at their respective campuses during the academic year under the guidance of their faculty adviser and a NASA researcher. Proposals must be student-authored and independently conceived.

To be eligible to submit a proposal, candidates must be U.S. citizens or naturalized citizens who hold a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field earned before Aug. 31, 2018. Candidates must be enrolled in a master’s or doctoral degree program no later than Sept. 1, 2018, and intend to pursue a research-based master’s or Ph.D. program in a NASA-relevant field.

Proposals are due March 20, 2018.

For full program details, visit https://go.nasa.gov/2rjqjYO.

Please direct questions concerning these program elements to Elizabeth Cartier at elizabeth.a.cartier@nasa.gov.


NASA Stennis Community College and Education Faculty Fellowship Program
Audience: Full-time Faculty at Accredited Higher Education Institutions in Mississippi and Louisiana
Application Deadline: April 27, 2018, at 5 p.m. CDT
Fellowship Dates: June 4 – Aug. 10, 2018

The NASA Stennis Community College and Education Faculty Fellowship Program provides opportunities for STEM faculty to do research for 10 weeks during the summer at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens working full time at a two-year or four-year accredited university or college in Mississippi or Louisiana. The program provides a weekly stipend. Qualified faculty from minority-serving institutions are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applications are due April 27, 2018, at 5 p.m. CDT. For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/2018_nasa_stennis_community_college_and_education_summer_faculty_fellowship_program_announcement.pdf.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to mitch.krell@nasa.gov.


Seeking Volunteer Reviewers in Earth and Space Science
Audience: Subject Matter Experts in Earth and Space Science

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is seeking subject matter experts to serve as mail-in and/or panel reviewers of proposals to ROSES (Research Opportunities in Earth and Space Science) and other SMD solicitations. Multiple reviewing opportunities are available. Visit the links below to find volunteer review forms and to indicate the topics in which you consider yourself to be a subject matter expert. If your skills match the needs for that review, you may be contacted to discuss scheduling.
Reviewers are needed on a regular basis as opportunities periodically open. To see a full list of current reviewing opportunities, visit http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Max Bernstein at max.bernstein@nasa.gov.

 


Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities
.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educators and Students 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

Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum?
Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom.
NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

Visit NASA Education on the web:
NASA Office of Education: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

Did you miss last week’s NASA Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA “Science WOW!” Message – Feb. 21, 2018

Check out the latest edition of NASA’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA science opportunities for educators and students delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: What Is a Nor’easter?

You may have heard the term “nor’easter” in movies and on television, but what exactly does it mean? Find out how these storms get their name, where they form, what types of weather they bring, and what makes them different from hurricanes.

https://scijinks.gov/noreaster/


Have You Seen This?


Wonder what Pyeongchang, South Korea, looks like from space? Get a glimpse in this “View of the Winter Olympics From Above” compiled from data from Earth-observing missions.

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/a-view-of-the-winter-olympics-from-above

Curious about how an image like this is captured? Learn how Landsat works at https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/how-landsat-works/.


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


 


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


**NEW** 2018 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: Feb. 22 and 23, 2018, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, shares the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

Next Lecture in the Series:

Looking Deep: The InSight Mission to Mars
Event Date: Feb. 22 and 23, 2018, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2018&month=2
The InSight mission, scheduled to launch in May 2018, will be the first NASA mission to observe the deep interior of Mars. Join technologist Troy Lee Hudson for a discussion about Earth’s next trip to Mars. Learn how the Red Planet’s interior will teach us about the history and evolution of the other rocky planets in the solar system.

For more information about the Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, including a complete list of upcoming lectures, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures.php.

Questions about this series should be directed to http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.


**NEW** GOLD Science Communications Webinar — Unprecedented Imaging of Earth’s Space Environment From Geostationary Orbit
Audience: All Students and Educators
Event Date: Feb. 28, 2018, 4 p.m. EST

NASA’s Global Scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission launched on Jan. 25, 2018, and is making its way into a geostationary orbit. Join GOLD Principal Investigator, Richard Eastes, to learn how the GOLD instrument — an ultraviolet imaging spectrograph — will capture unprecedented images of Earth and provide valuable insight into how the near-space environment responds to inputs from the Sun above and the lower atmosphere below.

For more information, visit http://gold.cs.ucf.edu/multimedia/gold-webinars/.

Please direct questions about this webinar to tom.mason@lasp.colorado.edu.


International Space Station Research Design Challenge: Capillary Effects on Liquids Exploratory Research Experiments
Audience: Students in Grades 8-12
Design Submission Deadlines: March 1, 2018

NASA and Portland State University in Oregon are challenging students in grades 8-12 to design microgravity experiments investigating capillary action, similar to those conducted on the space station. Teams or individuals create their own experiment using computer-aided design with a provided template and submit short proposals presenting the experiments. Selected experiments will be tested in the university’s 2.1-second drop tower, and video results will be available for analysis and reporting.

Design ideas are due March 1, 2018. For more information, visit http://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/CELERE/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to celere@lists.nasa.gov.


2018 NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth and Space Science Internship
Audience: Current High School Sophomores and Juniors
Application Deadline: March 1, 2018

NASA, the Texas Space Grant Consortium, and The University of Texas at Austin Center for Space Research have joined forces to encourage high school students’ interest in STEM careers. The SEES project allows students to work remotely prior to their onsite internship in Austin, Texas, July 14-28, 2018. Participants will learn how to interpret NASA satellite data while working with scientists and engineers in their chosen area of work. Housing, transportation and meals will be provided.

For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/sees-internship/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Margaret Baguio at baguio@tsgc.utexas.edu.


**NEW** NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge
Audience: All Educators and Students
Challenge Dates: March 15-April 15, 2018

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, invites educators, students, and the public to enter up to 10 cloud observations per day from March 15-April 15, 2018. Observations can be logged using the GLOBE Program’s data entry options or the GLOBE Observer app. Participants with the most observations will be congratulated by a NASA scientist with a video posted on the NASA GLOBE Clouds website.

To learn more, visit https://www.globe.gov/web/marile.colonrobles/home/blog/-/blogs/37565448.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to marile.colonrobles@nasa.gov.

 


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University 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 that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

ISS YES: Water Is Necessary for Life
Audience:
4-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Feb. 21, 2018, at 5 p.m. EST
Learn how to design and build a water filtration device using commonly available materials and following the design process used by the engineers who developed the space station’s water recovery system. Students build, test and measure the performance of their filtration device; analyze the data; and then work toward an improved design. Register online to participate.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/314342

ISS YES: Teaching on the ISS
Audience:
K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Feb. 22, 2018, at 6 p.m. EST
The Year of Education on Station coordinates educational outreach activities and resources that feature U.S. crew members aboard the space station, including two educators-turned-astronauts. YES takes advantage of the unique capability of the space station to stimulate the interest of students from kindergarteners to post-graduates. Register online to participate.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/308578

**NEW** NASA Aeronautics: Speed of Sound
Audience:
K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Feb. 26, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Learn about motions and forces, transfer of energy and technological design, including how NASA reduces or eliminates aircraft noise. Explore the physics of sound, including how certain variables can affect the speed of sound. Learn about hands-on experiments and physical demonstrations to connect this research in the classroom. Register online to participate.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/304106

**NEW** ISS YES: Space Food and Nutrition
Audience:
K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Feb. 27, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Learn about food and nutrition aboard the International Space Station and how these impact our planning for the Journey to Mars. Register online to participate.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/315800

**NEW** ISS YES: Mass Versus Weight
Audience:
6-8, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Feb. 28, 2018, at 6 p.m. EST
Mass and weight are two very different things and are often confused. Explore mass and weight using NASA lessons that integrate education video filmed by astronauts on the International Space Station. Newton’s Laws of Motion, NASA STEM online resources and inquiry activities will also be discussed. Register online to participate.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/308584

For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


GLOBE Student Research Campaign — Water in Our Environment
Audience: K-12 Educators
Campaign Dates: Now Through June 30, 2018

Water continuously circulates through one of Earth’s most powerful systems: the water cycle. Join GLOBE for its latest campaign that uses a set of guiding investigative questions to enable students to meaningfully explore water in their local environment and collaborate to consider the influence of water on a global scale. The project is flexible, allowing teachers to choose between many options to involve their students.

Visit the site for details about the project and upcoming informational webinars.

https://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign/water-in-our-environment-student-research-campaign

Please direct questions about this opportunity to http://www.globe.gov/support/contact.


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


NASA Marshall Faculty Fellowship Program
Audience: Higher Education Researchers Who Are U.S. Citizens
Application Deadline: Feb. 22, 2018
Fellowship Dates: June 4 – Aug. 10, 2018

The NASA Marshall Faculty Fellowship Program provides opportunities for STEM faculty to do research for 10 weeks during the summer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Applicants must be U.S. citizens working full time at an accredited university or college in the U.S. The program provides stipends and covers limited travel expenses. Qualified male and female faculty from majority- and minority-serving universities and colleges, including underserved groups and persons with disabilities, are encouraged to apply.

Applications are due Feb. 22, 2018. For information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/descriptions/MSFC-Faculty-Fellowship.html.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to frank.six@nasa.gov.


Call for Abstracts: 69th International Astronautical Congress
Audience: Full-time U.S. Graduate Students Attending U.S. Universities
Submission Deadline: Feb. 27, 2018

NASA is seeking abstracts from full-time graduate students interested in presenting at the 69th International Astronautical Congress taking place Oct. 1-5, 2018, in Bremen, Germany. Abstracts must be original, unpublished papers that have not been submitted in any other forum. Abstracts must be 400 words or less, written in English and related to NASA’s ongoing vision for space exploration.

Abstracts are due Feb. 27, 2018. For more information, visit https://iac.nasaprs.com/iac/home/index.cfm.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to abstract@nasaprs.com.


Now Accepting Applications for NASA Summer Internships
Audience: High School, Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Application Deadline: March 1, 2018

Now is your chance to apply for exciting hands-on internship opportunities available this summer at all NASA centers. High school, undergraduate and graduate students are needed to help NASA scientists and engineers with ongoing scientific and engineering research, technology development and spaceflight operations activities. Internships also exist in nontechnical areas such as communications, budget, procurement, education and human resources. NASA internships are stipend-paid and offer students mentor-directed, degree-related, NASA-relevant tasks.

If you think you have what it takes to be a NASA intern, please visit https://intern.nasa.gov today to apply or to learn more about the numerous opportunities available.

The deadline for summer applications is March 1, 2018!

Please submit inquiries about NASA Internships and Fellowships via https://intern.nasa.gov/oic/.


**NEW** Free ‘Sun, Earth, Universe’ Exhibition Available for Eligible Institutions
Audience: Informal Science Education Institutions in the U.S. within the NISE Network (NISENet)
Application Deadline: May 1, 2018

In collaboration with NASA, NISENet is accepting applications from eligible institutions to receive a free “Sun, Earth, Universe” exhibition. This engaging and interactive museum exhibition about Earth and space science has been curated with science experts and designed for family audiences. Visit the site for eligibility details.

The exhibition is designed for NISENet partners located within the United States and U.S. territories. Applicants must be informal science education institutions such as science museums and science centers, children’s museums, natural history museums and nature centers, public planetariums and observatories, and NASA visitor centers.

To learn more, visit https://science.nasa.gov/news-articles/Free-Science-Exhibits-Available-for-Eligible-Institutions.

Please note that K-12 schools, afterschool programs, libraries, parks, summer camps and astronomy clubs are not eligible to exhibit. If your institution is not eligible, consider downloading a digital version of the “Explore Science: Earth & Space Toolkit” to engage audiences in hands-on Earth and space science activities with connections to science, technology and society. Digital toolkits are available for free download at: http://www.nisenet.org/earthspacekit.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to exhibits@nisenet.org.


**NEW** Seeking Volunteer Reviewers in Earth and Space Science
Audience: Subject Matter Experts in Earth and Space Science

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is seeking subject matter experts to serve as mail-in and/or panel reviewers of proposals to ROSES (Research Opportunities in Earth and Space Science) and other SMD solicitations. Multiple reviewing opportunities are available. Visit the links below to find volunteer review forms and to indicate the topics in which you consider yourself to be a subject matter expert. If your skills match the needs for that review, you may be contacted to discuss scheduling.

We are currently seeking reviewers for the following:

Reviewers are needed on a regular basis as opportunities periodically open. To see a full list of current reviewing opportunities, visit http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Max Bernstein at max.bernstein@nasa.gov.

 


Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities
.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educators and Students 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

Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum?
Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom.
NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

Visit NASA Education on the web:
NASA Office of Education: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

Did you miss last week’s NASA Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA “Science WOW!” Message — Jan. 31, 2018

Check out the latest edition of NASA’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: What Is a Supermoon?

There’s been lots of talk in the news about supermoons lately, but just what makes a supermoon so special? Find out and learn more about moon-related terms at https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon/supermoon/.

Want to know when the next full moon will brighten the sky? Download and print your own Moon Phases Calendar and Calculator!
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/make-a-moon-phases-calendar-and-calculator


Have You Seen This?


Did you see this morning’s Super Blue Blood Moon lunar eclipse? Scientists hope to learn important things about the moon from data collected during this special eclipse.

Get the scoop on what they are expecting to learn about lunar soil at https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/what-scientists-can-learn-about-the-moon-during-the-jan-31-eclipse.


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


 


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


Free Program — Cubes in Space™
Audience: Students Ages 11-18 and Educator Mentors
Registration Deadline: Feb. 2, 2018

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Langley Research Center, along with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium and idoodledu, inc., are offering a free STEAM education program for students ages 11-18. Cubes in Space lets students design and compete to launch an experiment into space. Selected student-designed payload cubes will be launched via a sounding rocket from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, in late June 2018 or from a high-altitude scientific balloon from NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in New Mexico in late August 2018.

Registration closes on Feb. 2, 2018. For more information, visit http://www.cubesinspace.com/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to info@cubesinspace.com.


Diving Into Ocean Worlds — Titan: A World With Two Styles of Ocean
Audience: All Educators and Grade 9-Higher Education Students
Event Date: Feb. 8, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. CST (8:30 p.m. EST)

Earth is not the only ocean world in the solar system. The exploration of ocean worlds in the outer solar system is a hot topic of research in the planetary science community.

Join Dr. Ralph Lorenz from Johns Hopkins University for a discussion of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, and the two styles of oceans found there. Attend the event in person at the Lunar Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, or watch the event live online. Archives of past lectures also are available online.

For more information, visit https://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/cosmic-explorations/.

Please direct questions about this event to CosmicLecture@lpi.usra.edu.


**NEW** New Resource: CubeSat 101 — Basic Concepts and Processes for First-Time CubeSat Developers
Audience: K-12 and Higher Education Educators and Students
Category: Educational Resources

Do you want to start a CubeSat program and launch a small satellite? The CubeSat Launch Initiative gives students, teachers and faculty a chance to get hands-on, flight hardware development experience while designing, building and operating small research satellites. This opportunity is open to U.S. nonprofit organizations and accredited educational organizations.

A new resource is available to help you learn how to take a great CubeSat idea and make it into an actual spacecraft that is launched into orbit. The “CubeSat 101: Basic Concepts and Processes for First-Time CubeSat Developers” can be found at https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nasa_csli_cubesat_101_508.pdf.

To learn more about the CubeSat Launch Initiative, visit http://go.nasa.gov/CubeSat_initiative.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Carol Galica at Carol.A.Galica@nasa.gov.

 


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University 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 that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

ISS YES: Toys in Space — Basic Physics in Microgravity
Audience:
5-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Feb. 1, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Participants will get an overview of NASA’s International Toys in Space resources. Discussion will focus on hands-on activities showing basic physics in the special case of microgravity. The activities presented in this webinar address the Next Generation Science Standards PS2 and PS3.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/303570

**NEW** ISS YES: Teamwork Strategies
Audience:
K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Feb. 8, 2018, at 5 p.m. EST
Learn how NASA helps crew members develop skills to prepare to live and work together during space missions. The webinar’s activities help students learn and practice skills applicable in everyday life. Activities on the following topics will be presented: Self Care/Team Care, Cultural Competency, Leadership/Followship and Teamwork Communication. Register online to participate.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/307521

For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


Free Education Workshops From NASA Stennis Space Center Office of Education
Audience: In-Service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal STEM Educators

The NASA Stennis Space Center Office of Education is presenting a series of free workshops open to all educators. All workshops will take place at the Infinity Science Center in Pearlington, Mississippi. (map) Registration is required to participate. Each workshop is limited to 30 participants. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

International Space Station: Beyond the Classroom
Audience:
Educators of Grades 4-8
Registration Deadline: Feb. 4, 2018 (maximum of 30 participants)
Event Date: Feb. 8, 2018, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. CST
Explore ways to integrate the International Space Station into your STEM, arts and social studies instruction. Participants also will learn about the Year of Education on Station — two former classroom teachers, now astronauts, spending a combined year in space delivering STEM activities related to the space station.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/298599

Forces and Motion of Flight
Audience: Educators of Grades 4-8
Registration Deadline: March 4, 2018 (maximum of 30 participants)
Event Date: March 8, 2018, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. CDT
Learn about the forces and motion of flying things with a wide variety of hands-on aerospace STEM activities, lesson plans and online resources. Discover some of the many aeronautics technologies developed from NASA research.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/298601

For a full schedule of upcoming educator workshops, visit https://www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/education/educators/workshops.html.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to April McIntosh at april.l.mcintosh@nasa.gov.

 


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


2018-2019 NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowships
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Proposal Deadline: Feb. 1, 2018

The NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship program is accepting proposals for the 2018-2019 academic year. Applications must be from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of individuals pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in Earth and space sciences, or related disciplines.

NASA will award training grants to the respective universities, with the advisor serving as principal investigator. The maximum NESSF award is $45,000 per year.

Proposals are due Feb. 1, 2018. For information, visit https://go.nasa.gov/2AsHckq.

Questions about Earth Science Research NESSF opportunities should be directed to Claire Macaulay at Claire.I.Macaulay@nasa.gov.

Questions about Heliophysics Research, Planetary Science Research and Astrophysics Research opportunities should be directed to Marian Norris at mnorris@nasa.gov.


2018 Planetary Geology and Geophysics Undergraduate Research Program
Audience: Undergraduate Students Majoring in Geology or a Related Science
Application Deadline: Feb. 21, 2018

The Planetary Geology and Geophysics Undergraduate Research Program pairs qualified undergraduate students with NASA-funded investigators at research locations across the U.S. for eight weeks during the summer. Students spend the summer at the NASA scientists’ home institutions. Selected students receive a cost-of-living stipend and compensation for housing and travel.

Undergraduate students majoring in geology or related sciences are eligible to apply. Students graduating in 2018 who have not started graduate school yet are also eligible. Preference is given to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Applications are due Feb. 21, 2018.

For more information, visit http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~tgregg/pggurp_homepage.html.

If you have questions about this opportunity, please email Robyn Wagner, PGGURP administrator, at pggurp@buffalo.edu.


NASA Marshall Faculty Fellowship Program
Audience: Higher Education Researchers Who Are U.S. Citizens
Application Deadline: Feb. 22, 2018
Fellowship Dates: June 4 – Aug. 10, 2018

The NASA Marshall Faculty Fellowship Program provides opportunities for STEM faculty to do research for 10 weeks during the summer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Applicants must be U.S. citizens working full time at an accredited university or college in the U.S. The program provides stipends and covers limited travel expenses. Qualified male and female faculty from majority- and minority-serving universities and colleges, including underserved groups and persons with disabilities, are encouraged to apply.

Applications are due Feb. 22, 2018. For information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/descriptions/MSFC-Faculty-Fellowship.html.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to frank.six@nasa.gov.


Call for Abstracts: 69th International Astronautical Congress
Audience: Full-time U.S. Graduate Students Attending U.S. Universities
Submission Deadline: Feb. 27, 2018

NASA is seeking abstracts from full-time graduate students interested in presenting at the 69th International Astronautical Congress taking place Oct. 1-5, 2018, in Bremen, Germany. Abstracts must be original, unpublished papers that have not been submitted in any other forum. Abstracts must be 400 words or less, written in English and related to NASA’s ongoing vision for space exploration.

Abstracts are due Feb. 27, 2018. For more information, visit https://iac.nasaprs.com/iac/home/index.cfm.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to abstract@nasaprs.com.


Call for Proposals — NASA Fellowship Activity 2018
Audience: First-year Master’s or Doctoral Students
Pre-proposal Teleconference Date: Feb. 5, 2018, at 10 a.m. EST
Proposal Deadline: March 20, 2018, by 5:59 p.m. EDT

The NASA Office of Education Fellowship Activity funds candidates for graduate research at their respective campuses during the academic year under the guidance of their faculty adviser and a NASA researcher. Proposals must be student-authored and independently conceived.

To be eligible to submit a proposal, candidates must be U.S. citizens or naturalized citizens who hold a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field earned before Aug. 31, 2018. Candidates must be enrolled in a master’s or doctoral degree program no later than Sept. 1, 2018, and intend to pursue a research-based master’s or Ph.D. program in a NASA-relevant field.

Proposals are due March 20, 2018.

For full program details, visit https://go.nasa.gov/2rjqjYO.

An informational webinar about this fellowship will be presented on Feb. 5, 2018, at 10 a.m. EST. The telecom number is 1-844-467-6272, and the passcode is 993012. The information to join the meeting via the web will be posted on the solicitation webpage once the information is available.

Please direct questions concerning these program elements to Elizabeth Cartier at elizabeth.a.cartier@nasa.gov.


**NEW** ‘RockOn! 2018’ University Rocket Science Workshop
Audience: Higher Education Faculty and Students
Early Bird Registration Deadline: March 22, 2018
Registration Deadline: May 2, 2018

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia is hosting the “RockOn! 2018” workshop June 16-21, 2018, in partnership with the Colorado and Virginia Space Grant Consortia. University and community college faculty and students are invited to the weeklong workshop to learn how to build and launch a scientific experiment into space.

Participants at the hands-on workshop will build an experiment that will be launched to an altitude of more than 70 miles. Workshop participants must be U.S. citizens.

For more information, visit http://spacegrant.colorado.edu/national-programs/rockon-2018-home.

Please direct questions about this workshop to Keith Koehler at koehler@colorado.edu.


Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities
.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educators and Students 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

Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum?
Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom.
NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

Visit NASA Education on the web:
NASA Office of Education: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

Did you miss last week’s NASA Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA “Science WOW!” Message — Dec. 13, 2017

Check out the latest edition of NASA’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: How Can I View Tonight’s Peak of the Geminid Meteor Shower?

This year’s Geminid meteor shower will be the best of 2017! The shower peaks tonight with rates around one meteor per minute under good conditions. So bundle up and head outside. But check out these resources before you go!

Heads Up, Earthlings! The Geminids Are Here
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2017/heads-up-earthlings-the-geminids-are-here.html

Video: What’s Up for December?
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1512


Have You Seen This?


Have you ever wondered what makes a meteor different from a meteorite? Or if asteroids and comets are made of the same stuff? Flip through the “What’s That Space Rock?” Slideshow to learn all about these and other bodies in our solar system.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/slideshow/whats-that-space-rock/


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


 

 


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


Free Program — Cubes in Space™
Audience: Students Ages 11-18 and Educator Mentors
Registration Deadline: Feb. 2, 2018

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Langley Research Center, along with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium and idoodledu, inc., are offering a free STEAM education program for students ages 11-18. Cubes in Space lets students design and compete to launch an experiment into space. Selected student-designed payload cubes will be launched via a sounding rocket from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, in late June 2018 or from a high-altitude scientific balloon from NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in New Mexico in late August 2018.

Registration closes on Feb. 2, 2018. For more information, visit http://www.cubesinspace.com/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to info@cubesinspace.com.


International Space Station Research Design Challenge: Capillary Effects on Liquids Exploratory Research Experiments
Audience: Students in Grades 8-12
Design Submission Deadlines: March 1, 2018

NASA and Portland State University in Oregon are challenging students in grades 8-12 to design microgravity experiments investigating capillary action, similar to those conducted on the space station. Teams or individuals create their own experiment using computer-aided design with a provided template and submit short proposals presenting the experiments. Selected experiments will be tested in the university’s 2.1-second drop tower, and video results will be available for analysis and reporting.

Design ideas are due March 1, 2018. For more information, visit http://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/CELERE/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to celere@lists.nasa.gov.


Be a Citizen Scientist With the ‘Aurorasaurus’ Project
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Timeframe: Ongoing

Aurorasaurus is the first and only citizen science project that tracks auroras around the world via online reports, mobile apps and social media.

Aurorasaurus is a citizen science project that gathers real-time data about aurora sightings and sends out notifications to users when the northern or southern lights are likely visible in their area. Registered users get location-based notifications and a real-time monitor of space weather activity. The project also allows users to help verify tweets and search for real sightings. Plus, the website features answers to science and aurora questions.

To learn more, visit http://www.aurorasaurus.org/.

Please direct questions about this project to aurorasaurus.info@gmail.com.

This project receives support from the National Science Foundation and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

 


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University 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 that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: Mission Geography, 6-12
Audience:
6-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 14, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST
Learn about NASA’s Mission Geography resources featuring Earth science lessons that integrate STEM, geography and the language arts with Earth observations, remote sensing and maps. Discover ways to use the unique perspective from space to investigate Earth and the processes that shape it, both natural and human influenced. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/285833

**NEW** The Chemistry of Space Exploration
Audience:
7-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 18, 2017, at 7 p.m. EST
Engineering is only one of many disciplines at play in designing a mission to space. See how chemistry is involved in mission planning. Using several demos and highlighting NASA educational material, participants will explore the important role chemistry plays in designing spacecraft and keeping astronauts safe in space. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/298669

**NEW** NASA Satellite Observations in Science Education — Hunting Icebergs
Audience:
4-10, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 19, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Explore the NASA Wavelength lesson, “Hunting Icebergs.” The resource uses three modules that engage students with real NASA data: Identifying; Sizing Up; and Tracing Data. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/293843

For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


GLOBE Student Research Campaign — Water in Our Environment
Audience: K-12 Educators
Campaign Dates: Now Through June 30, 2018

Water continuously circulates through one of Earth’s most powerful systems: the water cycle. Join GLOBE for its latest campaign that uses a set of guiding investigative questions to enable students to meaningfully explore water in their local environment and collaborate to consider the influence of water on a global scale. The project is flexible, allowing teachers to choose between many options to involve their students.

Visit the site for details about the project and upcoming informational webinars.

https://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign/water-in-our-environment-student-research-campaign

Please direct questions about this opportunity to http://www.globe.gov/support/contact.



Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


2018 High-Altitude Student Platform Opportunity
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Application Deadline: Dec. 15, 2017

The Louisiana Space Consortium, or LaSPACE, is accepting applications from students at U.S. colleges and universities who want to send experiments to the edge of space. The annual project, supported by the NASA Balloon Program Office and LaSPACE, provides near-space access for 12 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.

Applications are due Dec. 15, 2017. For more information, visit http://laspace.lsu.edu/hasp/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to guzik@phunds.phys.lsu.edu.


2018 Lunar and Planetary Institute’s Exploration Science Summer Intern Program
Audience: Graduate Students
Application Deadline: Jan. 19, 2018

Join the Lunar and Planetary Institute for a 10-week program for graduate students in geology, planetary science, planetary astronomy and related programs. Learn how to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. Activities will support missions to the Moon that use the Orion crew vehicle, the Deep Space Gateway and robotic assets on the lunar surface.

Interns will receive stipends and travel expense reimbursement. Applications are due Jan. 19, 2018.

For more information, visit https://www.lpi.usra.edu/exploration_intern/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to explorationintern@lpi.usra.edu.


Free ‘NASA’s Journey to Mars’ Planetarium/Dome Show
Audience: Formal and Informal Educators

Are you looking for ways to prepare students for STEM-related career opportunities? Do you want to spark their interest in pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation? Right now, NASA’s fleet of Mars robotic explorers is paving the way for human exploration of the solar system in the coming decades. Have your students join NASA in preparing for a monumental journey of a lifetime — to Mars!

“NASA’s Journey to Mars” is a short planetarium presentation that can be used in the educational domes of your school district, as well as local planetariums, to inspire interest in STEM. To learn more, including how you can acquire the show for use in your area, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/journey-of-a-lifetime-mars-education-resources/.

Please direct questions about the “NASA’s Journey to Mars” planetarium/dome show to Elsie Weigel at elsie.weigel@nasa.gov.

 


Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities
.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educators and Students 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

Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum?
Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom.
NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

Visit NASA Education on the web:
NASA Office of Education: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

Did you miss last week’s NASA Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — May 31, 2017

Check out the latest edition of NASA Education’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: Why Does NASA Study the Environment?

When you think of NASA, you probably think of astronauts, satellites, Mars rovers, and telescopes that study distant planets and far-off galaxies.

NASA is a space agency. So, why study Earth’s environment? To find out, visit https://climatekids.nasa.gov/why-earth/.


Have You Seen This?


World Environment Day is June 5!

Bring the celebration to your classroom with NASA’s GLOBE Program!

Learn more at https://www.globe.gov/.


Solar Eclipse Countdown!


Experience the 2017 Eclipse Across AmericaLess than 11 weeks until the Total Solar Eclipse!

The path of totality for the August 21 solar eclipse will cross through 14 states! The rest of North America will experience a partial eclipse.

Do you know what the eclipse will look like in your area?

Find out at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-maps.

 


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions



Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


2017 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: June 1, 2017, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, shares the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

Next Lecture in the Series:

The Golden Age of Exploration
Event Date:
June 1 and June 2, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2017&month=6
Missions managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have visited every planet in our solar system. Mars has been explored by rovers; samples from a comet’s tail and the solar wind have been returned to Earth; planets have been discovered around neighboring stars; and new insights into our planet’s environment have been acquired. Join Charles Elachi, recently retired director of JPL, for a discussion about this golden age of exploration.

For more information about the Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, including a complete list of upcoming lectures, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures.php.

Questions about this series should be directed to http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.


Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 12 to the International Space Station
Audience: School Districts Serving Grades 5-12, Informal Education Institutions, Colleges and Universities
Inquiry Deadline: June, 15, 2017
Start Date: September 5, 2017

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education announce a science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 12 to the International Space Station, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low Earth orbit on the space station. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a microgravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring/summer 2018 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved mini-lab.

Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming uses the experiment design competition to engage the community in embracing a learning-community model for STEM education.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations also are encouraged to participate. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than June 15, 2017. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

To learn more about this opportunity, visit the “SSEP Mission 12 to International Space Station” National Announcement of Opportunity at http://ssep.ncesse.org/2017/03/new-flight-opportunity-for-school-districts-announcing-student-spaceflight-experiments-program-ssep-mission-12-to-the-international-space-station-starting-september-2017/.

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with DreamUp PBC and NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the use of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner of SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.


**NEW** New Forever Stamp to Commemorate Solar Eclipse 2017
Audience: All Educators and Students
Release Date: June 20, 2017

To commemorate the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse, the U.S. Postal Service will release a first-of-its-kind stamp that changes when touched. The Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamp is the first U.S. stamp application of thermochromic ink. Using the body heat of a person’s thumb or fingers, the eclipse image will transform to reveal an underlying image of the moon. The stamp reverts back to the eclipse image once it cools.

Tens of millions of people in the United States hope to view this rare event, which has not been seen on the U.S. mainland since 1979. The eclipse will travel a narrow path across the entire country for the first time since 1918. The path will run west to east from Oregon to South Carolina and will include portions of 14 states.

The Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamps can be pre-ordered now at usps.com/shop for delivery after the June 20 issuance. Please share the news and your eclipse experiences using the hashtag #EclipseStamps.

For more information, visit http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2017/pr17_020.htm.

Please direct questions about the Total Solar Eclipse Forever stamp to Mark Saunders at mark.r.saunders@usps.gov.


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University 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 that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

NASA Digital Badge for Educators: A Way to Personalize Your Learning
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: May 31, 2017, at 4 p.m. EDT
Digital badges, or microcredentials, are online representation of online learning experiences. They offer educators an opportunity to personalize their professional development. NASA EPDC Digital Badging System offers various opportunities for educators to learn about NASA topics and classroom activities while earning hours of professional development. This webinar will offer a walkthrough of the Digital Badging System and will look through some current opportunities for all educators. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/242639

**NEW** Journey to Mars: Radiation
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: June 6, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Learn about NASA’s Journey to Mars and how radiation impacts our planning. Participants also will learn about current research at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/254169

For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


Be a Citizen Earth Scientist With the ‘GLOBE Observer’ App
Audience: All Educators and Students

Want to be a citizen Earth scientist? To contribute to NASA’s studies of our home planet, all you need is a smartphone, access to the outdoors, and the “GLOBE Observer” app.

Now available for Apple and Android phones, the app is an initiative of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment program. For over two decades, GLOBE has enabled schools and students in over 110 countries to investigate their local environment and put their observations in a global context.

To learn more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-launches-new-citizen-science-opportunity and http://observer.globe.gov.


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


**NEW** 2017 Girls in STEM Event at NASA’s Glenn Research Center
Audience: Summer Camps and Out-of-School-Time Groups for Girls in Grades 6-8
Registration Deadline: June 2, 2017
Event Date: July 14, 2017

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is hosting a “Girls in STEM” event for girls in grades 6 to 8 who participate in summer camps or other out-of-school-time summer groups and organizations! The event will take place on July 14, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT.

This activity-filled event includes a career showcase, a panel of female scientists and engineers, an engineering design challenge, and facility tours to encourage future leaders to pursue careers in STEM.

Online registration for the event is open through Friday, June 2, 2017. Attending students and chaperones must be U.S. citizens. Each group must have 10 to 25 students.

For full event details and to register online, visit https://events.grc.nasa.gov/girlsinstem/Default.aspx.

Questions about this event should be directed to Stephanie Brown-Houston at sdbrown-houston@nasa.gov.


2017 Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
DEADLINE EXTENDED — Abstract Submissions Due: June 2, 2017
Workshop Dates: Aug. 21-25, 2017

The annual Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop will be held Aug. 21-25, 2017, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop encourages knowledge sharing, professional development, and networking throughout the thermal and fluids engineering community within NASA, academia and the aerospace community at large. STEM faculty and university students are encouraged to attend, submit a poster or paper on their thermal/fluids work, take free training, or do a combination thereof.

Registration to attend the workshop is free. Participants interested in presenting at the conference, via manuscript or technical poster, must submit an abstract by June 2, 2017.

For more information about the workshop and how to submit an abstract for consideration, visit https://tfaws.nasa.gov/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Ramona Cummings at ramona.o.cummings@nasa.gov.


Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships
Audience: Undergraduate and Graduate Students at U.S. Universities and Colleges
Application Deadline: June 2, 2017

The Space Studies Board is seeking applicants for the Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships for autumn 2017. The goal of the program is to provide promising undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to work in the area of civil space research policy in the nation’s capital.

Established in 1958, the Space Studies Board is the principal advisory group providing independent scientific and programmatic advice to NASA and other government agencies on all aspects of civil space research and associated ground-based activities. Interns typically undertake one or more short-term research projects designed to assist with or to enhance ongoing study projects.

Applicants must be registered students (undergraduate or graduate) at a U.S. university or college who have completed their junior year. Applicants should have long-term career goals in space science research, applications or policy.

For more information and a full list of eligibility requirements, visit http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_052239.

Please direct questions about this internship to Dr. David H. Smith at dhsmith@nas.edu.


Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities
.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educators and Students 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

Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum?
Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom.
NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Visit NASA Education on the web:
NASA Office of Education: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

Did you miss last week’s NASA Education Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — April 26, 2017

Check out the latest edition of NASA Education’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Check out the latest edition of NASA Education’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: What Are Some of the Hubble Space Telescope’s Greatest Scientific Achievements?

Happy Birthday, Hubble! This amazing telescope launched 27 years ago on the space shuttle Discovery, and Hubble has been sending back iconic images ever since. Check out highlights of Hubble’s exploration of the universe.

https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/2017/highlights-of-hubble-s-exploration-of-the-universe


Have You Seen This?


Hubble is more than a science spacecraft; it’s a cultural phenomenon! NASA invites you to #SpotHubble.

Take a moment to think about where you’ve seen the Hubble Space Telescope or Hubble images in your daily life. Maybe you own a textbook with a picture of the telescope on the cover, or you walk by a mural inspired by Hubble images on your way to work. Perhaps you’ve even created art based on Hubble images. NASA wants to see the impact Hubble has had in your life! Share your photos with NASA on Instagram, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook.

To learn more, visit http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/2016/spothubble.


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


 


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


**NEW** NASA’s International Space Apps Challenge
Audience: Problem Solvers of All Ages
Event Dates: April 28, 2017 (Boot Camp); April 29-30, 2017 (Hackathon)

NASA is preparing for the sixth annual International Space Apps Challenge, which will be held April 29-30, 2017. The program invites participants to solve challenges using NASA data to develop mobile applications, software, hardware, data visualizations and platform solutions that can contribute to space exploration missions and help improve life on Earth.

The theme of this year’s challenge is “Earth!” Our planet is a complex and dynamic system that still holds many mysteries. Year-round, NASA helps shed light on Earth’s many components, including oceans, landscapes and living things. With unique vantage points in air and in space, NASA collects high-quality data covering all parts of the planet to tell us more about the world we live in and to predict future processes on Earth.

This year’s two-day Space Apps “hackathon” will bring tech-savvy citizens, scientists, entrepreneurs, designers, artists, educators and students together to be a part of this scientific exploration, as we challenge problem solvers across the globe to create innovative uses of NASA’s Earth science data.

Additionally, many locations are hosting a pre-hackathon boot camp event on April 28, 2017, to introduce participants to the latest trends in data and technology and to provide tutorials to first-time hackers and coders. The boot camps at our two Mainstage locations, New York City and Silicon Valley (Palo Alto), will be livestreamed on our website!

Registration for participation is now open at over 180 locations worldwide!

To learn more about the International Space Apps Challenge, get the latest updates, and register to attend an event, visit https://2017.spaceappschallenge.org/.

If you have questions about the challenge, please visit https://2017.spaceappschallenge.org/contact-us.


DEADLINE EXTENDED: Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 12 to the International Space Station
Audience: School Districts Serving Grades 5-12, Informal Education Institutions, Colleges and Universities
Inquiry Deadline: May 31, 2017
Start Date: September 5, 2017

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education announce a science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 12 to the International Space Station, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low Earth orbit on the space station. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a microgravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring/summer 2018 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved mini-lab.

Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming uses the experiment design competition to engage the community in embracing a learning-community model for STEM education.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations also are encouraged to participate. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than May 31, 2017. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

To learn more about this opportunity, visit the “SSEP Mission 12 to International Space Station” National Announcement of Opportunity at http://ssep.ncesse.org/2017/03/new-flight-opportunity-for-school-districts-announcing-student-spaceflight-experiments-program-ssep-mission-12-to-the-international-space-station-starting-september-2017/.

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with DreamUp PBC and NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the use of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner of SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

 


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University 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 that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

So You Want to Be an Astronaut and Other NASA Careers
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12
Event Date: April 27, 2017, at 6 p.m. EDT
Not just astronauts work at NASA. Explore the many NASA STEM careers needed to successfully accomplish the unique, exciting missions that explore and build a better understanding of our Earth and the universe beyond. NASA career education curriculum and resources will be integrated into this online learning session. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/243842

**NEW** International Space Station: Off the Earth, For the Earth — The Brain in Space
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School, and Informal Educators of Grades 9-12
Event Date: May 1, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Participants will get an overview of resources related to the study of the effects of microgravity on the human brain. We will discuss classroom application and modification of resources as an integral part of this webinar. The activities presented in this webinar address the Next Generation Science Standard LS1. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/227783

For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


**NEW** Take Your Students on a Series of Virtual Field Trips!
Audience: Grades 6-12 — Students and Educators, Formal and Informal
Next Event Date: May 5, 2017, 2 p.m. CDT

Bring your students along on a series of virtual field trips to NASA centers where students will go behind-the-scenes to see cool NASA places and visit with NASA professionals. Each session is 15-30 minutes long and includes an interactive question-and-answer session. Pre-registration is not required.

Upcoming virtual field trips include:

Deep Space Patrol — May 5, 2017, 2 p.m. CDT
Go behind-the-scenes in NASA’s meteorite lab with Kevin Righter, planetary scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Mission to Mars — May 8, 2017, 10 a.m. CDT
Learn about driving on another planet with an inside look at NASA’s space exploration vehicles with Lucien Junkin, robotics engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Adventures in Aeronautics — May 18, 2017, 9 a.m. CDT
Learn about high-flying careers with NASA Aircraft Operations. Join Mallory Yates, aerospace engineer, and Angela Bauer, deputy engineering branch chief of the Aircraft Operations Division, for a behind-the-scenes look at aviation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Fun With Technology — May 22, 2017, 10 a.m. CDT
Take a virtual field trip to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Go behind-the-scenes with NASA intern Kaitlin Lostroscio to learn about NASA robotics.

These virtual field trips are a series of events offered to students and teachers as a component of “The Search for STEMnauts” — a virtual scavenger hunt where student teams in grades 6-12 solve puzzles, unravel riddles, break codes and make weekly virtual field trips to exclusive NASA locations. Student teams can even check out where they stand among the competition by following real-time updates on “The Search for STEMnauts” website!

This interactive, technical twist on a traditional scavenger hunt is offered through a partnership between NASA’s STEM on Station and Texas Instruments to provide students with a fun way to learn important STEM skills including coding and problem solving.

All students and educators (grades 6-12) are invited to participate in any virtual field trip offered. Participation in “The Search for STEMnauts” competition is not required. To learn more about these virtual field trips, including links to join in, go to https://education.ti.com/NASAliveevents.

For more information about “The Search for STEMnauts,” including how to register, visit www.STEMnauts.com.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Kelly McCormick at Kelly.mccormick-1@nasa.gov.


**NEW** NASA Mars Science: MAVEN Outreach Webinar — Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets
Audience: K-12 and Informal Educators
Event Date: May 24, 2017, 7 p.m. EDT

MAVEN Outreach Webinars are virtual gatherings of team members from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, mission to offer professional development for formal and informal educators, troop leaders, museum docents, and others interested in MAVEN and Mars science.

Join the MAVEN team on May 24, 2017, at 7 p.m. EDT, for the Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets webinar. Learn about ways the MAVEN mission may help scientists understand how the atmospheres of other rocky worlds are also being eroded. Dr. Shannon Curry from the University of California Berkeley will discuss how planetary bodies such as Mars and Venus can be used to provide insight into how atmospheres evolve, as scientists model (and begin to observe directly) the atmospheres of exoplanets.

For more information, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education-outreach/maven-outreach-webinars/.

Questions about this webinar should be directed to epomail@lasp.colorado.edu.

 


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


NASA’s Centennial Challenges: Vascular Tissue Challenge
Audience: All Interested U.S. Citizens, Including Higher Education Educators and Students
Deadline: No Later Than Sept. 30, 2019

NASA, in partnership with the nonprofit Methuselah Foundation’s New Organ Alliance, is seeking ways to advance the field of bioengineering through a new prize competition. The Vascular Tissue Challenge offers a $500,000 prize to be divided among the first three teams that successfully create thick, metabolically functional, human vascularized organ tissue in a controlled laboratory environment.

Competitors must produce vascularized tissue that is more than .39 inches (1 centimeter) in thickness and maintains more than 85 percent survival of the required cells throughout a 30-day trial period. To win an award, teams must demonstrate three successful trials with at least a 75 percent success rate. In addition to the laboratory trials, teams must submit a proposal that details how they would further advance some aspect of their research through a microgravity experiment that could be conducted in the U.S. National Laboratory on the International Space Station.

The first registered team(s) to meet the required guidelines and complete their trials by Sept. 30, 2019, will win the awards.

The Vascular Tissue Challenge prize purse is provided by NASA’s Centennial Challenges Program, part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. Centennial Challenges, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is NASA’s citizen-inventor prize program. It invites the nation to help advance the technologies that will enable us to go to Mars and beyond, as well as improve life on Earth. The New Organ Alliance is administering the competition on behalf of NASA. The alliance is a nonprofit organization focused on regenerative medicine research and development to benefit human disease research and tissue engineering.

For information about the Methuselah Foundation’s New Organ Alliance, official challenge documents, rules and schedule of events, visit https://neworgan.org/vtc-prize.php.

For more information about the Vascular Tissue Challenge, visit http://www.nasa.gov/vtchallenge.


Free “NASA’s Journey to Mars” Planetarium/Dome Show
Audience: All Formal and Informal Educators

Are you looking for ways to prepare your students for STEM-related career opportunities? Do you want to spark their interest in pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation? Right now, NASA’s fleet of Mars robotic explorers is paving the way for human exploration of the solar system in the coming decades. Have your students join NASA in preparing for a monumental journey of a lifetime — to Mars!

“NASA’s Journey to Mars” is a short planetarium presentation that can be used in the educational domes of your school district, as well as local planetariums, to inspire interest in STEM. To learn more, including how you can acquire the show for use in your area, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/journey-of-a-lifetime-mars-education-resources/.

Please direct questions about the “NASA’s Journey to Mars” planetarium/dome show to Elsie Weigel at elsie.weigel@nasa.gov.

 


Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities
.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educators and Students 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

Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum?
Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom.
NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Visit NASA Education on the web:
NASA Office of Education: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

Did you miss last week’s NASA Education Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/