OSGC Educational Resources Blog

The Earth Then, Earth Now: Our Changing Climate Educator Conference will focus on understanding climate change and will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Dr. Sally Ride’s first space shuttle mission. How was Earth’s climate different 25 years ago? What changes are predicted over the next 25 years?

Participants will investigate the basic science behind our understanding of climate change. They will also learn about the global impact of climate change on the atmosphere, ocean, continents and ecosystems. The conference will draw upon the latest science to present the story of our changing climate. Dr. Ride will give a keynote talk, and leading climate scientists will give presentations. The conference will also include hands-on activities, materials for the classroom, and current ideas for facing our climate challenge and creating a healthier planet. Participants will also learn about the wide-ranging career opportunities in this expanding and dynamic field.

The conference is taking place on July 23-24, 2008, at the NOAA Science Center in Silver Spring, Md. The registration fee of $60 covers teaching materials and most meals.

For more information and to register for the conference online, visit http://www.sallyridescience.com/conference

The NASA University Research Centers Technical Assistance Workshop will be held on May 12, 2008, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. as a pre-conference event at the Minority Serving Institutions Research Partnerships Conference in New Orleans, La.

This workshop will include a special matchmaking session to provide an opportunity to identify potential partnerships in NASA-related areas of interest with NASA’s current prime contractors. The workshop will provide overviews of NASA Education’s current priorities and requirements, the NASA mission directorates, and the URC proposal solicitation, proposal development and submission process. Representatives from NASA centers and headquarters will be on hand to interact with participants and answer questions.

Also during the conference, on May 14, 2008, several NASA Higher Education programs will be featured during the opening and concurrent sessions. These programs include the NASA Science and Technology Institute at the NASA/ Ames Research Park, Harriett Jenkins Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, and current and past NASA University Research Centers will showcase their capabilities and accomplishments.

For more information about the conference and NASA workshops, visit http://www.msirp2008.com

The Endeavour Center, NASA Educator Resource Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, located in central California, will host an educator conference on June 14-15, 2008. This conference will coincide with the launch of the Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason-2 satellite launch on June 15, 2008.

The satellite will provide global ocean surface topography, circulation and tide models. This information is critical in the study of global weather because ocean temperatures and circulation drive many Earth weather cycles.

Registration and application information will be e-mailed to interested K-12 teachers. Teachers wishing to be added to the e-mail list should contact Moksha Badarayan, Endeavour Center, Director at director@endeavours.org .

For more information about this conference, visit http://www.endeavours.org/sec/

In 2007, Barbara Morgan became the first Educator Astronaut to visit the space station. As a mission specialist on the STS-118 crew, she helped continue the assembly of the International Space Station. Before becoming an astronaut, Morgan was a classroom teacher for 26 years. Morgan will present highlights of her STS-118 space shuttle mission during presentations at three national education conferences.

At the International Technology Education Association National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, Morgan will present during the Program Excellence General Session. The session will take place on Feb. 21, 2008, at 9:00 a.m.
http://www.iteaconnect.org/Conference/conferenceguide.htm

At the National Science Teachers Association National Conference in Boston, Mass., Morgan will give two presentations. The first, titled “Exploring Space Through a Teacher’s Eyes,” will take place on March 27, 2008, at 11:00 a.m. The second presentation, titled “The Sky is No Limit: A Spaceflight Conversation with Teacher and Astronaut Barbara Morgan” will take place during the Aerospace Educators Luncheon on March 29, 2008, at 12:00 p.m.
http://www.nsta.org/conferences/2008bos/  

At the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting and Exposition in Salt Lake City, Utah, Morgan will present at a session titled “Spaceflight Through a Teacher’s Eyes.” This session will take place on April 10, 2008, at 11:00 a.m.
http://www.nctm.org/conferences/content.aspx?id=11662&ekmensel=c580fa7b_14_96_btnlink

In 2008, the annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific will be held from May 31-June 4 in St. Louis, Mo. Education and outreach professionals will gather to discuss international, regional and local programs for the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. This special event celebrates the 400th anniversary of the astronomical telescope.

If you are interested in planning activities in 2009, this meeting provides an opportunity to learn what institutions and organizations are proposing, and to coordinate ideas with colleagues around the country and the world. Workshops will demonstrate and develop techniques for reaching a wide range of audiences.

For more information about the conference, visit http://www.astrosociety.org/events/meeting.html 

January 31, 2008, marks the 50th anniversary of Explorer 1, the United States’ first artificial satellite. Explorer 1 was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. To commemorate this milestone, JPL is hosting the 50th Anniversary of Explorer 1 Conference on Jan. 26-27, 2008. Lead by JPL’s Historian Dr. Erik Conway, this educator conference will feature a series of speakers describing the political, technical, educational and social context of the time. An Explorer 1 documentary produced for the anniversary by JPL Executive Council member and Emmy Award-winning producer Blaine Baggett will be screened.

Science and social studies educators, museum staff and high school students are invited to attend the event. Space is limited and pre-registration is required; it will not be possible to register at the door. High school students and above may attend. Students must register and youths under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult during the conference.

A registration fee of $40 will offset costs including materials and food (continental breakfasts and morning breaks both days; box lunch and afternoon break on Saturday).  The registration deadline is Jan. 22, 2008. For more information, visit http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/events.html  

The 6th International Planetary Probe Workshop (IPPW-6) will be held at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on 23 – 27 June 2008. The goal of the workshop is to bring together an international group of scientists, technologists, engineers, mission designers, and policy makers with an interest in the exploration of solar system bodies with substantial atmospheres. The workshop scope covers the technological challenges and scientific opportunities that are both enabled and constrained by entry, descent, landing and flight in planetary atmospheres.

In addition to the 5-day workshop, a two day short course, Extreme Environment Technologies, will be held on the weekend preceding the workshop, 21-22 June 2008 at the same venue.

Scientists, students, and educators interested in the science, technologies, and engineering techniques and challenges of entry and descent probe studies of solar system bodies with atmospheres should consider attending or presenting at the conference. Please visit the official website for further details. Discounts are available for early registration.
http://www.planetaryprobe.org/

The “Basics of Space Flight” Educator Conference will take place Dec. 1-2, 2007, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The conference will provide participants with a better understanding of the richness and complexity of robotic flight projects. The conference approach will be mostly non-technical, although some basic physics will be discussed. Attendees will also gain a better perspective of how science goals are defined and how data return is prioritized.

Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. It will not be possible to register at the door. The conference will run 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and 8:00 a.m. to noon on Sunday. High school and college students are welcome to attend and must register. Attendees under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult during the conference.

The registration deadline is Nov. 26, 2007. For more information, visit:
http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/events/explore20071009.html

International Polar Year Videoconference on Oct. 19

Middle school students, high school students and teachers in the eastern United States and western Europe are invited to participate in a live, interactive videoconference hosted by polar scientists on Oct. 19, 2007. The one-hour broadcast, scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. EDT, will be shown at select science centers via Internet2. The scientists will discuss research taking place as part of the International Polar Year and will respond to questions.

Plans will be announced for a student project to investigate the effects of receding polar ice on Earth’s albedo. For more information, visit:
http://www.astc.org/iglo/  

Sally Ride Science and the National Science Teachers Association, in collaboration with Northrop Grumman, invites educators to the “Join the Journey: Celebrating Teachers” conference .

This two-day event will highlight the STS-118 space shuttle mission, the first spaceflight of Educator Astronaut, mission specialist Barbara Morgan. Attendees will learn about the shuttle mission’s educational objectives, accomplishments and opportunities for all teachers. The conference will also include hands-on workshops, an educator street fair and a presentation by Morgan. The conference will be held in Detroit, Mich., on Oct. 16 and 17, 2007.

Please register at http://www.sallyridescience.com/conferences  by Oct. 10, 2007. The registration fee for the conference is $50.