2012 Climate Science Summer Workshops for Educators – Application Deadline June 1, 2012

The Institute for Earth Science Research and Education, in collaboration with Queens College/City University of New York, is seeking participants for summer professional development workshops in the second year of its Climate Science Research for Educators and Students project. Funded by the NASA Innovations in Climate Education program, this project seeks to improve student engagement in climate science by helping teachers and students develop authentic climate-related science research projects.

During summer 2012, two climate science workshops will take place in New York City. The first workshop will be held in late June or early July. The workshop will focus on understanding sun/Earth/atmosphere interactions and Earth’s radiative balance, a fundamental concept for climate science. All participants will build pyranometers, instruments for monitoring solar radiation. A follow-up workshop will take place in August. During the summer, participants are expected to conduct their own research.

All workshop participants in 2011 were from New York City or within commuting distance. In 2012, teachers from other places are encouraged to attend the early summer workshop, with follow-on activities to be conducted online in place of attendance at the August workshop. On-campus housing at Queens College should be available, and travel support for teachers from outside the NYC area may be available.

Applications are due June 1, 2012.

For more information, visit http://www.instesre.org/GCCE/GCCEHome.htm

ROSES-11 Amendment 26 – Earth Science Applications: Wildland Fires

Amendment 26 presents the text and proposal due dates for Appendix A.35, Earth Science Applications: Wildland Fires.

ROSES-11 Appendix A.35, Earth Science Applications: Wildland Fires is specifically focused on applications addressing cross-cutting and multi-disciplinary issues related to wildland fires in support of management strategies and actions, business practices, and policy analysis and decisions. Projects must span at least two of the Applied Sciences Program’s applications themes, identified within.

This solicitation will initially support one-year feasibility studies of potential applications. NASA will then down-select and continue support of a subset of these applications in subsequent, three-year projects. The three-year projects will develop the application with and transition the application to a public or private organization for sustained use in decision making and services to end users.

Proposals to this solicitation are only for the Stage 1 portion of this enterprise. Notices of Intent to propose (NOIs) are due October 27, 2011. Proposals are due December 16, 2011.

On or about September 15, 2011, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement “Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2011″ (NNH11ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select “Solicitations” then “Open Solicitations” then “NNH11ZDA001N”). You can now track amendments, clarifications and corrections to ROSES and subscribe to an RSS feed at: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2011

Technical questions concerning this program may be addressed to Woody Turner
Applied Sciences Program, Earth Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; Telephone: (202) 358-1662. E-mail: Woody.Turner@nasa.gov

Earthzine to Hold Third Annual Essay and Blogging Contest on Sustainability | Earthzine

Earthzine to Hold Third Annual Essay and Blogging Contest on Sustainability | Earthzine.

Earthzine invites undergraduate and graduate students from around the world to submit an essay for its 2011 Third Annual College and University Student Essay and Blogging Contest. This year’s contest theme is “How Can Earth Observation Help Us to Build a More Sustainable World?”

Winners will share $1,200 in prizes, with $500 for the first prize. They also will receive certificates. All finalists will receive an Earthzine T-shirt.

Eligibility: Enrollment in any (e.g. American, European, African, Asian, etc.) undergraduate or graduate degree program at an accredited college or university, attending full or part-time at the time of essay submission. Please indicate your anticipated year of graduation and the contact email of your registrar.

The submission deadline is Dec. 22, 2011 (Solstice).

Find more information at http://www.earthzine.org/2011/09/22/earthzine-to-hold-third-annual-essay-and-blogging-contest-on-sustainability/

Global Climate Change Education Opportunity

PBS TeacherLine is recruiting high school science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) teachers willing to help evaluate the effectiveness of a new online graduate course, STEM417: Global Climate Change Education for High School.

A NASA grant is funding the research study and the development of the GCC Course. Participants will receive a $50 stipend for completing the evaluation and for completing a PBS TeacherLine online STEM course this fall. The course enrollment fee will be covered by the study.

For more information, go to http://gw.vtrenz.net/?STPSIO8WD4

NASA Explorer Schools Live Video Chat: How Clouds Affect Our Weather and Climate

NASA Explorer Schools, or NES, invites educators and students in grades 8-12 from across the U.S. and Departments of Defense and State schools to participate in a special live video webchat. This chat will feature Lin Chambers, a physical scientist with the Climate Science Branch at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. Chambers will answer student questions about clouds, how they form, why they are important to our atmosphere and how they affect our weather and climate.

This one-hour video webchat starts at 2 p.m. EDT on Aug. 24, 2011. You do not need to be a participant of the NASA Explorer Schools project to participate in the chat.

To learn more about NES, please visit the http://explorerschools.nasa.gov website.

For more information about this NES live video chat, visit http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/nes2/home/Chambers-chat.html.

NASA Earth Ambassador Training Program – Application Deadline August 17, 2011

Informal educators are invited to apply to the Earth Ambassador Program, part of NASA Climate Days. The program will hold a two-day training workshop at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Md., Oct. 13-14, 2011, with extended training on Oct. 15, for those not attending the ASTC (Association of Science – Technology Centers) Conference.

During the workshop, participants will interact with Earth scientists who are looking at the effect of climate change with respect to their research areas, learn effective ways of communicating global climate change with the public and become familiar with the online resources available to host their own events at their local institutions.

Transportation, lodging and meal per diem will be covered. Applications are due Aug. 17, 2011.

For more information and to apply online, visit http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/NCD_Ambassador_Application.html.

NPPy: Big Planet, Little Bear Video Series

A new educational video series is bringing the importance of Earth science and climate studies to a younger audience. The NPPy: Big Planet, Little Bear series follows NPPy, a curious polar bear cub with a keen interest in Earth science.

NPPy is named after the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project, or NPP for short. Scheduled to launch in October 2011, NPP will monitor the Earth’s health from space to help scientists build models and predict how climate is changing over time.

In this series of animated videos, NPPy the bear walks along with his mom and tells us what he’s learned about the NPP mission and its importance for everyone who lives on planet Earth. Follow NPPy to find out more about his adventures and the NPP mission!

Kids can also help NPPy reach all 50 states and beyond by participating in the Adventures With NPPy project. Just download the picture of NPPy, print it and take pictures of it in your favorite spots. Send in the pictures to be posted in the NPPy photo album.

To check out the video series and learn more about NPPy the polar bear, visit http://npp.gsfc.nasa.gov/nppy.html

To learn more about the NPP mission, visit http://npp.gsfc.nasa.gov/misison_details.html

Free Global Climate change Workshops in June and July – Earn Free PDU’s, CEU’s, or Graduate Credits

2011 Global Climate Change Institutes for Teachers (GccIFT)
and the Global Learning and Observations about the Environment (GLOBE)

Who: K-8 teachers; priority given to a group of teachers from the same school
When:
June 22-24 Climate Change 101 and GLOBE Atmosphere and Climate
June 28-29 Life Sciences, Climate Change and GLOBE Phenology
July 26, 27 Children’s Literature and GCC: Science and Sustainability
Where: Western Oregon University, Monmouth, OR
Costs: Free!
Participation in the Institute is funded by NASA. Professional development units, graduate credits, and overnight housing available (see registration form for more details). Free!
FREE PDU’s, CEUs and/or Graduate Credit available

Climate Change 101 and GLOBE Atmosphere and Climate
Increase your understanding of key scientific principles underlying the climate system.

•Become trained in GLOBE Atmosphere and Climate Protocols.
•Participate in climate change K-8 classroom activities.
•Aligned with Oregon standards and Climate Literacy Principles
•Be introduced to the Season and Biomes Project and Elementary GLOBE
•Each school will receive GLOBE equipment and supplies for GLOBE start up.
•Each participant will receive select equipment and/or children’s books

Life Sciences, Climate Change and GLOBE Phenology
Increase your understanding of how climate change will impact plants and animals (forests, migrations…)

•Become trained in GLOBE Phenology: Budbursts, Green Up and Green Down
•Participate in climate change phenology K-8 activities
•Be introduced to the Season and Biomes Project and Elementary GLOBE
•Each school will receive GLOBE equipment and supplies for GLOBE start up.
•Each participant will receive select equipment and/or children’s books

GccIFT Children’s Literature and GCC: Science and Sustainability
•Participate in GCC inquiry-based activities supported by children’s books
•Explore ways children’s GCC based books can provide a framework for teaching and learning sustainability
•Examine and evaluate children’s climate change related books, including Elementary GLOBE
•Receive free copies of several children’s climate change books

For a complete description of the NASA grant, go to http://gcce.larc.nasa.gov/?page_id=276

Pre-registration required: request pre-registration information from
Dr. Adele Schepige (503-838-8485) or at gccift@wou.edu