NASA to Host RockOn! 2010 University Rocket Science Workshop – June 19-24, 2010

(From the Colorado Space Grant)

U.S. university faculty and students are invited to a week-long workshop to learn how to build and launch a scientific experiment into space. NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia is hosting the RockOn! 2010 workshop June 19-24 in partnership with the Colorado and Virginia Space Grant Consortia. Registrations for the 2010 workshop are being accepted through March 22.

The hands-on workshop teaches participants to build experiments that fly on sounding rockets. During the week, participants will work
together in teams of three to construct and integrate a sounding rocket payload from a kit in four days. On the fifth day of the
workshop, June 24, their experiments will fly on a NASA Terrier-Orion sounding rocket expected to reach an altitude of 73 miles.

Each experiment will provide valuable scientific data, analyzed as part of the student led science and engineering research. The program engages faculty and students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills critical to NASA’s future engineering, scientific, and technical missions.

Approximately 100 faculty and students participated each year in the 2008 and 2009 workshops. All experiments have been successful, completed on time, launched and recovered.

For more information about RockOn! and to register online, visit: http://spacegrant.colorado.edu/rockon

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California to Host Climate Educator Conference – May 1-2, 2010

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Pasadena, Calif., is hosting an educator conference, May 1-2, 2010, on the unique climate of the state of California. California contains most climate zones and almost all types of weather. These phenomena are in response to local and global forces including atmospheric circulation, the Pacific Ocean and the state’s unique and varied topography. Human factors play a role as well, from global impact to local decisions on urban growth, fire and water resources.

JPL and local scientists, geographers and planners will address the current climate, the historical record, long-range trends and future forecasts in context. Special attention will be paid to the California science standards, especially key areas like fourth grade where California is a year-long theme.

This conference is geared toward all educators (including museum staff) and students (high school and above) interested in earth and space science and exploration. The conference content is generally non-technical but does include some detailed scientific and engineering content. The objective of the conference is to tell the exciting tale of real-life exploration and new discovery in a way that will excite and inspire students. Students under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a registered adult. The bulk of the conference is presentations, not workshop-type activities, but instructional materials and resources will be shared.

Interested educators and students must register by April 26, 2010. Walk-up registration will not be possible for this conference.

For more information, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/index.cfm?page=130

Join NASA in celebrating Sun-Earth Day – March 20, 2010

Sun-Earth Day is comprised of a series of programs and events that occur throughout the year culminating with a celebration on or near the spring equinox. For Sun-Earth Day 2010, take a journey into the heart of the electromagnetic force and learn how magnetism, an everyday force that makes motors work, sticks notes to our refrigerators and keeps electricity flowing to our houses, plays a key role in understanding the sun and is responsible for the most violent explosions in the solar system — magnetic storms.

Over the past 10 years, the NASA Sun-Earth Day team has sponsored and coordinated education and public outreach events to highlight NASA Heliophysics research and discoveries. The SED team’s strategy involves using celestial events, such as total solar eclipses and the transit of Venus, as well as Sun-Earth Day during the March equinox, to engage K-12 schools and the public in space science activities, demonstrations and interactions with space scientists.

On March 20, 2010, join the Sun-Earth Day team for a live Sun-Earth Day webcast from the exhibit floor of the National Science Teachers Association conference in Philadelphia. For this webcast, the team will combine forces with the award winning NASA EDGE team known for their offbeat, funny and informative look behind the NASA curtain. Webcast guests will include scientists, educators and students who will demonstrate the power of magnetism and why we care about magnetic storms.

For more information and educational resources, including posters, fliers, postcards and an educator kit, visit the Sun-Earth Day Web site at http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2010/about/index.php

NASA Needs your Ideas – Deadline March 19, 2010

NASA Education welcomes your ideas! For a limited time, visit http://www.opennasa.ideascale.com to provide feedback on any of the following questions, as well as general ideas you may have about the way NASA does business. The feedback that you provide will be used in important planning and development at NASA, and you may have a say in our next exciting breakthrough in education, technology, science and exploration. Hurry — this unique opportunity ends March 19, 2010.

OpenNASA Education Questions:

• EDQ1: How can NASA innovate in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education?
• EDQ2: How can NASA improve its services in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education?
• EDQ3: What innovative ideas do you have for the NASA Education website, http://www.nasa.gov/education?
• EDQ4: What innovative new education/mission products and materials would you like to see from NASA?
• EDQ5: What innovative ideas do you have for using NASA content and materials in your classroom?
• EDQ6: What types of online or massively multiplayer online (MMO) games would you like to see NASA create?
• EDQ7: If you could design a NASA prize competition, similar to the Centennial Challenges and the X Prize, for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, what would it be and how would you measure the success of the competitors?
• EDQ8: What can NASA do to connect you (student, educator or parent) with our missions, discoveries and education programs?

NOTE: Please enter your question code in the TAGS field of your submission at http://www.opennasa.ideascale.com. For example, “EDQ1” should be entered by those answering the first question.

Thank you for your input. Please visit http://www.nasa.gov/education for more information about NASA’s education programs and to provide feedback any time. In December 2009, the White House issued a new requirement for federal agencies to support to transparency, participation, and collaboration. NASA has taken the next step to get involved in supporting this Open government Directive.

Applications Available for 2010 NSTI Faculty Fellowship Program – Deadline April 1, 2010

The NASA Science and Technology Institute announces a new summer faculty fellowship program. This fellowship program targets full-time, early career, STEM faculty from minority institutions in the United States.

Faculty Fellows will engage in a ten-week research experience with scientists and engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. Additionally, the fellowship recipients will receive professional development training and a stipend to cover housing, travel and living expenses.

A primary goal of the fellowship program is to strengthen the relationship between NASA and the minority higher education community. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must return to their home institutions in a teaching/research capacity for at least one year after the fellowship.

Applications are due April 1, 2010.
For more information, visit http://www.uncfsp.org/NSTI-FFP

NASA Sun-Earth Day Tweetup – March 19, 2010

NASA SUN-EARTH DAY NSTA TWEETUP
Come meet the minds behind Sun-Earth Day, NASA Edge, and the Solar Dynamics Observatory!

When: Friday March 19th, 12:30 – 1:30pm, Happy hour 6pm (Location TBD)
Where: The NASA booth in the exhibit hall of the NSTA National Conference (registration to the conference is required)
What: Learn about using Twitter in the classroom, what Sun-Earth Day has to offer, new SDO educator materials, and meet the NASA Edge celebrities!

Please provide the information requested in the registration form.
Click ‘submit’ only once. Registration will be open through March 14th. You will receive a confirmation email on the 15th.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHJERnBMRWR5WHZoUnpwQzZWU2xlbFE6MA

Sun-Earth Day Webcast – March 20, 2010

SUN-EARTH DAY WEBCAST INFORMATION

The following information will appear on the SED and/or NASA Edge website

Webcast Title: NE Live: Sun-Earth Day – Magnetic Storms
Date: March 20, 2010
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET
Location: NASA EDGE USTREAM page

Access:
This year’s webcast will be hosted on the NASA EDGE USTREAM page. You can access the webcast on March 20th by going to http://www.ustream.tv/user/NASA_EDGE

Webcasts Hosts:
• Chris Giersch (NASA EDGE)
• Blair Allen (NASA EDGE)

Webcast Interviews:
• Nicola Fox (Space Weather Expert)
• Holly Gilbert (Space Weather Expert)
• Steele Hill (SDO)
• Elaine Lewis (Sun-Earth Day Team)
• Troy Cline (Sun-Earth Day Team)

Webcast Outline:
• Introduction
• What is Sun-Earth Day and why we celebrate it?
• What is a Magnetic Storm and how does it affect the Earth?
• Demo of magnetism activity for kids
• Interviews with subject matter experts about various satellites that
study the sun
• Q & A / email questions etc.

This year’s Sun-Earth Day main event will take full advantage of our social media connections. We’ll also be doing something crazy and new…have you ever heard of a BubbleTweet!

* NASA EDGE
o Twitter: NASA_EDGE
o Facebook: NASA EDGE
* Sun-Earth Day
o Twitter: http://twitter.com/sunearthday
o Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SunEarthDay

Visit NSTA’s Sun-Earth Day 2010 page to access one or more of the Learning Center’s FREE resources and enhance your knowledge about the Sun and magnetic forces. http://learningcenter.nsta.org/sun_earth_day

NASA Planetary Science Summer School – Deadline May 1, 2010

NASA is accepting applications from science and engineering post-docs, recent PhDs, and doctoral students for its 22nd Annual Planetary Science Summer School, which will hold two separate sessions this summer (19-23 July and 2-6 August) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. During the program, student teams will carry out the equivalent of an early mission concept study, prepare a proposal authorization review presentation, present it to a review board, and receive feedback. At the end of the week, students will have a clearer understanding of the life cycle of a robotic space mission; relationships between mission design, cost, and schedule; and the trade-offs necessary to stay within cost and schedule while preserving the quality of science.

Applications are due 1 May 2010. Partial financial support is available for a limited number of individuals.
Further information is available at http://pscischool.jpl.nasa.gov