Science Education Events and Programs

See the earliest creatures of the Triassic Period to the monsters of the Cretaceous in a ‘life-sized’ IMAX ® presentation. Join renowned paleontologists as they discover new fossils and uncover evidence that dinosaur descendants are still among us. Realistic and scientifically-accurate computer generated animation brings dinosaurs back to life in theatres worldwide.
Beginning in the 1920s, AMNH scientist and adventurer Roy Chapman Andrews, who is believed to be the inspiration for the Indiana Jones character, led five expeditions to the Gobi Desert. Andrews and his team found hundreds of dinosaur remains, many new to science, including the first Velociraptor, the first dinosaur nests with eggs, and fossils of early mammals that lived alongside dinosaurs in the Late Cretaceous Period. Andrews also happened to take along a Hollywood cameraman with him to film the expedition’s discovery. This rare and beautifully preserved footage, juxtaposed against the large-format footage of today’s expeditions, provides audiences with a unique perspective into field paleontology over time.
Visit the website for theatre listings.
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This year, more than $22,000 in cash and technology prizes will be awarded to 15 educators and their students who are creatively using visual learning in their classrooms.

Intel Corporation is committed to maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in the communities where the company has a major presence. Intel has a strong interest in supporting K–12/higher education and community programs. Intel vigorously supports education through grants for programs that advance science, math, and technology education, particularly for women and underserved populations.

Intel is also committed to the responsible use of natural resources, and funding for environmental programs will be considered. Within this broad category, Intel continues to give priority to programs with educational and technological components.

Grants support public school teachers, public education support professionals, or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education for one of two purposes. Grants to individuals fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes or action research. Grants to groups fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment.

Maximum award is $5,000. Public school teachers of grades K–12; public school education support professionals; or faculty and staff at public higher education institutions may apply. Deadlines are February 1, June 1, and October 15.
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Toshiba America Foundation offers grants to improve the quality of science and mathematics education in U.S. communities by investing in projects designed by K–12 classroom teachers. Past funded projects include the implementation of innovative mathematics curricula, materials for the hands-on study of environmental science issues, and equipment for a teacher-designed astronomy curriculum. K-12 schools and teachers in the United States may apply.

Grants for K–6 teachers of up to $1,000 are offered each fall (deadline October 1). Grades 7–12 teachers may apply for grants of up to $5,000 at any time during the calendar year. Grant requests of more than $5,000 are reviewed twice a year (deadlines February 1 or August 1).

The foundation makes grants of $10,000 to $100,000 to K-12 schools, colleges, universities, trade schools, and others for programs that benefit youth and scientific education. ("Scientific education" encompasses both the physical and life sciences, mathematics, and the environmental sciences.) The foundation is seeking programs that meet the following characteristics: scientific, dreamful (imaginative), creative, humanistic, youthful, innovative, and forward thinking. Deadlines to apply for the grants are May 1, August 1, November 1, and February 1.
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The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) seeks proposals to develop health education activities in K-12 science education and undergraduate/graduate education, health professions education, and public health education. Projects should enhance knowledge of educators or students. Funding consists of up to $250,000 a year each for two years; the number of awards is contingent upon availability of funds.

Domestic and for-profit and nonprofit public and private institutions and organizations and state and local agencies may apply. Applicants should include teachers and related educators as consultants, or as members of the development team.

Deadlines are May 25, September 25, and January 25.

Open Meadows Foundation funds projects that are led by and benefit women and girls. Eligible projects reflect the diversity of the community served by the project in both its leadership and organization; promote building community power; promote racial, social, economic and environmental justice; have limited financial access or have encountered obstacles in their search for funding.

Maximum Award: $2,000. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations with an organizational budget no larger than $150,000. Deadlines are February 15 and August 15.
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Each year since 1981, Humane Society Youth (formerly the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education) has recognized an outstanding teacher who consistently incorporates humane education into his or her curriculum and/or motivates students to get involved in community service for animals. Awardees will receive a beautiful award; a feature story on Humane Society Youth’s website; and a packet of grade-appropriate humane education materials.
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Electric company Progress Energy supports the communities in which it operates (in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina) through corporate and foundation donations in the areas of education, economic development, and environmental concerns. In education, interest areas include K-12 teacher quality; K-12 math and science; K-12 principal and superintendent leadership development; and college scholarships that support the company's recruiting efforts. The foundation does not provide grants to individual K-12 public, private, charter, or religious schools, choosing instead to work at the county level.

K-12 education grants are considered in the first quarter, with a February 1 deadline. Higher education grants are considered fourth quarter, with a November 1 deadline. Foundation grants carry a minimum of $10,000.

The YES Competition for original student research is designed to inspire talented students to investigate the many behavioral, biological, environmental, and social factors that affect health and based upon this knowledge, to identify ways to improve the health of the public. The competition awards up to 120 college scholarships each year to high school juniors and seniors who conduct outstanding research projects that apply epidemiological methods of analysis to a health-related issue. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Outstanding Earth Science Teacher (OEST) awards are given for
exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the earth sciences at the secondary level. Middle school and high-school teachers are eligible to apply. Winners will receive National Association of Geoscience Teachers membership, $500 in travel funds, $500 in classroom improvement funds, one-year membership and subscription to EOS and Physics Today, one-year subscription to The Professional Geologist, and an assortment of publications from the USGS. Individuals may apply themselves or nominate a colleague for the award.

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The Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) program
attempts to recognize an outstanding biology educator (grades 7-12) in each of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., Canada, Puerto Rico, and overseas territories. Candidates do not have to be NABT members, but they must have at least three years' public, private, or parochial school teaching experience. A major portion of the nominee's career must have been devoted to the teaching of biology/life science, and candidates are judged on their teaching ability and experience, cooperativeness in the school and community, inventiveness, initiative, and student-teacher relationships.
OBTA recipients are honored at a special event during the NABT Professional Development Conference and receive binoculars
from the award sponsor, Pearson Prentice Hall; microscopes from Leica Microsystems, Inc.; and certificates and a complimentary one-year membership from NABT.
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In collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the Volvo Adventure Competition rewards young people creating their own environmental projects. The Adventure Award is for youth, ages 13–16, working in groups of two to five, that are actively involved in devising and managing an environmental project in their local community.
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Under the Biotechnology Institute's direction, this annual competition for high school students recognizes outstanding research in biotechnology. Thirteen regional finalists from the United States and Canada will compete in the international competition that is held in conjunction with the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s Annual International Convention. Finalists will present their projects to a panel of expert biotech judges and display their projects to convention participants.

The first-place winner receives a $7,500 cash award. Other awards include $5,000 for second place; $2,500 for third place; and $1,000 for fourth place. Each remaining finalist will receive a $500 Honorable Mention Award.

The awards recognize educators who make outstanding contributions to K-12 ocean science education. These awards are open to anyone in California whose activities or qualifications match those of the nomination categories. The categories include teachers, environmental educators, novice teachers, and education administrators who are active in developing and implementing effective approaches to teaching ocean science. Candidates may be self-nominated or nominated by a colleague or peer. Each awardee will receive a $500 stipend and a QuikSCience Ocean Leadership Recognition plaque.

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About 2-5 American Women in Science (AWIS) College Scholarships are awarded to high school seniors each year. In addition, Citations of Merit ($300) and Recognition Awards ($100) may be given. The award may be used for any aspect of undergraduate education, including tuition, books, housing, and travel, for example.
 
Female students who plan to study science in the next academic year may apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who plan to attend a college or university in the United States. Applicants must have a 3.75 high school grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and a math plus verbal SAT score of at least 1200 or an ACT composite score of 25. Eligible fields include the behavioral, life, and physical sciences and engineering.
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The awards recognize schools who demonstrate excellence in implementing innovative, replicable programs supporting positive educational outcomes in the areas of math and science achievement. Six winners will be selected: one from each grade range, K-5; 6-8; and 9-12, in each of the two categories of math and science. Each winning school will receive a $10,000 cash grant from the Intel Foundation, as well as $100,000 in products and services from award sponsors.
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The program is designed to educate and empower middle and high school students across the United States to take action to improve the environment in their communities. Teams comprised of five to 10 students and one teacher advisor are invited to participate in one or more of the challenges, which offer a total of $1 million in grants and scholarships for winning students, teachers, and schools. The challenge also offers standards-based supplementary educational materials for teachers.

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The National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance) has announced this partnership improving Hispanic student access to higher education and degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The program is made possible through a $4 million grant from The Merck Company Foundation. The first of five years of awards under the Alliance/Merck Ciencia Scholars Program will be made in May 2009. Two types of awards will be made—one for Hispanic high school seniors who reside in Brownsville, TX; Elizabeth, NJ; or Los Angeles, CA; and another award for Hispanic college students nationwide with a declared STEM major.

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The American Chemical Society (ACS) invites college and high school educators to serve as mentors for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad program. Duties include helping to conduct the national study camp for high school students held at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado during mid-June 2010, 2011, and 2012. Generally in their second and third year, mentors accompany four U.S. student competitors to the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). During the competition, mentors will serve on the IChO Jury. The 2011 and 2012 IChO events are scheduled to be held in Turkey and the United States, respectively.
Most students at the study camp have completed Advanced Placement Chemistry or the equivalent; therefore, instruction at the camp is well beyond the level of high school general chemistry courses. The curriculum also includes considerable laboratory work.

Successful applicants should have background in one or more of the areas of organic, inorganic, analytical, physical, or biochemistry with classroom experience and should demonstrate involvement with students in special projects or activities. ACS pays all expenses and travel costs, as well as an honorarium.

Obtain an application form online or by contacting Margaret Thatcher, Senior Program Associate, U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Program, American Chemical Society, 1155 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036; 202-872-6328.

Procter and Gamble (P&G) and its Bounty, Charmin, Tide, and Pampers brands, announced they are contributing $150,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF). In support of its mission to double the rate of Hispanics earning college degrees, HSF provides the Latino community college scholarships and educational outreach support.
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GLOBE is a worldwide network of K-12 students who, under the guidance of trained teachers, make a core set of environmental observations and report their data via the internet. Scientists use GLOBE data in their research and provide feedback to the students. (See this website to learn more.)

For a school to participate in GLOBE, at least one teacher must be trained in the GLOBE science measurement protocols and education activities by attending a GLOBE Teacher Workshop.

As an Earthwatch Educator Fellow, you’ll receive funding to join one of more than 90 Earthwatch expeditions worldwide. If selected, you’ll join a team of other Educator Fellows or volunteers and work alongside leading environmental scientists, actively supporting their work, learning field research methods, and helping conserve threatened natural and cultural resources. You’ll also be asked to share your experiences through developing lessons and giving presentations on your experience, and by attending events designed to spread the word to other educators and volunteers.

No experience is necessary, nor is any particular educational background. You don't need to be a science teacher to become an Earthwatch Fellow—all you need is a sense of adventure, a deep curiosity, a love of meaningful work, and a desire to make a difference.

The foundation provides grants to increase the academic achievement of students in U.S. public schools and public higher education institutions in any subject area. The proposed work should engage students in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen their knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve students’ habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection.

Proposals for work resulting in low-income and minority student success with honors, advanced placement, or other challenging curricula are particularly encouraged. Practicing U.S. public school teachers, public school education support professionals, and faculty and staff members at public institutions of higher education may apply. The maximum grant amount is $5,000. Deadlines are February 1, June 1, and October 5 each year.
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In honor of The INSPIRE Project, Inc.'s Dr. Bill Taylor, The INSPIRE Project, Inc. with its partners at the DC Space Grant Consortium, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and other science and technology organizations established this annual science scholarship competition. Scientifically oriented undergraduate and graduate college students and high school seniors who will be attending a DC metro area college or university in Fall 2009 are encouraged to apply. Scholarship Awards: $5,000 per recipient
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In this national, community-based science and technology program, middle school students.work in teams of three to four, with an adult coach, to identify a problem in their community and apply scientific methods to create an innovative solution to that problem. Eight finalist teams and their coaches will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Walt Disney World® to attend National Championship Week and compete for U.S. Savings Bonds and the $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant, plus a $200 development grant to further refine their idea.
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Do you know a team of teachers, parents, administrators, or community members who have made an impact in the lives of young adolescents? Is the team working together to focus on student achievement or connecting young adolescents with their community? This awards program, jointly sponsored by Pearson Prentice Hall and the National Middle School Association, recognizes outstanding teams whose work improves the education and well-being of young adolescents.

The annual program offers four grand prizes, including a $3,000 cash award. Teams generally nominate themselves.

Fund for Teachers awards grants directly to teachers to support professional development opportunities of their own design. Applicants must propose a summer activity and explain how the activity will make the applicant a better teacher; how the applicant will implement his or her improved skills or capacity in the classroom; and how his or her improved skills or capacity will benefit his or her students, curricula, and school.

Teachers may request funding for activities up to $5,000 per individual and up to $7,500 per team project.

Students ages 18 or younger with learning disabilities or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may enter this competition. The winner will receive $500 for demonstrating initiative, talent, and determination resulting in a notable accomplishment in science, math, music, art, athletics, community service, or any other field. Students may be nominated by teachers, parents, mentors, coaches, or themselves.
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Lowe’s will donate $5 million to public schools and public school parent-teacher groups at more than 1,000 U.S. public schools per school year. Maximum award is $5,000. Parent groups at K-12 schools may apply. All K-12 schools in the United States (except Puerto Rico) are eligible. 


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This summer mentoring program for high school students is sponsored by the American Fisheries Society to stimulate interest in careers in fisheries science and management among groups underrepresented in the fisheries professions, including minorities and women. All sophomore, junior, and senior high school students may apply. Students accepted into the program are matched with professional mentors and enjoy a hands-on fisheries science experience in a marine or freshwater setting. 

Assignments are made with participating organizations within reasonable commuting distance from the students.  During the summer, students work alongside their mentors, collecting samples and assisting with analyzing data. All Hutton Scholars receive a scholarship award of $3,000.

Contact Kathryn Winkler, Hutton Program Coordinator, at 301-897-8616, ext. 213, for more information.
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This American Women in Science (AWIS) Educational Foundation program rewards college sophomores and juniors studying physics, including space physics and geophysics, or geoscience. The $1,000 award is given annually to an exceptionally well-rounded student who excels in her studies as well as outdoor activities, service, sports, music, or other non-academic pursuits or who has overcome significant obstacles.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who attend a college or university in the United States. The award may be used for any aspect of education, including tuition, books, housing, or travel, for example.

The awards program recognizes outstanding science teaching at the K–12 level. Winners receive a $5,000 award; in addition, their schools receive a second $5,000 award to further science-related education. This year, Amgen has expanded the program to honor 34 science teachers in the United States and Canada.

This merit-based scholarship competition recognizes excellence in academics and leadership. Each year, the program awards a top prize of a $55,000 college scholarship and up to twelve $16,500 scholarships for a total of up to $253,000. In addition, each scholar selected also wins a one-time $1,000 cash grant for his/her high school.

The competition is conducted in Idaho, Utah, and Virginia. Applications are distributed to all eligible high schools starting in November. Each applicant must

• Be a high school senior who resides in and attends a public or private school in one of the five selected states;
• Have a combined SAT score of at least 1350 or a composite ACT score of at least 30;
• Have an unweighted grade-point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale;
• Plan to major in engineering (electrical, computer, chemical, mechanical), computer science, physics, chemistry, or material sciences at the baccalaureate level; and
• Have demonstrated leadership in school, work, or extracurricular activities.

Fiskars Garden and Outdoor Living awards grants to schools, youth groups, and other community groups that propose gardening projects that include community involvement, neighborhood beautification, horticultural education, or sustainable agriculture. Successful applicants will receive up to $1,500 in Fiskars Garden Tools and up to $800 in gardening-related materials such as plants, seeds, and mulch.
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This series of annual student competitions, sponsored by Anousheh Ansari, are designed to spark interest in science, technology, engineering, and math and to encourage students to use their imagination for innovative ideas. This year’s competition focuses on U.S. middle-school students (grades 6-8).

Cash prizes are awarded to the first-place winners in each grade. The Grand Prize winner will participate in the Conrad Award Innovation Summit™, to be held April 2–4, 2009, and Yuri’s Night, both taking place at NASA Ames Moffett Field. 
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The NSBRI’s summer program is for graduate or medical students and undergraduate students who have completed their second year of undergraduate studies. Applicants are asked to send a curriculum vitae or resume, a letter of interest indicating available dates during the summer, and two letters of recommendation.
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NASA’s Undergraduate Student Research Project is currently accepting applications for 10-week summer 2009 internships. These internships offer students the opportunity to work alongside NASA scientists and engineers at NASA's field centers, laboratories and test facilities. Applicants must be rising sophomores, juniors or seniors with a 3.0 GPA. They must have an academic major or course work concentration in engineering, math, computer science, or physical or life sciences. Participants work on practical problems that will be applied in aerospace or on future NASA missions.
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NASA's Aeronautics Mission Directorate is currently accepting scholarship applications from undergraduate and graduate students in aeronautics and related fields for the academic year beginning in fall 2009. Twenty undergraduate students in their second year of study will receive up to $15,000 per year for two years and a summer internship at a NASA center with a $10,000 stipend. Five graduate students will receive up to $35,000 per year for three years and two summer internships at a NASA center with $10,000 stipends.
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Mimio, an interactive classroom technology company, will give away approximately $25,000 in interactive educational equipment as part of this sweepstakes program designed to reward and support first-year K–12 educators. At the end of the program, a grand prize will be awarded in which the company will outfit five classrooms and train up to 30 teachers on the interactive products. 
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Apply for tuition-free international Field Expeditions courses from Miami University's Project Dragonfly and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Field Expeditions offers professional development opportunities in Belize, Costa Rica, Trinidad, Mongolia, Thailand, Kenya, and Namibia. Courses link formal and informal educators with scientists, naturalists, international educators, and conservationists for direct research experience at conservation hotspots throughout the world. Following the summer field research experience, educators return home to continue work on their own research projects, engaging their students, colleagues, and communities in conservation action. 

Miami University waives all tuition, including out-of-state fees, for Field Expeditions courses. Because of university support, estimated cost for a seven-hour course is $1,150 plus airfare.

New this year from Dragonfly is the Global Field Program, a master's degree from Miami University offered entirely through tuition-waived Field Expeditions experiences worldwide with coursework on web-based learning communities. Students complete the master's part-time from anywhere in the United States or abroad.    
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Live from the Field educators join research teams on one- to two-week expeditions during the school year and share their experiences directly with their students back at home by posting journal entries, photos, lessons and suggested activities online, as well as through live video or phone conferences with their classrooms. Given the opportunity to work with leading scientists at research stations around the world, participants gain field research skills, explore different cultures, and learn about global conservation issues.
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NASA, in cooperation with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures' movie WALL-E from Pixar Animation Studios, will conduct a naming contest for its car-sized Mars Science Laboratory rover that is scheduled for launch in 2009.

The contest is open to students 5 to 18 years old who attend a U.S. school and are enrolled in the current academic year. To enter the contest, students will submit essays explaining why their suggested name for the rover should be chosen.
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The award is given annually by the National Environmental Education Foundation to an outstanding educator who has successfully integrated environmental education into his or her daily education programs. The awardee is a grades 5-12 educator who can serve as an inspiration and model for others. A $5,000 cash award helps the recipient to continue his or her work in environmental education. Nominations are now being accepted.
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Do you know a high school student with an innovative solution to protect the environment? The National Environmental Education Foundation's Planet Connect Program, developed in partnership with The Weather Channel, is a new online network for high school students to learn about the environment and green college and career options. Planet Connect is looking for creative ideas to fix local environmental problems and will award 25 students ages 14-19 $1,000 each to support their ideas and provide them with local environmental internships.
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The competition has two primary objectives: to help increase science literacy among students in grades 7-12 and to motivate them to excel in communicating scientific ideas. Students write a 700- to 1,000-word essay discussing a scientific discovery, theory, event, or technological application that has captured their interest.

This year, the number of awards for teachers has increased. Sponsoring teachers of the First, Second, and Third-place winners in each division will receive an expenses-paid trip with their student to THE WALT DISNEY WORLD^® RESORT in Orlando, Florida, and the Kennedy Space Center in Spring 2009. In addition, these teachers will receive an expenses-paid trip to the 2010 NSTA National Conference on Science Education.

Recognize the achievements of K-12 classroom teachers or district-level administrators who are making a difference in education through the use of technology. The Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF), in partnership with the Space Foundation and NASA, will recognize one outstanding individual's contributions to lifelong learning through the application of technology in the classroom or professional development of teachers. School principals, superintendents, or associate superintendents may nominate candidates; all K-12 school and district-level educators from across the nation are eligible and may apply.

The winner will receive a commemorative trophy and $500. In addition, the winner's name will be placed on a plaque honoring past recipients that is housed in the Center for Space Education at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The AMF, the Space Foundation, and NASA will present the award at the National Space Symposium on March 30, 2009. The recipient will be recognized at a special dinner following the opening ceremony.

In an effort to encourage proper and consistent handwashing, the Scrub Club's Soaper-Heroes have come together to help your students wash up and ultimately prevent sick days as they search for the Cleanest Hands in America’s classrooms.

To participate in the Clean Hands Game:
1.) Download the weekly handwashing charts.
2.) Track the daily number of times each student washes their hands over the course of four school weeks.
3.) Submit your results online.

All participating classrooms will receive a Scrub Club Clean Hands Game Certificate and be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a gift card for classroom supplies.

For this video competition, U.S. undergraduate students in engineering choose an aspect of engineering that they consider to be socially constructive, appealing, and "fun." They translate this into a 90-second video clip--aimed at an 11-to-13 year-old student audience on: "How Engineers Make a World of Difference." The clip should convey why engineering is creative, rewarding, and important work.
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The NASA-funded Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology (MUST) Project is a joint partnership among the Hispanic College Fund, the United Negro College Fund Special Programs, and the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers. MUST awards scholarships and internships to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. It is open to all undergraduate students and is particularly focused on engaging students from underserved and underrepresented groups to enter STEM fields.

Each year, the MUST Project supports approximately 100 undergraduate students with a one-year competitive scholarship of up to one-half of tuition, not to exceed $10,000. Students who maintain the required minimum grade point average will be eligible for a paid internship at a NASA center or other research facility. Additionally, students will benefit year-round from tutoring, lecture series, and mentoring from STEM faculty and peers.

Through GSRP, NASA awards fellowships for graduate study leading to research-based master's or doctoral degrees in science, mathematics and engineering fields related to NASA research and development. GSRP supports approximately 300 graduate students annually. Applicants must be currently enrolled or accepted as full-time students at an accredited U.S. college or university. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens.

Applications are now being accepted for the Achieving Competence in Computing, Engineering and Space Science project, also known as ACCESS. This 10-week, paid internship at NASA centers around the U.S. is designed for undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities. Applicants should have strong backgrounds in science, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and a desire to pursue technical careers. Students who are chosen will work with scientists and engineers in an area compatible with their skills and interests.
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In this nationwide competition, students in grades 3-6 submit experiments and problems for real scientists and engineers to solve in one of four fields: skateboard design, flavor chemistry, clean water protection, or the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Students will be able to participate in their classrooms, in after-school groups, or online and win prizes, including trips to visit the scientists in their laboratories or in the field. (The first 1,000 entries will receive free science activity kits.) 

Downloadable entry forms are available online at http://www.kidsciencechallenge.com and Whyville.net, and online entries may be completed on imbee.com.  

During and after the registration period, teachers and students can follow the competition online. The website will feature lesson plans and activities.
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These grants support efforts to improve student achievement in American schools through the innovative use of classroom technology. K-12 public schools are eligible for $3.9 million in cash and equipment from HP; proposals will be accepted from all subject areas, but preference will be given to projects with a focus on math or science.
Two- and four-year colleges and universities are eligible for grants totaling $2.8 million in cash and equipment to support the redesign of math, science, and engineering courses, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of students graduating with high-tech degrees.

More details about the 2009 grants will be announced online in December 2008.
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Registration is open for NASA's 16th annual Great Moonbuggy Race, taking place April 3-4 in Huntsville, Alabama. Each year, NASA challenges high schools and colleges across the country and the world to design and build lightweight, human-powered moonbuggies. Innovative students put their own spin on the historic lunar rovers that carried Americans across the surface of the Moon during the Apollo era. Builders with "the right stuff" then converge on Huntsville to test their engineering savvy—and their endurance.
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The USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) is this nation’s premiere biology competition, offered cost-free to students. Register your school online by the deadline. 

The USABO also offers a Teacher Resource Center (TRC) for registered schools. The TRC includes practice exams with answer keys, links to International Biology Olympiad exams, textbook recommendations, links to outside professional development opportunities and study guides, as well as a breakdown of the Olympiad grading rubric and testing protocol.

The 2009 National Finals will take place June 7-20 at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Contact Marcy Reedy, manager of the USABO, at 703-448-9062 with any questions or to receive further information. 

River of Words conducts a free international poetry and art contest for youth on the theme of watersheds and the environment. The contest helps youth explore the surroundings in which they live, and to express what they discover through poetry and art. It is held annually in affiliation with the Library of Congress Center for the Book. The grand prize and international winners receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC, to attend the awards ceremony at the Library of Congress. 
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Field Expeditions is offering tuition-free graduate courses from Miami University's Project Dragonfly and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Field Expeditions offers tuition-free professional development opportunities for formal and informal educators in Belize, Costa Rica, Trinidad, Mongolia, Thailand, Kenya, and Namibia. New this year is the Global Field Program, a Miami University master's degree offered entirely through Field Expeditions experiences worldwide with coursework on Web-based learning communities.
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What topics in science, engineering, and medicine matter most to you? The National Academies are interested in developing useful and engaging print and web-based educational materials on the topics that you'd like to learn more about. They invite you to participate in a brief, two-minute survey. 

In the survey, you'll be presented with a list of topics and asked to select the five that matter most to you. At the end, you can see how your answers compare with the results so far. And you can enter
a drawing to receive a National Academies tote bag!

Let the National Academies know what topics you think they should focus on so they can be sure to provide you with materials that are
informative and useful. Your participation is greatly appreciated.



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Google has announced the Ancient Rome 3D Curriculum Competition in conjunction with a brand new layer in Google Earth that models the ancient city of Rome. K–12 educators in the United States will have the chance to highlight their creativity and technical know-how by combining this brand new Google Earth content with classic classroom curricula. Google is accepting curricula from all grade levels and K–12 subject areas including art history, math, social studies, physics, and philosophy. Winners are eligible to receive prizes ranging from an Apple MacBook laptop to a digital camera.
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These grants fund one-time-only, service-oriented projects identified by youth as activities they would like to perform to benefit their school, neighborhood, or greater community. Projects must contain a “pay it forward” focus, which means they must be based on the concept of one person doing a favor for others (who in turn do favors for others), with the results growing exponentially.

Applications will be reviewed throughout the academic year. Spring semester applications will be available on January 1, 2009.


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The program will award scholarships to students based on their outstanding commitment to and involvement in community service, along with a solid academic performance. The maximum award is $10,000. Eligibility: High school seniors currently enrolled in an accredited U.S. school who are scheduled to graduate and plan to enter a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two or four-year college, university, or vocation technical school in the United States by Fall 2009.
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NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace are sponsors of the 2009 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Competition—a design project competition aimed at university-level engineering students. The RASC-AL contest challenges university students to think about what sorts of conditions astronauts will face when they return to the Moon, then design projects that may become part of actual lunar exploration. Student work must be based on one of four themes: outpost to settlement, initial lunar outpost, bringing the world along with virtual exploration, and novel approaches to increase sample return from the Moon. The RASC-AL Steering Committee of NASA and industry experts will evaluate the proposals and select as many as 10 undergraduate and 5 graduate teams to compete against each other at a forum in June 2009 in Florida.
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NASA's Education Associates Program is a unique self-sustaining program dedicated to workforce development education. The program allows NASA scientists and managers to tap higher education institutions for students and faculty in a quick turn-around process. It provides participants hands-on experience with NASA scientists, engineers, and program managers on a range of NASA projects and missions. Students receive academic credit for the experience. Through this program, NASA demonstrates its commitment to attract students into NASA’s education pipeline and provides competency-building research and education opportunities for faculty, with a special emphasis on those from underrepresented and underserved groups. The EAP will provide opportunities to students majoring in fields related to NASA’s science and technology interests and to faculty in STEM disciplines.
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The Teacher-Ranger-Teacher (TRT) program provides opportunities for teachers to connect to the resources in a national park. Classroom teachers are detailed as park rangers to Acadia National Park through an Inter-Governmental Personnel Act (IPA) agreement between their own public school district and the National Park Service. The program focuses on teachers from schools with ethnically diverse student populations who have had little or no experience with national parks or limited opportunity to explore the relevance parks can have in their lives and the lives of their students.

Teachers spend 8-10 weeks working and living in the park. They perform various duties depending on their interests and the needs of the park. During this time, the park provides a ranger uniform, shared housing, and a stipend ($300/week). Teachers develop lesson plans based on their park experience for use in the classroom and parks.
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High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in participating in this summer program must send in all application materials--postmarked no later than the deadline--to 5410 Grosvenor Ln., Suite 110, Bethesda, MD 20814; Attn.: Hutton Program Coordinator. For more information, visit the Hutton page on the AFS website.
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The EAP is a program dedicated to workforce development education. It allows NASA scientists and managers to tap higher education institutions for students and faculty in a quick turnaround process. It provides participants hands-on experience with NASA scientists, engineers, and program managers on a range of NASA projects and missions. Students receive academic credit for the experience.
 
Through the EAP, NASA demonstrates its commitment to attract students into NASA’s education pipeline and provides competency-building research and education opportunities for faculty, with a special emphasis on those from underrepresented and underserved groups. The EAP will provide opportunities to students majoring in fields related to NASA’s science and technology interests and to faculty in STEM disciplines.
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The INSPIRE Project Inc. is offering two full scholarships to Space Academy for Educators. This five-day summer program for educators includes intensive classroom, laboratory and training time, focusing on space science and space exploration. Educators also take part in astronaut-style training and simulations, as well as activities designed to promote life-long learning in a classroom setting. All lessons and activities link to National Science and Math Standards and are ready to use in the classroom.

All expenses included. Current faculty members of D.C. metro-area high schools or college science departments are eligible to apply.
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The INSPIRE Project Inc. is offering two full scholarships to the workshop, taking place in July 2009. As part of the Education Department of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's professional development program, the workshop shows how to incorporate Lego Mindstorm/NXT Robotics equipment into your curriculum or as an after- school program. This workshop is intended for teachers with very little experience in robotics.

All expenses included. Current faculty members of D.C. metro-area high schools or college science departments are eligible to apply.
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A Howard Hughes Medical Institute precollege science education initiative, Discover the Microbes Within! is designed to help high school biology educators modernize biology labs and lesson plans with discovery-based labs, biotechnology, and symbiosis. A three-day workshop for teacher professional development training is offered by the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. It is designed to take advantage of resources offered by the MBL and a team of scientists from MBL and other institutions, who are undertaking research on Wolbachia symbionts.

A free thermal cycler loaner program is available from the MBL to teachers who implement the lab on polymerase chain reaction.  Teachers can coordinate a free sequencing collaboration with the MBL to determine the DNA sequence of a gene from Wolbachia. Students can then use these sequences in a Bioinformatics lab. Six-week  summer research experiences are available for selected high school students and teachers who conducted the Discover the Microbes Within! lab series in their classrooms. These paid summer research experiences would occur in a Wolbachia research lab at the MBL or local institution near the participant's location.

The program will also provide travel assistance for teacher meetings and offer internet forums with other teachers and students who previously implemented the labs. Contact Michele Bahr at 508-289-7726.

The program seeks chaperones for Summer 2009. Professional educators are needed to coordinate NASA INSPIRE activities at the assigned NASA center during non-workday hours. The INSPIRE Chaperone will be the designated point of contact for INSPIRE participants regarding safety and health-related issues. Chaperones are also responsible for transporting participants to and from work each day.

Each Chaperone will be the advisor to participants during their eight-week experience away from home on a NASA center. During NASA field center work hours, INSPIRE Chaperones are off-duty from their work assignments and have the opportunity to earn graduate credit, if desired. INSPIRE counselors receive compensation for travel to and from the NASA field center, lodging, and meals during the eight-week event. They are paid $5,800 for the event.

One position is available at each of the 10 NASA field centers. Training will be provided prior to the work assignment, with travel to OSU required. Event dates vary by NASA field center, as reflected in the following schedule:  

  -- June 1-July 24, 2009: Stennis Space Center

  -- June 8-July 31, 2009: Dryden Flight Research Center, Kennedy Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center

  -- June 15-Aug. 7, 2009: Glenn Research Center, Johnson Space Center and Langley Research Center

  -- June 22-Aug. 13, 2009: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  -- June 22-Aug. 14, 2009: Ames Research Center and Goddard Space Flight Center.

Applicants must have a minimum of a four-year degree in science, mathematics, or technology education. A master’s is preferred. Applicants must also have a valid teaching certificate. They must have a minimum of three years of successful teaching experience in grades 6-12, or a combination of classroom and NASA education experience. Participants must also be U.S. citizens. 

Join NASA for this event at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Pasadena, California. Astrobiologists, planetary scientists, and astronomers will present the latest information on the expanding understanding of the habitats of life on Earth and the prospects for the development of life elsewhere in the solar system and beyond. The conference content is generally nontechnical but does include some detailed scientific and engineering content. 

All educators (including museum staff) and students in high school or college/university who are interested in exploration and Earth and space science are encouraged to attend. Students younger than 18 years old must be accompanied by a registered adult. Pre-registration is required.
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The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) is accepting applications (available to download online) for a six-week, cost-free program it co-sponsors with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The program gives top-achieving young scholars a jump-start to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. Contact RSI Director Cliff Bowman at 703-448-9062, ext. 231, with any questions or to receive further information.                          

The association provides scholarships to help young people who are interested in birds to attend summer camps, workshops, training programs, conventions, and other bird-related activities. The website has details about available camps, along with reports from young birders on their camp experiences.
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Experience science, song, and celebration with the Banana Slug String Band (BSSB). The Slugs--four outdoor educators who met while teaching science at a California camp--have a common lyrical thread throughout their original music: the importance of taking care of the Earth. They perform regularly in venues across the country, from inner-city schools to concert halls. The BSSB also present teacher workshops that can show you how to integrate their music into your curriculum.
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This two-hour program will showcase the energy, joy, and drama inherent in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Cheered on by friends and family, middle school students from around the country compete. Contestants were chosen from thousands of nationwide entries, and this fall, the top 10 finalists converged on NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Washington, D.C. for the championship. Check your local listings for the time. 
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The National Teachers Enhancement Network (NTEN) lets you experience activity-rich courses that model how to teach science inquiry. MSU programs—Master of Science in Science Education (MSSE) and NTEN—are offering courses across multiple science disciplines. Combined, these two programs are offering 20 online graduate courses along with 19 Montana-based field and lab graduate courses. 

NSTA members receive a 10% discount on select courses. 
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The course begins by considering genetics at the molecular level. Assuming no prior knowledge of molecular structure, it will introduce the properties that make the key molecules involved in storing and disseminating genetic information ideal for their roles. Building on this molecular understanding of the gene, participants will discuss patterns of heredity, learn how to make and interpret pedigrees, and describe how genetic errors impact human health. Where appropriate, this basic science will be connected with applications with the potential to affect our lives.

The class is designed for inservice secondary school teachers who have taken Introductory Biology or the equivalent. Assignments will include discussions, activities, and quizzes, as well as written work. Each participant will earn three units of graduate-level credit from the University of Arizona. For more information, e-mail warder@u.arizona.edu, or call 520-621-5903.
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This television series about ways to ensure children's educational success airs nationwide on hundreds of local government, education, and public access channels, The Learning Channel, and the Dish Network. Check your local listings for the following programs (all air 8–9 p.m. Eastern Time):

• Success Stories: Schools at the Leading Edge of Reform
  (January 20, 2009)

Topics for the following shows have not yet been determined:

• February Education News (February 17, 2009)
• March Education News (March 17, 2009)
• April Education News (April 21, 2009)
• May Education News (May 19, 2009)
• June Education News (June 16, 2009)

Conduct cutting-edge field research in ecology and evolution, and design research activities for your high school science students.

• Work with field biologists at a prairie research site.
• Learn about the tallgrass prairie ecosystem.
• Enjoy outdoor recreational opportunities.

A series of free, interactive programs allow you and your students to learn more about our home planet and the universe beyond through videoconferencing and webcasts. Visit the website for more details and to submit questions that will be answered during the programs. All programs will be held 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

• Exploring the Planets: Visiting Other Worlds--Jan. 22
• The Earth System--Feb. 19
• Earth and Mars: A Tale of Two Planets--March 19
• Global Warming: Causes and Consequences--April 9

This award will help 25 schools in the United States establish rose gardens designed to nurture peaceful relations and instill a strong sense of community. The school gardens will each receive a selection of 10 rose bushes from All-America Rose Selections (AARS), and educational materials, including rose planting and maintenance information from NGA, the AARS rose documentary, "Love at First Sight," and the book Roses for Dummies.
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Globally, large predators are experiencing major declines. This course will focus on the role of predators in the ecosystem; the tools conservation biologists use to study predator ecology and behavior, images and ideas about predators across cultures, actions conservation biologists are taking to try and save wild predator populations. Participants will explore different techniques for presenting life science across the disciplines and how to make core science concepts come alive by using real life case studies. All activities are aligned with National Standards and participants will receive an electronic version of the book Teachers for Tigers.
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Enhance your qualifications, competency, and self-confidence in integrating Earth system science, climate, and global change into your science classroom. NCAR offers six- and seven-week online courses for middle and high school teachers that combine geoscience content, information about current climate research, easy to implement hands-on activities, and group discussion. The courses run concurrently from January 23 through March 15.

• CD 501 Introduction to Earth's Climate is designed to guide participants through the basics of climate science, integrating content, classroom activities, and community-building discussions to help middle and high school educators understand the answers to common questions about climate.
• CD 502 Earth System Science: A Climate Change Perspective  explores Earth as a system from the perspective of climate and global change, describing the interactions between the various parts of the Earth system, including human activities, and how they all affect our climate.
• CD 503 Understanding Climate Change Today presents some of the current and predicted impacts of global warming on our planet and human societies.  This course explores how climate models are developed and used to understand likely scenarios of future climate and how current scientific research is improving the quality of climate predictions.
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Join NASA and the Endeavour Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for the Delta II launch of NOAA -- N Prime National Polarorbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). NPOESS will provide data about Earth's weather, atmosphere, oceans, land, and near-space environment. Educators will learn about Earth, atmospheric, and rocket science. Participants will receive a teacher's guide, a classroom poster, and a Mission CD for classroom use. The launch conference will be held at the Allan Hancock College's Lompoc Valley Center in Lompoc, California.
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Join Kepler Mission deputy principal investigator David Koch for a day of science and hands-on activities for middle and high school teachers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Koch will discuss the science behind NASA’s Kepler Mission. Each participant will receive a complete transit model that includes a LEGO orrery, a Vernier light sensor, interface and graphing software, and a lamp and light bulb. A letter verifying eight hours of professional development can be provided. Pre-registration is required.
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Nature, culture, and science converge on this unique program accompanied by study leader Dr. James Webster, and designed and hosted by award-winning naturalist Neville Peat. Dr. Webster is chair of the American Museum of Natural History's Division of Physical Sciences, curator of mineral deposits, and adjunct research scientist at Columbia University. AMNH Expeditions is the educational travel program of the American Museum of Natural History.
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Engineering is Elementary workshop, for school leaders, teacher educators, and elementary teachers, will be held at the Museum of Science, Boston. This 2½-day workshop is designed to introduce educators to the EiE program and its materials. The workshop will allow participants to explore our introductory engineering and technology activities. Participants will then begin exploring specific EiE units. Participants will examine two EiE Units, Water, Water Everywhere (Water Filters) and Thinking Inside the Box (Plant Packages).
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NASA presents videoconferences to assist educators in staying current on its education resources and related products. Product producers, authors, and experts will demonstrate their materials designed to optimize awareness and understanding of science concepts. Instructional objectives, accessing the materials, and primary contacts for the materials will also be discussed. During the videoconferences, participants will be able to submit questions to the presenter that will be addressed during the presentation.
 
The following topics will be covered:

• STS-119: Jan. 28, 2009, 4–5 p.m. EST
• Chemistry: What Is Your Cosmic Connection to the Elements?: Feb. 25, 2009, 4–5 p.m. EST
• Kepler Mission: March 25, 2009, 4–5 p.m. EST
• Meteorology: An Educators Resource Guide for Inquiry-Based Learning: April 29, 2009, 4–5 p.m. EST
• NASA Explores Virtual Worlds: May 27, 2009, 4–5 p.m. EST

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is hosting a series of outreach workshops to provide information about submitting a proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program.

The second workshop will be held at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Atlanta from 12–5 p.m.
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Learn from acclaimed author and coach Katherine Casey about the role of content-focused coaching in improving classroom practice. Join new and experienced K–12 coaches as we explore what coaches need to know and be able to do; models for best practices; and the role of school and district leaders. The workshop will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Portland, Oregon.
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The program provides New York-area science teachers with hands-on experience in science and engineering research for eight weeks during two consecutive summers. Program participants meet once a week for a series of pedagogical activities. Successful applicants receive a $6,000 stipend, funds for their classroom, and travel to a professional conference each year.

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Join Kepler Mission co-investigator Dr. Nick Gautier for a day of science and hands-on activities for middle and high school teachers. This event will take place at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Pasadena, California. Dr. Gautier will discuss the science behind NASA’s Kepler Mission. Participants will take part in standards-based, classroom-ready activities. Each participant will receive a complete transit model that includes a LEGO orrery, a Vernier light sensor, and interface and graphing software. A letter verifying eight hours of professional development can be provided. Pre-registration is required.
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NASA has unveiled the Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project, which will award more than 200 fellowships to educators during a five-year period. Educators accepted into the project will be exposed to current NASA science and engineering and supported in translating the information for use in classrooms.

The program will provide workshops, online and on-site graduate courses and NASA content and materials to teachers and students in K–12 classrooms. NASA will work in partnership with state departments of education to ensure program participants can apply credit from project courses towards state certification requirements.

K-12 teachers and students are invited to participate this spring in Journey North’s 16th annual global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. A free internet-based “citizen science” project, Journey North enables students in 11,000 schools to monitor migration patterns of monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, whooping cranes, and other animals; the blooming of plants; and changing sunlight, temperatures, and other signs of spring.

Each Journey North study features many entry points and resources that address learning standards: Journey North for Kids reading booklets and lessons, stunning photos and video clips, weekly migration updates, interactive maps, instructional units, and compelling migration “stories.”
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The Marine Technology Society (MTS) is pleased to offer thousands of dollars worth of scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students who are studying a marine science/engineering/technology field. Scholarships are available for both MTS members and nonmembers. For a listing of available scholarships and applications, visit the website.

The CATALYST Academy is a one-week summer residential program for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The mission of the CATALYST Academy is to advance diversity in engineering and its related disciplines. During the CATALYST Academy, Cornell University's world-renowned faculty and graduate students lead participants in classes, lab sessions, and project research.  Social events, panel discussions, and other out-of-classroom activities provide participants with opportunities to network informally with Cornell faculty, staff, and students.

Students interested in applying for the 2009 CATALYST Academy may do so beginning in February 2009.
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Each year the World of Children presents awards to ordinary people who have done extraordinary good on behalf of the health, education, and well-being of children. The maximum award presented is $50,000. Persons nominated must have full knowledge that they are being nominated and must be available in November to participate in the World of Children event held in New York City.
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The program selects high-achieving youth in the United States with financial need and provides them, throughout high school, with individualized educational services that enable them to develop their talents and abilities. Previous Young Scholars have received the support and guidance required to improve their scientific or musical skills, evaluate the suitability of their high school, take online courses, obtain computers or software, and explore their career goals.

Applications will be available in February 2009.
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The primary target audience is high school: Classrooms, Science Clubs, and other After School Groups are all welcome. Middle school through college students have enjoyed successful plant investigations. For secondary school students, PlantingScience supports student-team investigations through online discussions with a scientist mentor. For college students, PlantingScience promotes intercollegial peer-to-peer interactions by pairing sister schools.

The Advanced Technology Environment and Energy Center (ATEEC) will hold the institute at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls. High school and two-year college science, math, and technology teachers from across the United States are invited to apply. Participants will examine the renewable energy field of wind power (both utility-scale and "small" wind generators). Fellows will design problem-based educational activities emphasizing opportunities for student learning within the context of their community. They will pilot-test the activities during the 2009-2010 school year.

Up to 20 teachers will be selected to attend, with the following expenses covered: travel, lodging, study materials, and tuition (two graduate credits). (The university cannot award graduate credit to Fellows who do not have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.)

The institute is offered under a National Science Foundation grant and is developed through a partnership of the University of Northern Iowa, Eastern Iowa Community College District, and the Partnership for Environmental Technology Education.  Contact Diane Gere for more information.

TEAMS, the Junior Engineering Technical Society's (JETS) flagship program, is an annual academic competition that gives students in grades 9–12 the opportunity to discover the practical applications of math and science by solving some of today's greatest engineering challenges. Check the website for registration deadlines, which vary by host college or university.
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This intensive three-day grant proposal workshop is geared for: 1) those who wish to strengthen their grant writing skills and 2) beginners who wish to acquire and master the techniques of preparing, writing and winning proposals from various funding agencies.  The center of attention will be on how to effectively tell the story that leads to funding, be it for the researcher in the sciences and social sciences, educator and non-profit professional.

Held at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

This non-residential professional development program offers mentored laboratory research internships for K–12 science teachers and high school students. The science communication course enriches research experience and empowers teachers to incorporate research skills into their classrooms. Faculty seminars extend teachers’ knowledge of research areas beyond their host labs.

Teachers present a poster and write a research report each of two summers. In their second summer, they also present action plans that translate their experiences into classroom practice. Content:  Research in Neuroscience, Medical Sciences, Human Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Sciences, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology.
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If you’re teaching grades 3–9, you can build your background through NSTA’s live web sessions in the evening under the guidance of Dr. Matt Bobrowsky. Participants will strengthen their physical science concepts through synchronous learning for an hour and a half each week.

The virtual classroom of students, the instructor, and NSTA staff will share comments about the topic and pose and answer questions. Follow-up weekly discussions are posted on the course listserv, and self-paced completion of corresponding course materials (SciPack, SciGuide, e-book, and journal articles) all contribute to boosting knowledge of the subject.

Fees include all materials. Two graduate professional development credits from the University of Idaho can be earned for an additional fee.

This conference is for all K-12 educators. Activities presented use space-related themes to teach across the curriculum and can be used for science, language arts, mathematics, history, and more.
Attend sessions hosted by scientists and engineers working on the International Space Station, Mars exploration, and the planets beyond. Hear from astronauts who will be leading the charge in exploration. Learn about the bold vision to send humans back to the moon and off to Mars. Attend sessions presented by educators and receive ready-to-implement classroom ideas. Attendees can earn up to 24 hours of continuing professional education credit.
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The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is hosting a series of outreach workshops to provide information about submitting a proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program.

The third workshop will be held at the Renaissance Denver Hotel in Denver, Colorado, from 12–5 p.m.
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February 2009 marks Charles Darwin's 200th birthday and heralds the 150th anniversary of the first publication of The Origin of Species.
The Exploratorium's Darwin Days offers a series of presentations, debates, and discussions to explore the ways scientists continue to learn from and apply the their knowledge of evolution to a broad range of pursuits. All events are included in the price of admission to the Exploratorium.

This UMass Amherst program is designed for science teachers (new teachers are especially welcome). The class is held for five Saturdays: 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. at UMass Amherst.

Feb. 7: The Biology of the Poles
Feb. 28: Nanotechnology
March 7: Using Birds to Teach Biology
March 28: Where On Earth Are You?
April 4: Traffic Engineering and the Everyday World
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The University of Rhode Island's Office of Marine Programs is now
accepting applications for the ARMADA Project—Research and Mentoring Experiences for Teachers. The ARMADA Project, funded by the National Science Foundation, provides K–12 teachers an opportunity to actively participate in ocean, polar, and environmental science research and peer mentoring.

Selected Master Teachers (with five or more years teaching experience) are paired with leading scientists and participate in shipboard, field, or laboratory research. Research experiences will take place during the summer, although there may be opportunities during the school year. The ARMADA Project has placed teachers in research experiences all over the world.
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Join the Koshland Science Museum in Washington, D.C., to celebrate Darwin Day in an interactive forum for secondary science educators from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Learn how current science can be used to support your teaching by studying environmental influences on evolution. Receive information on current research and teaching resources.

A reception with pizza and refreshments will precede at 5 p.m.

Speakers: Peter Armbruster, Georgetown University; James Trefil, George Mason University; Toby Horn, Carnegie Institution of Washington. For more information, call 202-334-1201.

The Northrop Grumman Foundation has partnered with Earthwatch Institute to develop an innovative environmental education program for teachers. All middle school teachers (grades 6–8) from Northrop Grumman communities in the U.S. will have the opportunity to participate in an Earthwatch expedition focused on climate change or oceans preservation.
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February 12 is the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin, the English naturalist and major proponent of evolutionary theory. During February, celebrate Darwin Day using event ideas found online. Darwin Day is a program within the Institute for Humanist Studies, an international educational nonprofit that promotes reason and humanity.

Access Excellence @ the National Health Museum, a bioscience and health cyber-education program, has more than 70 Darwin-related links and classroom activities. Search using the keyword “Darwin.”

Go to The NSTA Learning Center, and search using the keyword “Darwin” to access journal articles, book excerpts, and books for all grade levels, K-college. The center also offers resources for teaching about evolution, as does the NSTA website at http://www.nsta.org/publications/evolution.aspx.

Join NASA and the Endeavour Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for the Taurus XL launch of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO). OCO will provide space-based observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the principal human-initiated driver of climate change. This event is will allow educators to learn about Earth, atmospheric, and rocket science. Participants will receive a teacher's guide, a classroom poster, and a Mission CD for classroom use. The launch conference will be held at the Allan Hancock College's Lompoc Valley Center in Lompoc, California.
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OPI offers field seminars in Olympic National Park ranging from Earth and life sciences seminars to marine adventures. OPI has professional development opportunities for teachers and informal educators that provide the skills to create hands-on science and environmental education curriculum. All programs include daily outdoor activities supplemented with access to interactive learning rooms.

Watershed and Environmental Science Trainings in February and March are open to teachers in Washington State. 
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Explore the characteristics of our solar system through hands-on, minds-on activities that you can use in your classroom. Learn about the Sun—its properties and apparent motion. Use scale models to explore the relative sizes and distances of planets, moons, and other objects in the solar system. Learn about phases of the Moon, seasons, motions in the night sky, and more. Participants can earn 20 SBEC credit hours. This workshop will take place at the McDonald Observatory in Texas.
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During Engineers Week (E-Week), teachers can show students how engineering depends on math and science. The event also offers a chance for teachers to invite engineers to their classrooms to speak about their work. The E-Week website provides resources for teachers, students, and engineers.

E-Week is a formal coalition of more than 75 engineering, professional, and technical societies and more than 50 corporations and government agencies, founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers. The program is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers among young students and by promoting precollege literacy in math and science. Engineers Week also raises public understanding and appreciation of engineers' contributions to society.


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Teachers of grades 7–12 will build a cardboard spectrometer and perform activities that explore light at many wavelengths, such as the infrared portion of the spectrum that is used to study planetary disks—the birthplace of planets. Full scholarships for all accepted applicants are provided by NASA. Participants can earn 30 SBEC credit hours. 

This workshop will take place at the McDonald Observatory in Texas.
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Explore how astronomers use lenses, mirrors, prisms, and diffraction gratings in building astronomical instruments and telescopes. Build a cardboard spectrometer, and perform activities that explore light at many wavelengths, such as the infrared region of the spectrum, that you can do in your own classroom. Learn about how NASA develops astronomical instrumentation for its missions.

Participants can earn 20 SBEC credit hours. Full scholarships for all accepted applicants are provided by NASA.
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Astronomers are finding new planets around other stars at an increasing rate. What do we know about these exoplanets? How do we know what we know? This workshop we will have a focus on spectroscopy and how it applies to our discoveries of the properties of these distant worlds, including detection of the atmospheres of some exoplanets. Compare ground-based observing with NASA space missions, and visit the first ground-based telescope to ever observe the atmosphere of a distant planet.

Participants can earn 20 SBEC credit hours. This program is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
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Learn how astronomers use white dwarf stars to measure the age of our galaxy, the Milky Way, in this advanced five-day/ four-night workshop at the McDonald Observatory in Texas. Preference is given to applications from Texas, Delaware, Arizona, and New Mexico teachers, and to teachers who have previously participated in a McDonald Professional Development Workshop. Participants can earn 30+ SBEC credit hours

Full scholarships for all accepted applicants are provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
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The most recent research telescope to be added to McDonald Observatory is the 1.2-meter MONET/North robotic telescope. Part of the telescope¹s design includes the ability for teachers to operate it remotely in real-time via the internet in their classroom. The activity content of this workshop (held at the observatory) will focus on optics, telescope design, and image processing. Participants will learn how to operate MONET (and its sister telescope in South Africa), and be given future observing time on the telescope to use from their schools with their students.

Participants can earn 20 SBEC credit hours. Full scholarships for all accepted applicants are provided by NASA through a grant from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
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Learn how technologically advanced detectors are used to observe invisible sources, record measurements, and transform the results into increasingly greater detailed false color images. Content will focus on the electromagnetic spectrum, spectroscopy, and stellar evolution, and will be connected to the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the most sophisticated X-ray space telescope built to date.

Full scholarships for all accepted applicants are provided by funding from NASA, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and the Chandra X-Ray Center. Participants can earn 60+ SBEC credit hours. This workshop will take place at the McDonald Observatory in Texas.
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Mobile Learning Conference 2009 (MLC09) will provide a forum for educators, school administrators, education and wireless technology executives, and government officials to discuss the potential of mobile learning. The conference will be held in Washington, DC, at the Capital Hilton. Among the topics to be considered is the application of wireless technology to improve test scores in the United States in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
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This eight-week online distance learning workshop is designed for educators of grades 6-12. The workshop will focus on four general sections of Earth and environmental science curriculum: geology, ecology, hydrology, and atmospheric conditions. Participants will be provided with background information, lessons, and activities in these areas, along with a resource notebook, and many classroom takeaways.  
The workshop will start with an orientation at Brevard College with the Pisgah Forest Institute (PFI) staff. If you are unable to attend it, contact PFI. This workshop is geared to participants who are unable to travel to PFI's week-long summer workshops.

Participants are eligible to receive up to four Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits based on 40 contact hours. Three semester hours of undergraduate college credit is available through Brevard College. (Doing so enables lateral-entry teachers to receive science credits!)

The DNA Learning Center of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is offering these 1.5-day workshops, which introduce a website incorporating up-to-date neuroscience research, multimedia items, and interactive experiments. From molecular signals to neural circuits to anatomical structures of the brain, participants explore thinking and disorders of thinking at different levels of complexity. The site offers learning aids that allow students to track their paths through the site and to build concept maps using information they have encountered.

Each year “Girl Day” allows thousands of women engineers, with support from their male counterparts, to directly mentor more than 1 million girls and young women in grades K-12 with firsthand experiences in engineering.
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This science and curriculum institute for high school science teachers will be held June 15–20 at San Francisco State University and will feature presentations by leading astrobiology researchers from the SETI Institute, NASA, and the California Academy of Sciences. Scientists will share the latest in astrobiology research on the origin of life on Earth, the extreme conditions in which life exists, Mars exploration, the formation of planetary systems around Sun-like stars, and the search for life in the universe. Participants receive the entire Voyages Through Time curriculum—a standards-based integrated high school curriculum—and free astrobiology materials. Curriculum, travel, and room and board expenses for this program are grant funded.
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Through this course you will gain background knowledge in habitats and wildlife and learn about basic ecology, adaptations, and interactions of organisms with their environment and between organisms in a temperate forests and wetlands. Participants will explore humanity’s influence and interaction with nature and discuss teaching ecology to elementary school children.
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How accurately has Hollywood has shown spacecraft and the solar system? How are those special effects created? This special event at the NASA Glenn Visitor Center in Cleveland will answer these and other film-related questions from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
 
Special presentations:
 
10:30 a.m.--The Science of Superman
 
12 noon--Behind the scenes of HBO's From the Earth to the Moon
 
1:30 p.m.--Blockbuster Technology
 
Also photographs, crafts, and activities for the kids. Call 216-433-9653 for information and reservations; some events will fill up quickly.
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At Other Worlds, a biological cinema arts and musical event at the Exploratorium, artist Philip Ross and Dr. Kristina Yu present their videos of microorganisms accompanied by a live musical performance. The event will be held at 2 p.m.
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The university's chemistry department offers this National Science Foundation-funded program. Participants will conduct full-time, hands-on research. The program is supplemented by a short course on photoinduced charge transfer, seminars, discussion groups, and workshops, which provide more structured opportunities for learning. It offers exceptional academic research, along with exposure to undergraduate and graduate education in a university setting. Hands-on workshops on computer-based technologies are useful for instruction. 

A stipend and housing are provided for teachers. Travel funds are available. 
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The program uses the space program and hands-on applications to get
students in grades 6-12 excited about math, science, and technology. It gives students an opportunity to build and launch a six-foot-high powered rocket, help coordinate launch activities in Mission Control, and participate in tracking and recovery activities. Each year, more than 300 students from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan have participated.
The program integrates easily into your current science curriculum or could be used as an extracurricular activity. Students can also form a launch team outside of school.
The Great Lakes Space Port Education Foundation announces the 13th Annual Rockets for Schools Launch will take place May 15-16 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Due to limited space, only 60 rocket teams can participate. Teams will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
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In this looping installation, the British filmmaking duo known as Semiconductor reveals the chaotic geometries of hidden magnetic fields in and around NASA's Space Sciences Laboratory at UC Berkeley. Filmed as the artists tried to come to grips with the science they explored, Magnetic Movie originates with magnetic fields in relation to the Sun, Earth and Mars, and the techniques space scientists use to visualize them. The movie will be shown at the Exploratorium.
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The grants provide funding to programs that support or provide job skills or education for all people, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth. The maximum award is $25,000. All 501(c)3 organizations may apply.
Proposals must be submitted between February 27 and March 13 for funding in May 2009.
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