September 2008 Aerospace Education Newsbrief from
CIVIL AIR PATROL
NCASE 2008 – October 16-18 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in
Arlington, Virginia – Don’t miss this exceptional conference!
1. National Conference on Aviation and Space Education will be held at
the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia from October 16-18,
2008. Register today at www.ncase.info/ . Speakers include: Dr. Bonnie
Dunbar, Former NASA mission specialist astronaut and veteran of 5 space flights;
President and CEO Museum of Flight – Janice Voss, Ph.D., payload lead mission
specialist, NASA astronaut. Also included in the program are Ken Blackburn
(Guinness Book of World Records record-holder and author of Greatest Airplane
Book); Gregory Condon (manager of the NASA Smart Skies ™ Education
Project); Barrington A. Irving, Jr. (the first black pilot and youngest person ever to
fly solo around the globe); and Paula Lewis (NASA deputy assistant administrator
for regions and center operations). The conference is conducted by the National
Coalition of Aerospace Education (NCAE). Civil Air Patrol is one of the sponsors of
the event.
2. Remember – FY ’08 Fly-a-Teacher flights can be flown until September
30! Since this program is corporately funded, the deadline for FY ’08 flights is the
end of September. Please let Judy Stone know of any pending flight plans!
jstone@capnhq.gov
3. NEW! National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Regional
Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina - Explore “Charlotte’s Science Web”
this October at NSTA’s first fall conference. The conference headquarters hotel is
the Westin Charlotte. The conference will be held from October 30 – November 1.
For
more
information,
go
to
http://www.nsta.org/conferences/2008cha/?lid=tnavhp .
4. The 2nd Edition of the AE textbook, Aerospace: The Journey of Flight
and accompanying Teacher’s Guide is now available for purchase**
through Vanguard Industries – The book may be purchased for $20.35 and
the
Teacher’s
Guide
may
be
purchased
for
$8.25
from:
http://www.vanguardmil.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6_38
3_387&zenid=6044a0e8c93b91526f4cf28cbd681887.
**The textbook is also downloadable in e-services. After entering e-services, go
to Aerospace Downloads in the left column and click there to see the textbook
chapters.
5. NEW! NASA Announces eClips for Educators and Students – This webbased educational project is offered free to every student and educator in the
country, from kindergarten level through lifelong learners. NASA eClips are short,
five- to 10-minute video segments available on-demand via the Internet for the
2008-2009 school year. Check out the potential of this project at
http://www.nasa.gov/education/nasaeclips .
6. National Space Biomedical Research Institute – This institute focuses on
the effects of long-term spaceflight on the human body and how to counter any
negative effects it might have. The institute provides educators with valuable
teacher activity guides on Bones and Muscles, Food and Fitness, and Sleep and
Daily Rhythms. To find out more about NSBRI go to http://www.nsbri.org. The link
to the teacher guides is http://www.nsbri.org/Education/Materials.html .
7. Lockheed Martin, the Space Foundation and SpaceClass announced
the launch of a strategic online education collaboration called Orion’s
Path. Orion’s Path is an interactive lesson on SpaceClass -- the only web-based
education program using videos and virtual science labs to engage students in
research being conducted for space exploration. Lesson contents meet National
Learning Standards for middle school grades and use of the site is free to teachers.
To sign up, go to
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/Orion/OrionsPath.html
8. AIAA Foundation Educator Achievement Award, Call for Nominations –
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) recognizes up to seven
outstanding educators for their accomplishments in exciting K-12 students about
math and science and preparing them to use and contribute to tomorrow’s
technologies. This award is presented every 2 years and the deadline for 2008 is
September 30. To apply, go to http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=217 .
9. Send Your Name Into Space on the NASA Kepler Mission – NASA invites
you to submit your name to be included on a DVD that will be rocketed into space
as part of NASA’s Kepler Mission, scheduled to launch in February, 2009. The
deadline for submissions to the Kepler Mission Web site is Nov, 1, 2008. To submit
your name and learn more about the Kepler Mission, visit http://kepler.nasa.gov/.
10. Scott Crossfield Foundation website is now available at
www.scottcrossfieldfoundation.org Share memories of Scott Crossfield on
this site. If you have a story to tell, you can go to the “Tell A Story” section and add
your story.
11. CAP Aerospace Education materials can now be ordered online! AEMs,
AEOs, and AE Affiliates can now order one copy of our materials via our online
ordering system. First, go to www.cap.gov then, go to E-Services and sign in. Look
on the right column under Restricted Applications and find AE Materials. Fill out the
order form and our mailroom will process and fill your order. You will receive an
order number so that if you have any questions, you can refer to that number for
assistance. If you have special needs, please note these in the Comments section.
This new system will help expedite the orders and allow us to better track our
inventory. Thank you and we hope you enjoy using this system. As always, we are
here to answer any questions.
12. Air Force Association (AFA) Educator grant cycle deadline for CAP
Educators is September 30, 2008. Download application at
http://www.cap.gov/visitors/members/aerospace_education/scholarships/
In order to assure that your application reached us, please email
jmontgomery@cap.gov for confirmation.
13. Don’t forget to send in your completion report to receive your plaque
and certificates for the Aerospace Excellence Award Program (AEX) for
2007- 2008! Remember to sign up for next year’s AEX program, too. Complete the
program and receive a beautiful plaque for your classroom/squadron and a
certificate for each student or cadet. AEX brochure can be downloaded at
http://www.cap.gov/visitors/members/aerospace_education/activities/aerospa
ce_education_excellence/ The 2007-2008 program ends on September 30 and
the 2008-2009 year begins on October 1.
14. Adams State College Offers Graduate Credit Opportunities for CAP
Educators! Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado, is now offering up to six
hours of graduate credit for completing specific requirements in association with our
Aerospace Education Excellence Program (AEX) lessons. See www.cap.gov/ae
for further information.
15. Satellite Tool Kit (STK) for the Classroom – Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) is
offering the leading off-the-shelf satellite software package to our educator
members at no cost. For licensing and to receive your disk, contact Dr. Jeff
Montgomery at jmontgomery@cap.gov .
16. See what STK (Satellite Tool Kit) Training is available for 2008. Go to:
http://www.cap.gov/visitors/members/aerospace_education/stay_informed/ae
_updates/ and scroll down the page to: STK “Intro to STK” training session
locations for 2008.
17. Embry-Riddle Offers New Scholarship for CAP Members! Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University - World-Wide Campus is offering CAP members an
opportunity to receive a scholarship for either undergraduate or graduate hours. To
find out more about this scholarship, go to www.cap.gov/ae .
18. AEPSM (Yeager Test) reporting information for DAEs (Directors of
Aerospace Education): We now have the capability to offer members
immediate feedback when they take the Yeager Test online. After successfully
passing the test online, the member will automatically have his/her accomplishment
posted to his/her records and the Yeager Certificate will be available for download
as a pdf. The only reason we need to have a Form 127 and have the DAE issue a
CAPC 20 is in the event that the member takes the test as a pencil and paper exam
and not online. We hope this helps to streamline the Yeager test process and
make the reporting easier for all concerned. If DAEs need information regarding
those who have taken the test online and passed in their wing, this is the
procedure:
The DAE needs to log in at https://ntc.cap.af.mil/login.htm .
They should see “Test Reports” in the left column of the menu. This link is
restricted to people assigned to region or wing HQ, if the DAE is not assigned to the
wing HQ, we will have to give them specific permissions.
19. NASA
Education’s Act Now page highlights
opportunities available for teachers and students.
upcoming
NASA
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/actnow/index.html
20. Look for the latest offerings on NASA TV.
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html
Thank you for promoting aerospace education all across our
great nation!
Sincerely, the CAP AE Team