E-Blast 1 September 2012
Information on the following items is found below the list.
1. Webinar on Adaptive Technologies New technology/engineering resources Sept 27th
2. CyberPatriot Competition for Students in Grds 9-12: Deadline September 30
3. Internet Science and Technology Fair from UCF-CECS
4. NEA Foundation-Nickelodeon Big Help Grants Deadline: October 15
5. National Fossil Day Contest October 17
6. Spirit of Innovation Challenge Deadline October 24
7. National Engineers Week Future City Competition Deadline October 31
8. Shell Science Lab Challenge Deadline November 12
9. U.S. Depart of State offers Fulbright grants Deadlines October and December
10. Project Ignition Grants Deadline: November 15
11. Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Deadline: December 5
12. Registration for eCYBERMISSION now open
13. Space Settlement Design Contest
14. Project 2061 Connections Online Science Literacy
15. New educational resources from the U.S. Forest Service
16. New NOAA Website Offers Tips to Prepare for Coastal Flooding
17. Pollution Educational Materials Online
18. Coastal Conservation Network resources on Air Pollution and Climate Change
19. The GO3 Foundation climate resources
20 Grant cluster
a. Baston-Cook
b. Bellsouth Foundation
c. Teleflex Foundation
d. Cowles Charitable
e. Tom S. and Mary Kate Aldridge Charitable and Educational Trust
21. EPA Healthier School Environment maters
1. Free Webinar on Adaptive Technologies New technology/engineering resources Sept 27th
Adaptive Technologies, a new special collection linked to science standards, brings
together media resources from Medal Quest, PBS's groundbreaking digital series on the
inspiring Paralympic athletes of Team USA, and Design Squad, the award-winning PBS
series that gets kids excited about engineering.
Join our free webinar on September 27, 7-8pm EST: "Adaptive Technologies: Where
STEM and the Paralympics Meet." Both formal and informal educators will learn new ways to
help students explore how science, technology, engineering, and math support athletes with
physical disabilities as they compete at the highest levels.
http://wgbh.givezooks.com/events/adaptive-technologies-webinar
2. CyberPatriot Competition for Students in Grades 9-12 Deadline September 30, 2012
CyberPatriot is a premier national high school cyber defense competition that is
designed to give hand- on exposure to the foundations of cyber security. CyberPatriot is not a
hacking competition. CyberPatriot's goal is to excite students about Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
Teams of students are provided one to three virtual machines. These machines contain
several vulnerabilities, and students must clean the image of them. The virtual machines can
have Windows or GNU/Linux Operating systems. They are given a set amount of time on the
competition day to do so. Teams that find the most vulnerabilities pass on to the next round, and
the winners of all three rounds compete in the National Championships in Washington, D.C.
Find competition details as well as a comprehensive compilation of teaching materials at
http://www.uscyberpatriot.org/about/Pages/default.aspx.
3. Internet Science and Technology Fair from UCF-CECS
In realizing the critical role you play in determining which informal STEM education
resources may be of value to your state science teachers, I ask you to consider the following
FREE program from the University of Central Florida's College of Engineering and Computer
Science (UCF-CECS). It was built to provide students in grades 3-12 with a real world research
experience using IT tools while teaching them how to innovate and develop important thinking
skills. Our program, the Internet Science and Technology Fair (ISTF) was showcased earlier
this year in the National Science Teachers Association Reporter along with Google's virtual
science fair and Canadian science fair at
http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=59206.
We are seeking interested science teachers who may wish to involve one or more student
teams from their school in our 2012-2013 ISTF Competition. Please have interested educators
contact me at bruce.furino@ucf.edu<mailto:bruce.furino@ucf.edu> should they have any
questions as enrollment begins October 2012!
4. NEA Foundation-Nickelodeon Big Help Grants Deadline: October 15
Grants of up to $5,000 are available to educators at K-8 public schools for the development and
implementation of approaches to four key concerns - environmentalism, health and wellness,
students' rights to a quality education, and active community involvement. Applicants must be
practicing U.S public school teachers or public school education support professionals. Grant
funds may be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, technology, or
scholars-in-residence. http://bit.ly/RbPAJL
5. Show Artistic Talent in National Fossil Day Contest
A major focus of Earth Science Week 2012 will be National Fossil Day (October 17), and one of
the best ways for students nationwide to participate is by entering the National Park Service’s
National Fossil Day Art and Photography Contest. Entries should address the theme “Careers in
Paleontology.”
Artwork may include a photo, painting, drawing, or watercolor. Explore the wide variety
of careers that one can pursue relating to the field of paleontology - on a dig, in the classroom,
at a museum, though technology, or in other ways. Artwork must be flat and should focus on a
paleontological job is, what it accomplishes, and how it relates to fossils.
The contest is open to any U.S. resident. Entries must be postmarked by October 5,
2012. Learn more at http://nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/art_contest.cfm. If you have
questions, please email National_Fossil_Day@nps.gov.
Find New Resources at National Fossil Day Online
To help you prepare for the third annual National Fossil Day (October 17) during Earth Science
Week 2012, the National Park Service has launched a web site full of educational resources
and information designed specifically for students and teachers
(http://nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/).
On the site’s NPS Fossil Park Highlights page, for example, you’ll find lesson plans
developed to reflect select state standards, fossil trading cards, videos about pygmy
mammoths, special brochures, a virtual museum exhibit on dinosaurs, and more. Check out the
page at http://nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/park_highlights.cfm. Also see the site’s
Useful Resources and Links page, which features a trove of educator resources
(http://nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/resources.cfm).
Junior Paleontologist Activity Booklets
Created for the National Park Service's Junior Paleontologist Program, these publications have
a vareity of activities and information.
http://nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/jrpaleo.cfm
6. Spirit of Innovation Challenge Deadline October 24
Each year the Conrad Foundation challenges youth ages 13-18 from around the globe to Get
Their Genius On and conceptualize a solution in the areas of Aerospace and Aviation, Energy
and Environment, Cyber Security and Technology, and Health and Nutrition. Winning teams in
each category receive $5,000 in seed grant money toward the commercialization of their
product. Learn more
7. National Engineers Week Future City Competition Deadline October 31
In this national, project-based competition, students in grades 6-8 design and build cities of the
future using computer software, research and write solutions to an engineering problem and
present their ideas before judges. Educators should register student teams by October 31 to
enter the competition. Learn more
8. Are you a science teacher succeeding in science lab instruction with minimal equipment? The
Shell Science Lab Challenge offers you a chance to compete to win a school science lab
makeover, valued at $20,000, by sharing your exemplary approach. Invited to participate are
middle and high school science teachers, grades 6–12, in the United States and Canada, with
special attention paid to urban and underrepresented groups. Your task will be to illustrate
replicable approaches to science lab instruction utilizing limited school and laboratory
resources. Teachers and schools submitting top entries will receive additional laboratory tools,
resources, and rich professional development opportunities.
Visit www.nsta.org/shellsciencelab today and begin working on your application. The deadline
for entries is November 12, 2012.
9. International Exchange and Research Opportunities for U.S. Classroom Teachers
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs offers Fulbright
grants for U.S. primary and secondary classroom teachers, guidance counselors, curriculum
specialists, curriculum heads, Talented and Gifted coordinators, Special Education coordinators
and media specialists/librarians to participate in international exchanges during the 2013-2014
academic year through the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program (CTE) and the
Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching Program (DA).
By living, teaching or conducting research overseas, U.S. teachers gain new skills, learn
new instruction and assessment methodologies and share best practices with international
colleagues and students. Teachers also have the opportunity to expand their understanding of
other cultures and international education systems that will enrich their U.S. home schools and
local communities with global perspectives.
Teachers may apply for the CTE Program for one of six countries: the Czech Republic,
France, Hungary, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Teachers may apply for the DA
Program for one of eight countries: Argentina, Finland, India, Mexico, Morocco, Singapore,
South Africa and the United Kingdom.
For more information about eligibility requirements, benefits and impact of these
programs, please visit the program website, www.fulbrightteacherexchange.org.
The application deadline for the CTE Program is October 15, 2012.
The application deadline for the DA program is December 15, 2012.
Teachers interested in applying to the CTE program can find more information here:
http://www.fulbrightteacherexchange.org/application-te2.
Teachers interested in applying to the DA program can find more information here:
http://www.fulbrightteacherexchange.org/application-tp2.
10. Project Ignition Grants Deadline: November 15
The National Youth Leadership Council® and State Farm® are pleased to announce the
availability of $2,000 Project Ignition grants! Public high schools may apply for the grants to
address teen driver safety through service-learning. Car crashes remain the number one cause
of death for adolescents. Project Ignition is bringing together students, teachers and
communities to create change. And they're saving lives. http://bit.ly/pKcD1c
11. Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Deadline: December 5
The truth is that many deserving students, who have dedicated a great deal of their time to
athletics, will not receive athletic scholarships to college. Foot Locker and DoSomething.org will
be rewarding twenty incoming college freshmen with $20,000 in scholarship funding for college not because they scored the most touchdowns, but because of their character and commitment
to volunteerism. This is the award for flexing heart, not muscle. http://bit.ly/Qif9UD
12. NSTA and the United States Army have joined together to promote student achievement in
science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through a comprehensive education
initiative. eCYBERMISSION is an online collaborative learning competition designed to inspire
student interest in STEM by encouraging students in grades six through nine to develop
solutions to real-world challenges in their local communities. NSTA will also join the consortium
of the Youth Science Cooperative Outreach Agreement (YSCOA), under the lead of Virginia
Tech.
Teams of three to four students are asked to identify an issue in their community related
to one of seven mission challenges. After selecting a mission challenge, teams—under the
guidance of a team advisor—apply the scientific method/inquiry or engineering design process
to propose a solution. Each team then submits a mission folder, the official write-up of their
project. A panel of virtual judges evaluates and scores the mission folders on the basis of
several criteria to identify winning teams. Teams have the opportunity to win state, regional, and
national awards and the students on the four national winning teams can receive up to $8,000 in
U.S. EE Savings Bonds.
Registration for the 2012-2013 competition is now open. To learn more about the
program and to register, visit www.ecybermission.com or contact eCYBERMISSION Mission
Control at 1-866-GO-CYBER (462-9237) or via email at missioncontrol@ecybermission.com.
13. Space Settlement Design Contest
The NASA Space Settlement Design Contest is intended for students in grades 6-12, although
younger students may enter. Individual or teams from anywhere in the world may enter. Grade
levels are judged separately, except for the grand prize. All participants will receive a certificate.
Submissions must be received by March 15, 2013. http://settlement.arc.nasa.gov/Contest/
14. Project 2061 Connections Online Science Literacy Maps Add Value to Digital Resources
Fostering more effective use of the National Science Digital Library’s Science Literacy Maps.
Read more.
II. “Create & Take Tests” on the AAAS Science Assessment Website
Teachers can now develop and administer their own online science tests. Read more.
15. The U.S. Forest Service has a great new, free educational resource for educators. The
Scientists Card series is a set of trading cards that can be printed and used in the classroom.
These cards show kids what scientists look like, what cool things they do, and give advice for
students. Check out the featured article on Utah Public Radio for more info:
http://upr.org/post/trading-cards-show-kids-what-scientists-look-and-what-scientists-can-do
Additionally, these cards have been made into poster-size for printing and hanging in the
classroom. The posters are in the final stages of editing and will be available on the website
soon. But in the meantime, check out the free trading cards!
http://www.naturalinquirer.org/scientists-v-92.html We also have free science educational
journals available for order. The home page of the website will give you more info.
16. New NOAA Website Offers Tips to Prepare for Coastal Flooding
NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey has announced a new website, www.stormsurge.noaa.gov,
designed to provide vital information to help protect communities, people, and property from the
devastation of coastal flooding. “NOAA’s meteorologists and oceanographers observe coastal
conditions and predict when storm surge may occur,” said Jesse Feyen, a storm surge expert
with NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. “This website gives people important information to help
them prepare for storm surge. With this advance understanding and knowledge, people will
know how to respond to coastal flooding from a storm.”
http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/
http://www.stormsurge.noaa.gov/
17. Pollution Educational Materials Online
To help raise awareness about nutrient pollution, which is caused by excess nitrogen and
phosphorus in the air and water, EPA has developed new educational materials, including:
• Community Outreach Toolkit—designed to assist watershed groups, NGOs, states, and
federal partners with messaging and outreach to the media about nutrient pollution.
• Nutrient Pollution Video—aims to raise awareness about nutrient problem, the first step
in addressing and reducing the problem.
• Postcard/Poster—shows a before and after photo of Lake Erie to illustrate the impacts of
nutrient pollution.
• Future Farmers of America Curriculum—EPA worked with several other federal
agencies on lesson plans for young farmers about source water protection and management
practices that can help control runoff to protect surface and groundwater.
You can access the first three and other materials at
http://water.epa.gov//polwaste/nutrientoutreach.cfm. Use the “share this” button under the
postcard to share it on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The curriculum can be
directly found at
https://www.ffa.org/FFAResources/ffalearn/sourcesofdrinkingwater/Pages/nosolicit.html
18. Free resources on Air Pollution and Climate Change
The Coastal Conservation Network is a nonprofit working to provide the community with global
environmental videos as well as breaking news articles related to the waterways of our world.
In addition, the CCN is currently developing a virtual classroom function where the educational
community can utilize its site completely free of charge! So, if you are a teacher and looking for
a great resource, please check out the website: http://www.ccnworldwide.org/
19. The GO3 Foundation has updated and posted its curricula for:
Stratospheric and Ground Level Ozone
CO2 and Climate Change
Black Carbon
Energy and the Environment
These curricula, which are used in the Global Ozone Project, CO2 Experiment and Black
Carbon Experiment, are available as annotated Power Point presentations, making it easy to
edit to fit your class needs. The materials are being used by teachers at schools around the
world.You can get your free download of the 4 Curricula here: www.go3project.com/curriculum
20.
a. Baston-Cook Foundation
Size of Award: $100-$5,000
Eligibility: Education, science and technology-general purposes
Contact: Cecil Hood
PO Box 151, West Point, GA 31833, 706-643-2500
b. BellSouth Foundation
Size of Award: $5000-$300,000
Deadline: Feb. 1 and Sept. 1
Eligibility: Elementary, secondary and higher education-program development: stimulate lasting
improvements in education in the South, to address the inadequacy of the region's schools in
preparing students for the future.
Contact: Leslie J. Graitcer, Executive Director
c/o BellSouth Corp., 1155 Peachtree St., NE, Room 7H08, Atlanta, GA 30309-3610, 404-2492396, 404-249-2429, 404-249-5696, email: grants.manager@bellsouth.net
c. Teleflex Foundation
Award Range: $25-$15,000
Deadline: Sept. 30, and March 24. Board meets twice a year
Eligibility: Education; all levels-curriculum development, program development
Contact: Thelma A. Fretz, Secretary
155 South Limerick Rd., Limerick, PA 19468, 610-834-6301
d. The Cowles Charitable Trust
Size of Award: $500-$50,000
Deadline: Mar 1, June 1, Sept 1 and Dec 1
Eligibility: Education, including early childhood, secondary and higher ed- equipment, continuing
and operating support, program development
Contact: Gardner Cowles III, President, Mary Croft, Sec/Trea
PO Box 219, Rumson, NJ 07760 732-936-9826
e. Tom S. and Mary Kate Aldridge Charitable and Educational Trust
Award Size: $200-$21,000
Deadline: N/A
Eligibility: Educational programs and services- curriculum development, challenge support
Contact: Robert Aldridge, Chair/Treasurer
3035 NW 63rd, Suite 207N, Oklahoma City, OK 73116, 405-840-991
21. Read About Sensible Steps to Healthier School Environments. This new EPA resource
describes cost-effective, affordable measures to protect the health of students and staff. It
covers common school issues, such as lead, mercury and mold, as well as how to conserve
resources and conduct a facility assessment. This guidance also includes the Top Ten Ways to
Make Your School Healthier. View or download this resource to learn more.
Back-to-School Basics — Conduct IAQ Walkthroughs
Back-to-school is a great time to reinvigorate your school’s IAQ management routine and to
ensure the new school year is as healthy, productive and successful as possible.
The IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit has checklists for each aspect of school IAQ management.
IAQ team members, administrators, maintenance and facilities staff, school nurses, and others
involved in creating a healthy indoor school environment can use the checklists to conduct
thorough top to bottom assessments of the entire school facility.
During the walkthrough, use your basic senses to identify IAQ concerns:
Look at the general level of cleanliness in classrooms and mechanical rooms. Watch for
potential pollutant sources including mold, improperly stored chemicals, or excessively dirty air
filters and ducts. Look for signs of water damage, which may point to an underlying problem.
Water damage increases the chance of biological contamination. Look for books or papers on
top of unit ventilators or plywood covering outdoor air intakes.
Smell for unique or objectionable odors — including mold, mildew and “chemical” smells — as
you move from room to room. Note any potential sources of these odors.
Feel for uncomfortable air temperatures, drafts, and high or low humidity. Check for air flowing
into and out of grilles and air vents.
Listen to the concerns of school occupants regarding IAQ. Do they experience any IAQ-related
symptoms in classrooms? Do they store and use their own sprays to control pests? Do they turn
off the unit ventilator during class because it is too noisy? Listen for unusual equipment noises
that may indicate potential problems.
For more information on conducting IAQ walkthroughs, review the checklists included with the
IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit. You can download checklists in PDF or Word formats, and can
tailor them to fit your school’s needs.
Contest announcement:
The 6th, 11th and 23rd classroom teachers in the Louisiana Science Matters network to respond
to this E-Blast will receive a handheld illuminated microscope.