EDUCATION: NEWS & TIPS
Attention K-12 Students! NASA is running its “Power to Explore Student Essay Challenge for 2025,” and you can compete. NASA spacecraft in the outer Solar System are too far from the Sun to operate on solar power. Instead, NASA uses a “radioisotope thermal generator” for spacecraft power (find out more about RTGs here). Your task is to select any moon in the outer Solar System and make a case for its exploration, justifying the use of a Radioisotope Power System. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2025. For more information on the contest, go to: https://www.nasa.gov/power-to-explore!
Attention Educators! Palomar Observatory has an immediate opening for a new Public Events Coordinator. Find out more about the position here: https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf03/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?rid=10110&org=CALTECH&cws=37! The announcement was posted several weeks ago, but it is still there as of 1/18/25!
(Grand)Parent and Teachers! Check out the Jack Horkheimer Youth Awards! Jack Horkheimer was the Director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium, best known for his PBS vignettes called Star Hustler; his tagline was “Keep Looking Up!” Sadly, he passed away on August 20, 2010, but his educational spirit and love of astronomy carries on, in the form of Youth Awards administered by the Astronomical League. The Horkheimer Charitable Fund sponsors four annual awards for students: two for service, one for imaging a celestial object, and one is for astronomical journalism. For complete details, eligibility requirements, and nomination process, see: https://www.astroleague.org/jack-horkheimer-youth-awards. The deadline for receipt of materials is March 31.
Smithsonian Educational Programs for Early Learners! Smithsonian Magazine recently posted a piece about 13 innovative programs for early learners at downtown DC’s SI Units. There are a number of wonderful opportunities for helping visiting families inspire the children’s learning. I’m personally familiar with the National Air and Space Museum’s “Flights of Fancy Story Time’ (offered at both NASM sites, downtown and the Udvar-Hazy Center) and “Soar Together at Air and Space.” Check out the Magazine’s article here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-education/2024/05/07 ; it contains links to get more information about specific programs. [Congratulations to A and D!]
Student Built CubeSat Scores! Ireland’s first-ever satellite was built by students at the University of Dublin, and launched last December. EIRSAT-1 was designed, built, and tested under the guidance of ESA Education Division’s “Fly Your Satellite” program. EIRSAT-1 carries several instruments, including a gamma ray detector. On August 21, 2024, it detected two gamma ray bursts 80 seconds apart. Other spacecraft and ground-based assets confirmed the observation, and more detailed study determined the likely cause was a merger of two neutron stars over 3 billion light-years away. Now THAT’s a cool student project!
Celebrate the Heliophysics Big Year with Free Heliophysics and Math Webinars from NASA! Find out more at: https://science.nasa.gov/learning-resources/science-activation/celebrate-the-heliophysics-big-year-with-free-heliophysics-and-math-webinars-from-nasa-heat.
NASA’s Universe of Learning: NASA’s Astrophysics missions are the theme for the Universe of Learning program, which “connects the public to the data, discoveries, and experts that span NASA’s Astrophysics missions. Our team is made up of scientists, engineers, and educators who have direct connections to these missions.” The program has projects and events “designed to inspire engagement and learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Once learners get started, they often return to unlock more secrets of the universe – and perhaps even chart their own path to become a scientist or an engineer.” Find out more about this program here: https://www.universe-of-learning.org/about-us. Check it out with your students, (grand)children, and friends!
STEM Education as a Path to a Productive Career: Many career paths are open to the student who becomes proficient in STEM topics. Many paths lead to Academia, but that is not the only area in which to have a rewarding career. STEM also leads to business, military, advocacy, and other areas not intimately-related to STEM.
The American Geophysical Union publication, EOS, has an article about seventeen examples of how a STEM background allowed people to pursue their career dreams in a variety of fields.
This is really good info to share with a young person old enough to ponder their future!