Say goodbye to back-to-school blues and get ready for some STEM-tastic fun with the Hooray for SLS! children’s book. Written by Lane Polak and illustrated by Heather Legge-Click, Hooray for SLS! introduces young explorers to the Artemis mission's unique elements, like NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, needed to get to deep space and the Moon. We’re traveling deeper in space than we ever have before, and that calls for a celebration. | | | “First Women” Virtual Classroom Connection Series: NASA’s First Female Launch Director Audience: Grades 5-12 educators Registration Deadline: Monday, Sept. 30 Event Date: Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 4 p.m. EDT Contact: hq-virtual-engagements@mail.nasa.gov Women are making history at NASA every day, and now your students have the chance to meet them. This series highlights a few of the women who have had a crucial impact on STEM fields. Charlie Blackwell-Thompson is NASA's first female launch director. On Nov. 16, 2022, she led her team during the first launch of Artemis – an uncrewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft. She is now preparing for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission. Sign up to hear her story and take part in a live Q&A session. | | | Sally Ride EarthKAM: Missions 88 and 89 Audience: K-12 and informal educators, parents, and caregivers Mission 88 Dates: Tuesday, Oct. 8 – Friday, Oct. 11 Mission 89 Dates: Tuesday, Oct. 29 – Friday, Nov. 1 Contact: help@earthkam.org
Sally Ride EarthKAM is a free STEM educational program managed by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
EarthKAM allows students in grades K-12 to take images of Earth from space using a camera aboard the International Space Station. Use EarthKAM as a teaching tool to study subjects ranging from geography to art to meteorology.
Visit the website for details and to register to participate. | | Are You Up for a Challenge? | | | 2025 Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (Micro-g NExT) Audience: Undergraduate students attending accredited U.S.-based community colleges, colleges, and universities Information Sessions: Thursday, Sept. 26, and Tuesday, Oct. 15 Letter of Intent Deadline: Tuesday, Oct. 8 Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, Oct. 29 Contact: jsc-reducedgravity@nasa.gov Micro-g NExT challenges teams to design, build, and test a tool or device that addresses an authentic, current space exploration challenge. The overall experience includes hands-on engineering design, test operations, and public outreach. This year’s Micro-g NExT challenges focus on lunar operations, microgravity operations, and search and rescue. Selected teams will be paired with a NASA mentor to assist them as they iterate on their submitted design. During the culminating event, professional divers will test the student prototypes in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Full challenge descriptions and requirements can be found on the Micro-g NExT website. | | | NASA MUREP Innovative New Designs for Space (MINDS) Audience: Undergraduate students enrolled at Minority Serving Institutions Application Deadline: Friday, Oct.11 Contact: KSC-NASA-MINDS@mail.nasa.gov NASA MINDS is a dynamic, multi-semester challenge where student teams put their technical skills and creativity to the test. Participating student teams will learn about NASA’s Artemis mission and the technologies NASA needs to achieve the mission’s goals. They will then pick the technology opportunity of most interest to them and plan their detailed design concept. Selected teams will receive up to $1,500 to be used in the build phase, and faculty advisors will earn a $1,000 stipend upon successful project completion. Teams are also eligible for recognition awards up to $5,000. Grand champions will be invited to a VIP experience at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. | | | NASA SUITS Design Challenge Audience: Undergraduate and graduate students Letter of Intent Deadline: Thursday, Oct. 10 Information Session: Thursday, Oct. 17, at 5 p.m. EDT Proposal Deadline: Thursday, Oct. 31 Contact: NASA-SUITS@mail.nasa.gov NASA SUITS (Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students) challenges teams to design and create autonomous systems and displays for spacesuits and rovers. These systems will aid NASA’s Artemis missions that will land astronauts safely on the Moon. Top teams will travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and work with NASA technical engineers and coordinators to test their prototypes. | | More Resources to Explore | | | Earthrise Newsletter - September 2024 Issue: Earth's Cryosphere
September is an important month for researchers tracking sea ice cover, with Arctic sea ice approaching its seasonal minimum and Antarctic sea ice approaching its seasonal maximum.
Make a STEM connection in your classroom with a look at Earth's cryosphere - ice caps, glaciers, sea ice, snow, and more. Plus, find resources from the Earthrise partners. | | Opportunities With Our Partners | |
Are you looking for NASA STEM materials to support your curriculum?
Find NASA science resources for your classroom. NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. https://science.nasa.gov/learners/wavelength
Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website! Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Visit science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit ciencia.nasa.gov. | | Visit NASA STEM Engagement on the Web: | | | | |
