Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST)

Who: CAST
What: Science Teachers Conference
When: November 4-7, 2009
Where: Moody Gardens Hotel and Conference Center, Galveston, TX

The Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT) is a statewide organization of elementary, middle level, and high school teachers, college educators, supervisors of science, and others dedicated to maintaining the highest levels of science and education in our schools. We are a chapter of the National Science Teachers Association.

The Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST) is the annual meeting for all STAT members in Texas. CAST offers professional development opportunities, social activities, National Speakers, Administrators Institute and Exhibit Hall.

STAT is seeking volunteers to assist with the ongoing event coordination, hospitality and general day-to-day operations of CAST in Galveston, Texas, including a pre-conference meeting starting on Wednesday, November 4 and ending Saturday, November 7, 2009.

Current Volunteer Opportunities include:

Hospitality:

• Key Speaker Escorts
• Hospitality Information Booth and Hotel Greeters
• Exhibit Relief Crew
• Bag Sitters
• Airport Transportation Greeters
• Special Needs Arrangements
• Volunteer Check-in booth
• Name Badge Pick-up and Distribution booth
• Tote Bag Distribution
• Foot Traffic Flow
• Information Booth
• General Administration
• Pre-Conference Planning

Sign up at http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp585998.jsp

Clear Springs High School Career Fair

Who: Clear Springs High School
What: Career Fair
When: May 21, 2009;  7:30 to 11:00 am
Where: 501 Palomino Lane, Friendswood, TX 77546

Approximately 30 speakers are needed for the Clear Springs High School Career Fair on May 21st from 8-11 am.  We are in need of speakers to talk to the students of our Business and Engineering Smaller Learning Communities about their careers.  However, it does not have to be an Business and Engineering career, since we realize that not every student is interested in that career path.

The career fair will run from 8-11am on May 21st.  We would need the speakers to be there about 7:30ish to get settled in.  The plan is to have 5-6 20 minute sessions.  So, the speakers would have 5-6 20 minutes sessions with a 10 minute break in between.  The students will be given a list of the speakers/careers and they will get to choose what speakers they would like to hear in advance.  The students will then be given a schedule to follow based on the speakers that they chose.  Volunteers will be in a classroom with access to a computer, LCD projector, and white board.  A teacher will be assigned to help presenters with anything in the classroom the entire morning.  Each session would have a max of 30 students.

Regardless of your career, we need you!  This is a great opportunity to volunteer and to share your career with 9-12th graders.

RSVPs should be sent to Shannon Simonds, Clear Springs HS  ssimond1@ccisd.net by March 31st

50th Annual Regional Science & Engineering Fair Needs Judges March 13 & 14

The Science Engineering Fair of Houston is an all volunteer, non-profit, 501(c)(3) educational organization. As such we have a major need for volunteers each year. Our most critical need is for SEFH Place Award Judges on March 13, 2009 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Hall E. All potential judges need to complete and submit a Judging Application which can be found at http://hunstem.uhd.edu/SEFH/judgeapp_main.htm.

Judges should have at least a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent in an area of social/behavioral science, natural science, engineering or technology. They are encouraged to wear an article of clothing that identifies their employer or professional society. Judges are needed for both Phase I and Phase II judging. Phase I is from 8:30 a.m. – noon and Phase II is from 1:00-5:00 p.m. If possible, we would like judges to judge both phases; however, the biggest need is for Phase I. All place award judging is done by teams of judges. More details on judging guidelines and procedures can be found at: http://hunstem.uhd.edu/SEFH/documents/judgecriteriaprocedures%2008.pdf.

Parking garages and surface lots are available adjacent to the convention center; however, they are not free.

Much more information about SEFH can be found at: http://www.sefhouston.org.

There will be about 1,500 student participants in grades 7-12 from public/private/charter/home schools from throughout most of Southeast Texas. They can enter individual or team projects in one of many applied and basic categories, in the Junior, Ninth or Senior Division.

Science Fair Judges Needed 2/3/09

Mae Smythe Elementary in Pasadena ISD needs “real scientists” and “local community members” to help conduct judging the 2008 school science fair. We would love volunteers from your organization to be a part of this event which helps inspire youth to pursue careers in math and science. The school science fair spans from third through fourth grade. Five students will be selected to compete at the district level; two from each grade level and one wild card. Student products range from simple experiments to consumer science to complex projects.

The commitment is only one or two hours anytime during the fair, which will take place continuously from 9:00am to 2:00pm on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009.

Where: Mae Smythe Elementary
2202 Pasadena Blvd. Pasadena, TX 77502
When: Tuesday, February 3, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Description: Interact with students [in this case third through fifth graders] who have completed a Science Project for their school. Personal background and qualities that provide a great base for a rewarding experience include:

• Enjoy children and have patience and some tolerance for their playfulness.
• An interest in the broad field of science and an enjoyment in sharing knowledge.
• An ability to be amazed at the creativity and energy of untrained minds.
• A willingness to share [an hour or two] at the Science Fair mentoring the participants.

The Science Fair is not really (about) judging and choosing a winner. Someone has to win and sometimes it is tough to select only one. But all the students need to win in the sense that their efforts are recognized, their interests nurtured and their curiosity rewarded and channeled along productive avenues. The judges really need to be more mentors than judges

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Mr. Chris Cabana at ccabana@pasadenaisd.org or (713) 740-0728.

2009 International Space Station Calendar

As part of NASA’s celebration of the 10th anniversary of the International Space Station, the agency is offering a special 2009 calendar to teachers, as well as the general public. The calendar contains photographs taken from the space station and highlights historic NASA milestones and fun facts about the international construction project of unprecedented complexity that began in 1998.

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/296130main_calendar09-100.pdf (5.3MB PDF)

2009 Super Sci-Tech Saturday Conference for 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Girls

What: 2009 Super Sci-Tech Saturday Conference for 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Girls

When: Saturday, February 7, 2009

Where: University of Houston – Clear Lake

Who: Female volunteers

Schedule:
8:00 – 8:30 Volunteer orientation and assignments
8:30 – 3:30 Conference
3:30 – 4:00 Tear Down and Clean Up

Sample Duties:
Set up, work registration tables, distribute t-shirts and packets, provide directions to workshops throughout building(s), assist workshop presenters, etc.

Sign Up to Volunteer:
Visit www.ccisd.net and click on the hot pink Super Sci-Tech Saturday (SSTS) block (under ‘Connecting with You’) to enter the SSTS site.  Click on the ‘For Volunteers’ tab at the top and fill in the fields. Be sure to list Space Center Volunteers as your ‘Organization/Affiliation’ and wear your SCV shirts on event day!

Contact: Eva deCardenas, Clear Creek ISD – 281.284.0029

Volunteers Needed for Career Day Speakers

Volunteers are needed to serve as career panel speakers at the Houston Hispanic Forum’s 23rd annual Career and Education Day event taking place at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Saturday, Feb. 7. This an annual event is the forum’s most important event of its activities. It is attended by approximately 16,000 Houston-area students from grades 6-12. This activity gives students an opportunity to speak to professionals about career choices for their futures. The goal of Career and Education Day is to promote the importance of finishing high school and pursuing higher education, to educate students about careers in your area of expertise and to show students that their career aspirations are possible. For more information on panel times, please visit the Education Outreach Volunteer Web site and search for request numbers 614, 615, 616 and 617.

Education Outreach 281-483-8712
http://education.jsc.nasa.gov/volunteer

MENTORS NEEDED FOR THE 2009 BP PHYSICS CHALLENGE AT SPACE CENTER HOUSTON (SCH)

Through the Education Outreach Office, SCH has requested JSC’s assistance by providing volunteers to serve as mentors for students participating in the fourth annual BP Physics Challenge. High School students from the Houston Independent School District (HISD) will be participating. The goal is to provide HISD physics and upper-level math students with a meaningful, fun day of seeing physics in action. This is an outstanding way for our JSC team members to directly contribute to the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Your assistance with this program will be greatly appreciated and could very well translate to interesting a student in a career here at JSC.

Mentor training sessions will take place at SCH on November 6th and 7th, 2008. Mentors need to attend one of these half-day sessions. At the training session, SCH will cover the concepts and logistics of what will happen during the Student Days event in January, as well as what the mentor’s role will be during the event. Mentors need to have knowledge about principals of rocketry and Newtonian physics.

In addition to the mentor training, volunteers are also expected to visit a school and participate in mentoring students on Physics Day, which is January 14th, 15th, and 16th, 2009 (volunteers may choose to participate on any of the three January dates- full or half day). Students and teachers will come to SCH to perform unique and exciting physics experiments throughout the day while making real-world connections. This is a unique opportunity to interest students in science careers that will benefit the space program. I hope you’ll take the challenge and sign up to volunteer today.

Call for Mentors/Advisors – Reduced Gravity Educational Flight Campaigns 2009

Who
JSC’s educational flight programs are looking for JSC scientists and engineers of all levels who would like to work with (mentor/advise) a flight team. Teams can be composed of college undergraduate students or K-12 teachers. Preference will be given to individuals who are currently working as scientists and engineers and are familiar with the type of experiment appropriate for C-9 flight.

Mentors are invited to fly one day on the NASA’s reduced gravity aircraft (C-9) with their team; both NASA and contractor-badged personnel are eligible. Advisors do not fly.

What
In general, mentors are asked to guide their teams to flight. Mentors are being asked to…

• Author/Review Test Equipment Data Package (TEDP). This is a mentor’s primary task. The responsibility for the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the TEDP lies with the NASA mentor.
• Monitor team progress
• Respond to questions from the team
• Give advice to the team
• Assess team understanding (informal)
• Suggest resources for the team
• Invited to fly with their team, but not required

Advisors…

• Monitor team progress
• Respond to questions from the team
• Give advice to the team

When
Respond to this call by: Thursday, August 28
Optional Mentor Overview Briefing: Tues., August 26, 11, 3:30-4:30pm (Bldg 12, Room 188)
Wed., August 27, 11:00am-12:00pm (Bldg 12, Room 188)
Mentor Physical Complete: Dependent on Program
Work with the team: Sometime between September and their flight
Visit team (Mentors Only): Sometime between October and their flight
Test Equipment Data Package Due: Varies – 6 weeks prior to flight
Team physiological training: At JSC prior to flight
Team Test Readiness Review: Monday before flight

How
If you want to volunteer, send a 1-page volunteer information summary (guidelines below) to: Sara Malloy (sara.w.malloy@nasa.gov)

Volunteer Information Summary
Please include information on the following:

• Your contact information (name, org, phone, email [if not in JSC global])
• Any relevant degree(s)
• Your job experience background; especially hardware testing experience
• An approximation of the number and types of TEDPs you have written. If you have never written a TEDP, please include a description of how you will gain the knowledge and experience needed to write one (i.e., your coworker has the experience and will give advice when needed).
• Your team preference (college students, K-12 teachers)
• The science or engineering topics with which you prefer to work
• Your experience with reduced gravity flight experiments
• Your experience as a mentor

Time Commitment
Time commitment will vary, so use the following activity guide for your reference and estimation. Scientist/engineer Mentors in this program will be expected to:

• Complete this application process
• Advise/guide a flight team prior to flight (via phone, fax, email)
• Possible travel to the team’s location to discuss the experiment
• Complete your own physiological training, if not already certified to fly on the C-9 aircraft (including required medical exam)
• Complete (or supervise the completion of) the Test Equipment Data Package (TEDP) required to certify your team’s experiment for C-9 flight
• Attend the Test Readiness Review (TRR) at Ellington Field
• Fly with your team (one flight)
• Discuss results with your team after the flights

Optional Tasks:

Accompany the team during physiological training.

Arrange for your team to visit your workplace

Science/engineering Advisors are expected to:

• Complete this application process
• Advise/guide a flight team prior to flight (via phone, fax, email)
• Attend the Test Readiness Review at Ellington Field
• Discuss results with your team after the flights

Permissions and Authorizations
Please note that this program will require daytime work with the teams. This includes travel to the team’s site (NES and NEAT only), work at Ellington Field, participation in the reduced gravity flight and other daytime activities. When you submit your information summary, it will be assumed that you have discussed these matters with your supervisor and reached agreement on any work issues. This is a volunteer opportunity; there will not be an education charge code for your time.

Questions/Contacts
These flight programs are being managed through JSC’s Higher Education Office. The primary contact for the flight campaigns is Sara Malloy (x37847). More information can be obtained by contacting Sara, calling Doug Goforth (x39111) or through the program web sites:

microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov
microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/NES
microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/NEAT

Final Notes
Mentors/advisors may (at their discretion) invite their teams to visit their work areas or other locations of interest at JSC. In general, students will be badged for Ellington Field activities only, so you will need to escort and/or badge them separately.

Mentors/advisors will not be required to chaperone their teams during their Houston-based activities (other than as mentioned above), but are invited to spend as much time as practical with their teams.

Teams are expected to provide any and all resources to propose, design, construct, ship, run/maintain, and disposition their experiment.

Mentors/advisors can recommend grounding an experiment if safety issues arise.

Career Exploration Program Recruiting High School Seniors for Fall

The Career Exploration Program (CEP) is recruiting for the 2008-09 program year, which starts in September. Students work at JSC part-time during their senior year in high school and the summer following graduation. Participants learn valuable technical and office skills while being exposed to positive role models and work ethics.

Applications have been distributed to all qualified local high school Career and Technology Education (CATE) teachers. Interested students who will be seniors this fall should apply through their high school Business Cooperative Education Program advisor within the next week.

Eligible candidates must be United States citizens, enrolled in a high school Cooperative Education program, passing all classes with a B average, be at least 16 years old, reside within commuting distance of JSC, possess basic computer and typing skills, and available to work 20 hours per week at JSC.

For more information, visit the Web site below and click on Career Exploration Program.
Sherri Burrow x281-483-4719 http://education.jsc.nasa.gov/K_12Programs.cfm?id=3

COMMUNITY COLLEGE AEROSPACE SCHOLARS (CAS) MENTORS NEEDED

CAS is back and looking for mentors/co-ops for this spring. Being a mentor/co-op includes working with outstanding community college students, gaining opportunities to represent your division in education outreach without leaving JSC and using your leadership skills to help students guide a fictitious aerospace company through a project design challenge.

CAS needs mentors for two-and-a-half day sessions running from April 3 to 5 and April 24 to 26. Mentoring occurs Thursday afternoons, all day Friday and Saturday mornings. If you are interested in applying to be a mentor/co-op, please go to http://aerospacescholars.jsc.nasa.gov/CAS/Mentors.cfm and click on the application.

Point of contact: Deborah Hutchings, 281-483-8623, Deborah.hutchings-1@nasa.gov

Volunteer Opportunity – Houston ISD

Houston ISD

Location: Various schools
Need: General assistance with science fairs and rocketry competitions
Application process: Contact HISD rep
Time needed: As necessary
Contact: Dee Puls (713) 556-7216

HISD NOTE: Booker T. Washington and the High School for Engineering Professions Rocketry Program is looking for some subject matter experts to help with design competition; more information coming soon.

Volunteer Opportunity – Pasadena ISD

Pasadena ISD

Location: Elementary schools throughout the district, see list below
Need: General assistance and tutoring
Two programs: HOSTS is geared towards elementary and GEAR Up is focusing on intermediate and high school students
Application process: Online application and background check
Time needed: Mentors volunteer for 30 minutes (or more) – once a week.
HOSTS campuses generally have HOSTS Monday-Thursday from 8:00-11:30. Some campuses have both English and Spanish HOSTS.
Contact: Ginger Lay, HOSTS Coordinator, 713-740-0051 and Karen McCarley, GEAR UP District Coordinator, 713-740-0919
Full list of elementary schools: Fisher, Freeman, Gardens, Garfield, Genoa, Golden Acres, Kruse, Matthys, McMasters, Morales, Parks, Pomeroy, L.F. Smith, South Houston, South Shaver, Sparks, Stuchbery, Williams and Young

Volunteer Opportunity – Clear Creek ISD

Clear Creek ISD

Location: Space Center Intermediate and Brookside Intermediate, P.H. Greene Elementary; more schools will be added throughout the year
Need: General assistance and tutoring, Reading programs will be coming online later in the semester
Application process: Online application and background check
Time needed: 1-hour session weekly or bi-weekly
Contact: Dawn Guillory email: dguillor@ccisd.net / Shelley Phillips email Shelley.D.Phillips@usa-spaceops.com

Location: Gilmore Elementary
Need: 5th Grade tutors; instructions will be provided to those who sign up
Application process: CCISD Online application
Time needed: 1 hour per week – (30 minutes travel, 30 minutes mentoring)/schedule flexible 8:00 – 4:00
Contact: Bob Elledge 281-282-3904, Robert.Elledge@USA-Spaceops.com

Volunteer Opportunity – Crossroads Partners for Youth

Crossroads Partners for Youth

Location: Numerous – The closest facility to us is the Harris County Youth Village located behind Clear Lake Park in Seabrook off of NASA Parkway
Need: Mentors for computer skills, one-on-one help, role models, conflict management, specifically male role models.
Number of children needing assistance: 120, primarily ages 15 to 16
Application process: Contact Partners for process and location needs
Time needed: 30-minute – 1-hour session weekly or bi-weekly
Contact: Haley Durian 713-295-2783

Volunteer Opportunity – The Bridge Over Troubled Waters

The Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Location: Shelter in Pasadena, two locations
Need: Help a group with homework, or provide tutoring for one or two children. Most students need help with math and reading comprehension
Number of children needing assistance: 44
Grade levels:
Kindergarten – 5
K – 5
1st grade – 10 (+2 special needs, 1 with Spanish as her first language)
2nd grade – 6 (+2 special needs, 1 with Spanish as his first language)
3rd grade – 7 (+3 special needs, 1 is dyslexic)
4th grade 3
5th grade – 3 (+1 special needs)

Middle – High School
6th grade – 2
9th grade – 2
10th grade – 1 (Chemistry)
12th grade – 2 (1 with special needs in algebra)

Application process: Orientation and written application from The Bridge
Time needed: Every other Wednesday, 6-7 pm, no Tuesdays and other days as needed to accommodate your schedule.
Contact: Leslie Jeter at 713-910-9415; Rhonda Starnader at 713-472-0753; Heather Dunn at 713-910-9415;

Volunteer Opportunity – Bay Area Turning Point

Bay Area Turning Point

Location: At the shelter, less than one mile from USA offices
Need: General assistance with homework
Number of children needing assistance: 12
Grade levels:
High School – 3
Middle – 4
Elementary School – 5
Application process: Orientation and written application from BATP
Time needed: 1-hour session weekly or bi-weekly
Contact: Terri Muesse 281-338-7600

Volunteer Opportunity – Boys & Girls Harbor

Boys & Girls Harbor

Location: Shelter in LaPorte
Need: Mentoring and general assistance with homework; specifically – most children at the Harbor are 1-3 years behind in reading skills and need help with math at all levels
Number of children needing assistance: 75
Grade Levels: High School – 25
Middle – 25
Elementary School – 25
Application process: Written application from Boys & Girls Harbor and orientation session
Time needed: 30-minute session weekly or bi-weekly
Contact: Rocio Meza 281-471-9622 or Sylvia Lee 281-471-9622