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A belated Happy New Year to you all and welcome to the 2019 NOAA Planet Stewards cohort! We’re excited to have you join us and the many Stewards who have proceeded you. Now that the government shut down is over--at least temporarily--here's some news you can use!
Planet Stewards Education Program Connection Links
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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Join the next Planet Stewards book club as they discuss the award-winning young-fiction book, Ship Breaker by author Paolo Bacigalupi. NOAA PSEP Peer Leader Jillian Worssam will lead the discussion of the book on 2/18, Monday, at 8pm ET. Discussion questions will be listed on the NOAA PSEP website shortly along with a brief introduction of the book. Join the discussion!
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This series provides formal & informal educators with educational and scientific expertise, resources, and training to support ocean and climate literacy in the classroom. Join the next webinar on Tuesday, February 5: Home Front Hawai`i: a Naval Legacy beneath the Sea. Learn more and register.
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Apply for American Meteorological Society's Summer Learning
Enhance your knowledge of Earth system science and earn three graduate credits from California University of Pennsylvania via one of these two renowned summer professional development opportunities: Project ATMOSPHERE and the Maury Project. These courses are provided by the American Meteorological Society Education Program and their partners.
Project ATMOSPHERE: Join fellow science teachers for a online and in-residence teacher professional development course with a one-week residence experience in Kansas City, MO at NOAA’s National Weather Service Training Center, 29 July - 3 August 2019. Learn from experts in meteorology while gaining valuable field experience. Travel, lodging, meals, and all materials are provided in addition to a $300 stipend. More information and the application are available online at ametsoc.org/ProjectAtmosphere. The application deadline is 1 April 2019.
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The Maury Project: Explore the fundamentals of physical oceanography in Annapolis, MD, 14-26 July 2019 and gain valuable field experience. Travel, lodging, meals, and all materials are provided in addition to a $600 stipend. More information and the application are available online at ametsoc.org/MauryProject. The application deadline is 1 April 2019. |
OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS
The Shell Science Lab Challenge, Applications Due Feb. 4th
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The Challenge invites middle and high school science teachers (Grades 6–12) in the United States and Canada (with special attention to urban and underrepresented groups) to illustrate replicable approaches to science lab instruction.Teachers and schools submitting top entries will receive additional laboratory tools, resources, and rich professional development opportunities. Learn more.
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Toshiba/NSTA Exploravision K-12 Competition, Deadline Feb. 8th
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Since its inception in 1992, nearly 400,000 students from across the United States and Canada have participated in the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision that can inspire a lifelong love of science, technology and innovation. Guide students as they pick a current technology, research it, envision what it might look like in 20 years. Visit the program’s website to learn more!
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IMLS Grant News
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The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has launched a new grant initiative focused on serving small and rural libraries in three project categories: Transforming School Library Practice; Community Memory; and Digital Inclusion with a deadline to apply of Feb. 25, 2019. The grant awards are from $10,000 - $50,000 for two years. Learn more here.
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Science Without Borders Challenge Opens
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The theme for the 2019 Science without Borders® Challenge is “Connected Ocean: No Barriers, No Boundaries, and No Borders.” Students 11-19 years old are asked to use their artistic talents to create a piece of artwork that illustrates how the ocean is connected. Scholarships of up to $500 are awarded to the winning entries. The deadline for entry is Monday, April 22, 2019 at 11:59 pm. For more information about the contest, check out Contest Rules and Frequently Asked Questions and Answers.
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Innovation Education Award
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) have announced the call for entries period for the fifth annual UL Innovative Education Award (ULIEA)! Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in the United States and Canada can apply to win up to $100,000 for using innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) curricula to help K-12 students solve real-world environmental problems. Read the full press release here and learn more about award at ulinnovationeducation.naaee.net! Deadline to apply is March 12th.
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Environmental Dates for 2019
Earth Day, World Turtle Day, America Recycles Day…. You’ll uncover environmental dates that you never knew existed by exploring the global environmental events collected here, and it’s just in time for inclusion on your 2019 calendar!
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CONFERENCES, NEWS, AND REPORTS
NOAA Releases its Arctic Report Card
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This past December, NOAA released its Arctic Report Card, which discusses recent changes in the Arctic, extreme events, and broad impli- cations for the Earth system. This peer-reviewed report notes that the Arctic is still warming at twice the rate of anywhere else on Earth, and the region's air temperatures in the past five years have exceeded all previous records since 1900. Watch this video and about the Report Card to learn more.
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What is the ‘Green New Deal’?
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Not sure what is meant by ‘The Green New Deal’ or where you stand regarding its support or lack thereof? The Washington Post’s Energy 202 from December 19th can help clarify both its history and present purpose to keep you informed in 2019, but you’ll have to stay tuned-in to see what transpires with the ‘Deal’in the year ahead. Learn more here.
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Charting a Course for STEM Education Success
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On December 4, the White House issued a five-year strategic plan for STEM education: Charting a Course for Success, America’s Strategy for STEM Education. Read the report here. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) stated that the report includes a “shared vision of opportunity and excellence” that all STEM stakeholders nationwide can follow and a strategy for how Federal agencies should plan, coordinate, and scale up their programs over the next five years.
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Companion Website to the AGU Conference Educator's Workshop
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Miss December's American Geophysical Conference in DC? Exceptional educational resources from the conference on place-based instruction are fully available to you. Cherk out the AGU educator's workshop captured via the "Earth Science All Around" website. Access these excellent resources in the geosciences on watersheds that use 360-imagery here. |
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Dreaming this Winter of Heat Waves?
SciJinks is a NOAA educational website geared toward middle- and high-school aged kids and their educators that’s all about weather, satellite meteorology and Earth science. As the SciJinks website explains, a heat wave may sound appealing in winter, but in actuality it’s anything but! Access the site here to learn what a heat wave is and isn’t and so much more about weather. |
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CLEAN Network's National Climate Assessment Teaching Resources
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The National Climate Assessment (NCA) was released last November and offers a wealth of actionable science about human-caused climate change. NOAA, the NCAnet Education Affinity Group, and the CLEAN Network have developed a series of guides for educators that focus on the regional chapters of the Report. Find resources for educators here.
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NOAA Photo Library
Did you know that most of NOAA photos and slides are in the public domain and cannot be copyrighted. NOAA asks only that credit be given to NOAA and the photographer with his/her affiliated organization shown also. A second library is available on Flickr. Access the NOAA Photo Library here.
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It's Winter Weather Time!
The NWS officially launched the Winter Season Campaign! Please share with appropriate colleagues and your education networks and help spread the news about weather safety. Visit NOAA’s Winter Safety website here!
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- Sunny California is officially the first state in the nation to require solar panels on most new homes. The California Building Standards Commission unanimously confirmed the standards during a vote in early December. The new policy has been called "historic" and a model for the rest of the nation to follow.
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The Guardian reports that Luxembourg is about to become the world's first country to make all its public transportation free under the new government's efforts to curb traffic congestion and benefit the environment.
- The ozone hole in our atmosphere is healing and may be completely repaired in our lifetimes, says a recent multi-agency report.
- Washington, DC made history last month when its council voted unanimously to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2032, the Huffington Post reported.
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