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Jan 15, 2001
Grants, Contests, Etc.
By Kim Carter
Looking for funds to make an innovative technology project possible? Seeking recognition for
outstanding teachers or students in your district? Here's the latest scoop on some great opportunities.
The NASA Student Involve-ment Program (NSIP) features national competitions that promote student research on NASA's missions of exploration and discovery. The program includes several exciting student contests that support national education standards.
Design a Mission to Mars invites teams of two to four students to write a proposal for a future mission to Mars by defining a Mars-related science question and designing a NASA mission to answer the question. Students in grades five through 12 are eligible.
Watching Earth Change asks students to use images of Earth to identify and illustrate ways that the earth changes, describe how and why it is changing, and predict its future change. Grades five through eight work in teams of two to four students. Students in grades nine through 12 work individually. In addition to the NSIP award, the independently funded Thacher Scholarship of $4,000 will be awarded to one NASA Center winner in this contest.
Aeronautics and Space Science Journalism has teams of two to four students prepare a news report for the general population on a newsworthy current event or ongoing story about aeronautics or exploration of Earth and space. Students in grades three through 12 are eligible.
My Planet Earth is for third- and fourth-grade students working as a whole class. Classes select, observe, and describe a local study site, focusing specifically on how individual elements of the site (land, water, air, and life) are connected.
Awards for all NSIP programs are as follows. For students in grades three through eight, first place winners from each judging center will win a presentation and award ceremony, conducted by a NASA representative, at their school. Additionally, national first place teams for grades five through eight win travel and a full scholarship to attend Space Camp in summer 2001. First place winners in grades nine through 12 and their teachers receive an all-expense-paid trip to Kennedy Space Center for the NSIP National Symposium and Awards Ceremony. Winners will present their research projects to a NASA researcher specializing in the science of that competition area. Winners will also have many opportunities to interact with NASA scientists and engineers and celebrate during specially planned events. Entry deadline for all competitions is February 1, 2001. For information and newly revised Educator's Guides . If you prefer, you may e-mail info@nsip.net or write to NSIP-TERC, 2067 Massachusetts Ave., Ste. 2, Cambridge, MA 02140.
Inspiration Software, Inc.'s Third Annual Inspired Teacher Scholarships for Visual Learning will award twenty scholarships of $500 to educators at public and private K-12 institutions who champion visual learning in the classroom. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2001. Application forms and contest information are available online or by contacting Inspiration Software, Inc., 7412 S.W. Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy., Ste. 102, Portland, OR 97225-2167; (800) 877-4292; fax (503) 297-4676.
Videonics Seventh Annual Thoughts & Dreams Contest, which is co-sponsored by Focus Enhancement, Panasonic, and Pinnacle Systems, offers prizes for American and Canadian students in grades K-12 who use video as a creative educational tool for developing communication skills in four categories. The categories include High School (Linear Editing), High School (Nonlinear Editing), Middle School, and Elementary School. The winners of each category will receive a prize package worth over $4,000 that includes Videonics MXProDV, Focus Enhancement TView Gold, Panasonic AG-DV1000, and Pinnacle Systems Studio DV and StudioDC10 Plus. The deadline for entries is March 19, 2001. For information, visit Videonics contest Web site at or contact Videonics, 1370 Dell Ave., Campbell, CA 05008; (800) 338-3348.
The Palm Education Pioneer grant program, sponsored by SRI International, is accepting applications from K-12 teachers in the United States who have a vision of how handheld computers can improve teaching and learning. Each hardware grant will equip a class with a set of Palm handhelds. Intention to submit a grant proposal should be registered by February 15, 2001. Proposals will be accepted in March 2001. For more information see their grants web site or send an e-mail inquiry to PEPhelp@palmgrants.sri.com.
 And Yes, There's More
Search through the extensive database of grants and contests.
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