ITEA Board of Directors Has Fall Board Meeting

ITEA’s Board of Directors met November 21-22, 2009 to set directions and make policy for the association. The Board addressed issues believed to be important to the profession through their discussion format. Those issues included: Practical Implementation of Technology Education, Supply and Demand for Teachers, Philanthropic Fund-Raising Proposal, and Social Networking. A summary of the discussion points is available electronically in the Members Only area of the ITEA website. Motions passed pertaining to the following issues:

• A representative will be selected by the ITEA Board to contact fund-raising consultants/firms to research and report back to the Board on the feasibility, finance, and logistics of conducting a fund-raising campaign.
• A critical-issues task force will be appointed to identify and prioritize issues for our field.
• A task force will be created to align Engineering byDesign™ materials and professional development to STEM, Race to the Top, and innovation initiatives.   
• A task force will investigate ways to support the recruitment and supply of professionally prepared technology and engineering teachers to states that do not generate an adequate supply of such teachers.

Board reports were received on committee action, task force work, strategic plan activities, and headquarters operations. Additional reports were received from every ITEA Council and from each Regional Director on the Board. These reports are made a part of the addenda of the Board Meeting Minutes and are kept at the association headquarters.  

Other discussion action items were:

• The Minneapolis 2011 Conference theme will be “Preparing the STEM Workforce: The Next Generation.” The strands for the Minneapolis Conference will be: “The 21st Century Workforce, New Basics, and Sustainable Workforce and Environment.” (The Application to Present is in the Members Only Section of the ITEA website.)
• Long Beach, California will be the site of the 2012 Conference, with Dr. Ethan B. Lipton, DTE designated as the conference chairperson.  
• It was decided that a vote on the change of the name of the association should take place during the month of February, 2010. The name to be considered will be the International Technology and Engineering Educators' Association. This is the same name that was considered by the membership last October, 2009, and which received 65% approval. Sixty-six percent is needed to change the bylaws and the name.

Board members who participated in the meeting were Ed Denton, DTE, Gary L. Wynn, DTE, Len Litowitz, DTE, Joanne Trombley, Michael Fitzgerald, DTE, Patrick McDonald, Michael Neden, DTE, Andrew Klenke, Gregory Kane, Ginger Whiting, Michael DeMiranda, and Kendall N. Starkweather, DTE. Board guests who were involved in the teacher supply-and-demand discussions were John Ritz, DTE, (ITEA/CTTE NCATE Representative) and Richard Seymour (CTTE President).  

TECC News

A Note From the Current TECC President, Marlene Scott
I am pleased to announce a new member joining the TECC board. Dr. Roger A. Skophammer will assume the position of VP for Communications on the 2010 TECC Board during the first board meeting in Charlotte, NC. Roger is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in the new Department of STEM Education and Professional Studies at Old Dominion University. Please help me welcome Roger.

TECC Program in Charlotte 
The TECC Program (Technology Education for Children’s Council) for the 2010 ITEA Conference to be held in Charlotte has been set and can be reviewed at www.tecchome.org/conference.htm.  
 
Please plan to attend the TECC Business Meeting on Wednesday, March 17 from 3:00 to 3:50 pm. You will have a chance to present ideas to the current officers and welcome new officers on board.
 
Incoming TECC officers for 2010-2011 are: President, Cindy Jones; Director, Marlene Scott; Secretary, Sharon Brusic; Treasurer, Wendy Ku; VP – Program, Bob Claymier; and VP – Communication, Roger Skophammer.

Looking for Green Resources

ITEA member and Past President, Andy Stephenson, DTE, is heading up ITEA's effort to create a Green Resource Library for teachers, and he needs your help. He would be interested any Green resources you could provide to include in this new area of the ITEA website. Consider submitting links to lesson plans or curriculum, book titles, general information, contests, grants, movements, or anything you believe a teacher might be looking for to assist in teaching Green in the classroom. Please forward any materials you would like to contribute to andy.stephenson@fayette.kyschools.us.

Thank you in advance for your assistance; Andy looks forward to your submissions.

NAEP Technological Literacy Framework

Review of the 2012 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Technological Literacy Framework by Technology and Engineering Educators
Because of the growing importance of the study of technology in education in the U.S., the National Assessment Governing Board recently made a decision that an assessment of technological literacy would be an important addition to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). For more than 35 years, NAEP has assessed achievement in a variety of key subjects by testing samples of students most often in the fourth, eighth, and twelfth grades. The results, commonly referred to as “The Nation’s Report Card,” have become an important source of information on what U.S. students know and are able to do in a range of subject areas. The Governing Board chose the contractor WestEd to recommend a Framework for this new assessment of technological literacy. WestEd, in turn, assembled a broad array of individuals (including technology and engineering educators) and organizations to take part in the effort. 

The resulting Framework is the culmination of a long, challenging process that drew on the contributions of thousands of individuals and organizations with expertise in technology education, in the use of technology for learning, and technological literacy. It is a statement about what should be expected of students in terms of their knowledge and skills with technology, written in such a way that it can serve as the basis for an assessment of technological literacy. It opens the door to seeing what our K–12 students know about technology in the same way that NAEP already assesses their competencies in reading, mathematics, science, and other subjects. This Framework describes the assessment of technological literacy at Grades 4, 8, and 12, although not all three grades will be included in the initial assessment. The 2012 Technological Literacy Assessment is planned as a probe, which will be given to students in Grade 8 only. 

At the NAEP website – www.naeptech2012.org – you will find a current draft of the Framework available for public review, along with an online feedback survey. We encourage you to download the framework and provide feedback using the online survey. If you know others who you think would be interested in commenting on the draft Framework, please forward this information to them. Comments and suggestions are being accepted through January 15, 2010. The National Assessment Governing Board is scheduled to take action on the recommended Framework in March 2010. The feedback survey is designed so that you can provide as much or as little feedback as you wish.

It is imperative to read the draft Framework first and then respond secondly to the NAEP Feedback Form from our perspective of technology and engineering education. Please keep in mind that the draft Framework document is a compromise document made up of input not only from technology and engineering education but also from information and communication technology (ICT), science, business and industry representatives, organizations, agencies, and others. 
Some suggested areas for your input are:

• Show support for standards in our field (such as in response to Question #12). These standards (STL) are the basis for the technology and engineering education assessment items in the 2012 NAEP Technological Literacy Framework.
• Provide input and support to the material in Chapter 2, Areas of Technological Literacy, especially the subareas of Design and Systems and Technology and Society (these items for Chapter 2 are referenced in question #17 C & B in the NAEP Feedback Form).
• Express in Question #19 the need to have assessment items related to "knowing" and "doing" specifically related to Standards for Technological Literacy in the subareas of Design and Systems and Technology and Society.
• Relating to question #21:

• Subquestion C – Add in the "Additional Comments" section that technology and engineering education have alignments with the Framework for 21st Century Learning.   
• Subquestion D – Add in the "Additional Comments" section that the subarea of "Technology and Society" also has close alignment with Standards for Technological Literacy.    

Again, please review the 2012 NAEP Framework for Technological Literacy Assessment and complete the Feedback Form. This must be done by January 15, 2010. We know that other groups are giving their input to the Framework document, so it is very important that teachers, supervisors, teacher educators, and others in technology and engineering education provide our detailed review also. 

Thank you in advance for your professional input to this very important matter.

Design Squad Teacher's Guide FREE Webinar

Design Squad Teacher’s Guide
Join PBS and ITEA for an upcoming webinar December 15, 2009, 4:00 - 5:15 pm EST
This free webinar highlights Design Squad's latest resource, the Design Squad Teacher's Guide. Get a sneak peek of the guide's seven new challenges, which focus on three core topics: force, sound, and electricity. We'll also review Design Squad's complete collection of free educational resources and hear from ITEA members about how they're using Design Squad in their classrooms.
Join us on December 15, 2009 from 4:00 - 5:15 PM EST at http://wgbh1.na4.acrobat.com/itea/
Advance registration is not available, and space is limited. Log on early—at least 15 minutes prior to start time.

HOSTED BY: WGBH and ITEA

Snippets From ITEA's Facebook Page

The Incorporation of Technology/Engineering Concepts into Academic Standards in Massachusetts: A Case Study

Efforts by Massachusetts over the past decade to develop academic technology/engineering standards and implement related programs has become a reference point for a number of other states and countries seeking to support K–12 engineering education. This paper outlines the process Massachusetts has undertaken and describes some successes and challenges related to the development and implementation of engineering programs in K–12 schools.
National Academy of Engineering (NAE) - The Incorporation of Technology/Engineering Concepts into Action

President Obama plans to increase STEM funding for K-12.
The Independent

See what's new in the December issue of The Technology Teacher.
www.iteaconnect

President Obama - Educate to Innovate Launch (edited)
A four-minute video

President Obama pushes for improved Science and Technology Education
President

Read "Guest Blogger" Dr. William E. Dugger, Jr.'s account of representing ITEA at the Internatonal Conference on Technology Education held recently in Taipei, Taiwan.
Advocating Technological Literacy

National Wildlife Federation Hosts Eco-Schools USA...

...to Green K-12 Buildings, Grounds, and Curriculum

As the recently approved United States host of the international Eco-Schools program, the National Wildlife Federation has started recruiting public, private, and charter K-12 schools in the U.S. to participate in the school greening movement and in improving environmental education. The new Eco-Schools USA program is part of a rapidly growing international network of 30,000 schools in 47 nations worldwide. The program deploys teams of students, administrators, teachers, and community volunteers at each registered school to make their buildings, grounds, and curriculum more green while making students more environmentally aware.

One of the major benefits of the Eco-Schools USA program is its ability to improve students’ academic performance, especially in science and math. Research has shown that students of all economic, racial, and cultural backgrounds who are engaged in hands-on applied environmental education have an increased desire to learn and perform better on most measures of student success.

Once a school registers, it works toward achieving one of three award levels: bronze, silver, and Green Flag. To earn an award, schools can select from among eight pathways, including water, transportation, climate change, and consumption and waste. One new and unique pathway created by the National Wildlife Federation is the “Green Hour,” which strives to get kids outside to enjoy the many benefits of being surrounded by green spaces.

To learn more about Eco-Schools USA or to register as an Eco-School, go to www.nwf.org/ecoschools

Future City Seeks Mentors in DC and NY

The regional Future City Competitions in Washington, DC and Western NY (particularly Jamestown and Syracuse areas) are still looking for engineer-mentors. On the average, volunteers spend about 30-40 hours working with the student teams over a three-to-four month period (September-January). Some schools work on Future City during class; some work on it after school. The Mentor's time at the school tends to be concentrated in the early and late weeks of the project. For more information for mentors, please visit www.futurecity.org/docs/2010_Engineer_Mentor_Manual.pdf

Replies should go to Bill Knight, Future City Program Manager, at bknight@futurecity.org.

Connect a Million Minds

President Obama Launches $100 Million Initiative at the White House

Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) has launched a new philanthropic initiative in conjunction with a White House plan to strengthen America’s economic competitiveness by improving education and interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The company’s initiative, Connect a Million Minds (CAMM), is a five-year, $100 million program to address a declining proficiency in STEM that puts America’s children at risk of not competing successfully in a global economy. Using its media assets, Time Warner Cable will create awareness of the issue and inspire students by connecting them with hands-on, after-school opportunities to experience STEM in nontraditional ways.

Anchoring the initiative is a unique website, www.connectamillionminds.com, using zip-code search to connect students to STEM learning opportunities in their communities. The website also challenges parents, after-school program administrators, and community members to pledge to connect children in their lives with the wonders of science and math. Time Warner Cable has set a goal of connecting 1 million children by 2014. On the website, participants can watch video case studies of inventors and technologists talking about their projects, and post photos and narratives about their STEM experiences, creating a community of people who share a common interest and passion for scientific pursuits.

Connect A Million Minds has partnered with FIRST and the Coalition for Science After School (CSAS) to give the program national scope and local application. The program highlights FIRST robotics competitions around the country and encourages volunteers and mentors to support teams of young participants. Also announced is the formation of a nonprofit entity that will galvanize the American business community around STEM.

From NSTA Express

Indiana’s International Connections

A new project in the works at Greenfield-Central High School will give selected students the rare opportunity to collaborate on a technology venture with peers in Europe. G-C students will work with students in Masevaux, France to create a wireless monitoring device that enables senior citizens to stay in their homes longer. G-C will focus on the engineering aspect of the wireless monitoring device, while the Masevaux students will focus on the installation aspect. Some business professionals work on projects with their colleagues in other countries. Sensing a business environment that’s increasingly global, education leaders in the U.S., Europe, and other regions are seeking to prepare students through collaborative school projects. “As far as I know this is the first of its kind,” said Michael Fitzgerald, DTE, engineering and technology education specialist with the Indiana Department of Education. “This is real-world application,” added Cathy Blitzer, international education specialist with IDOE. “It is engaging, it is relevant, and it’s beneficial to the school corporations involved in Greenfield and in Masevaux, France. This is invaluable experience for them.” G-C reaches across the Atlantic: Technology collaboration with a French students will mimic global relationships

Construction Toy Company Invites Students, Teachers to Play for Prizes

K’NEXpert Classroom Challenge Aims to Generate Excitement, Enthusiasm for Learning

K’NEX Brands is now accepting registrations for the 2010 K’NEXpert Classroom Challenge. The K’NEXpert Classroom Challenge offers elementary school students the chance to compete against classrooms across the country by building ultra-creative, unique models made entirely from K’NEX parts. The K’NEXpert Classroom Challenge invites teachers to engage in exciting hands-on activities that support learning in first through sixth grades, while helping their students build manipulative skills, challenging them to apply science, math, and technology knowledge and skills, and encouraging them to apply organized, logical strategy as they design, build, and problem solve.

Teachers and their classes will compete against classrooms at the same grade level, building a model based on a specific, age-appropriate building challenge: Grades 1-2, Transportation Nation; Grades 3-4, Bridge Building 101; Grades 5-6, Amusement Park Thrill Rides. After building the model, students write a one-page description of their creation and submit photos to the K’NEX judging panel. One winner will be chosen for each grade level, with winning classrooms receiving several prizes including a $350 K’NEX Education gift certificate and a free K’NEX building set for every child in the class. Teachers may register their classrooms by visiting www.knex.com/challenge before December 18, 2009.

To view the news release on PRWeb, click on www.prweb.com/releases/2009/12/prweb3289114.htm.

Contest Winners!

Bright Green Dream School Sustainability Challenge Award Helps Classrooms Reduce Their Carbon Footprint

Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. commends students for being innovative planet stewards and for submitting their ideas to the Bright Green Dream School Sustainability Challenge. Lutron created the Challenge to draw K-12 students and teachers into the practice of learning and teaching about sustainable living. The Bright Green Dream Challenge encouraged teachers and their students to critically evaluate their classroom environment, then propose creative solutions for increasing energy efficiency, enhancing the learning environment, and reducing their carbon footprint. Lutron awarded prizes to three recipients in the Challenge.

The winning entries were chosen based on their abilities to create innovative programs that save energy while helping students to learn. In addition, they included ways to share their in-school efforts with their communities, a key component of making sustainable living a way of life. The grand prize winner, Tavan Elementary School in Phoenix, AZ, will receive a Lutron Greenovation energy-efficient classroom lighting upgrade and a cash prize to enable the purchase of other materials used to implement their sustainability project. The award is valued at $15,000. The two finalists, Urban Assembly School for the Urban Environment in Brooklyn, NY and Harvest Christian Academy in Wilmington, DE, will be awarded the installation of a Greenovation classroom lighting upgrade valued at approximately $3,500.
  
For more information about the Bright Green Dream School Sustainability Challenge winners, contact Brooke MacDonald at 410-975-9638 or via email at brooke@kehcomm.com.

Alexandria, VA Resident Wins Virginia 'INVENT-A-GAME' CHALLENGE
Alex Hartwig, 17, wins Virginia 'INVENT-A-GAME' Challenge for his game, Project Jet

By Kids For Kids Co. (BKFK) has announced that Alex Hartwig, 17, of Alexandria, VA, has won the special Virginia “Invent-A-Game” Challenge, a competition where kids from Virginia were challenged to invent a new video game. The Invent-A-Game Challenge was a national competition sponsored by Best Buy and EA, with a Virginia statewide prize awarded through the support of The Edison Venture Fund and the United Inventors Association.

Alex's winning online game entry is called: Project Jet—a side-scrolling action adventure game, where the objective is to find the missing pieces of your Rocket, named Jet. Jet talks to you over your helmet microphone and guides you to a mysterious new planet named Phoenix X. Along the way, you meet many beings that can help you if you do a quest for them. At the end of each level you either gain a piece of your rocket or an object that can bring you to the next level, e.g., lava boots, water suit, etc.

For more information about the Bright Green Dream School Sustainability Challenge winners, contact Brooke MacDonald at 410-975-9638 or via email at brooke@kehcomm.com.

Websites from NASA

Connect With The Space Place and SciJinks Through Facebook and Twitter

The Space Place
The Space Place is an extensive, content-rich website for upper-elementary-age kids, their teachers, parents, and anyone else who likes a simple, readable, fun presentation of a wide range of space and Earth science and technology topics. Most of the site is great for kids to explore on their own, with interactive games, hands-on projects, and fun facts. A Spanish version of most of the site is also available. The Space Place: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov

The bimonthly Space Place Newsletter for educators has lots of suggestions on how to use the resources from this website in the classroom:

• See the "Teacher's Corner" at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/educators
• Rocket ahead with Cub Scout achievements and electives at The Space Place: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/cubscouts/index.shtml
• Become a Fan of The Space Place Facebook page: http://facebook.com/nasaspaceplace
• Follow The Space Place on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nasaspaceplace

SciJinks
"SciJinks" is a highly interactive website that provides middle-school students and audiences of all ages an amazing science education opportunity. Provided by NOAA and NASA, the website transports visitors to the wild world of weather to learn about predicting global weather patterns.

• SciJinks: http://scijinks.gov
• Click on the Educators link at the bottom of the page for suggestions on how to use the SciJinks resources in the classroom: http://scijinks.jpl.nasa.gov/en/educators/
• Become a Fan of the SciJinks Facebook page: www.facebook.com/scijinks
• Follow SciJinks on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scijinks

NASA Education Spacesuits and Spacewalks Website
The STS-129 space shuttle mission is continuing construction on the International Space Station and providing additional supplies to lengthen the life of the space station. These tasks will showcase the importance of spacewalks and the reliance on spacesuits. To help educators share these topics with their students, NASA Education has created the Spacesuits and Spacewalks website. This site brings a wealth of educational resources together in one place.
Visitors to the Website can:

• Check out the Clickable Spacesuit and learn about the different parts of a spacesuit
• Take a look at videos about the spacesuits of the future.
• Read topic features "What Is a Spacesuit?" and "What Is a Spacewalk?"
• Watch Brain Bites videos and learn about hard-to-do moves in a spacesuit.
• Take a step back in time and visit the Spacesuit History Gallery.
• Explore the Educational Activities.
• Read about spacesuit designers and engineers who create and test spacesuits.
• Discover other NASA websites with information about spacesuits and spacewalks.

www.nasa.gov/education/spacesuits

STS-129 Educator Resources Page
NASA is offering a wealth of classroom resources that can be used to learn about the STS-129 space shuttle mission to the International Space Station. The page includes a mission overview, interactive games, topic articles for students, links to mission information, image galleries, and classroom materials for educators.
www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/sts129-index.html

NASA Great Moonbuggy Race

Registration is Open for the 17th Annual NASA Great Moonbuggy Race
High school and college students design and build a vehicle that addresses a series of engineering problems similar to those faced by the original lunar-roving vehicle team. Each school may enter up to two teams. The race will take place April 9-10, 2010, in Huntsville, AL, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Entries must be received by February 1, 2010.

For more information about the competition and to register online, visit http://moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov/index.html.
Please email any questions about this event and registration to Sabrina.M.Pearson@nasa.gov.

New Education Materials Available at NASA.gov

“Kids in Micro-g!” Challenges Students to Design an Experiment for the Space Station
"Kids in Micro-g!" is a student experiment design challenge geared toward Grades 5-8. Its purpose is to give students a hands-on opportunity to design an experiment or simple demonstration that could be performed both in the classroom and aboard the International Space Station.

The winning experiments will have observably different results when the experiments are performed in the "1-gravity" or "1-g" environment of the classroom, compared to when the experiments are performed by astronauts in the "Micro-g" (one-millionth of 1-g) environment of the space station. The apparatus for the demonstration must be constructed using materials from a materials tool kit provided to the astronauts on board the space station. The tool kit consists of materials commonly found in the classroom and used for science demonstrations.

Experiment proposals may be submitted by educators on behalf of their student groups. Proposals may be submitted via email or postal mail during the period from January 4, 2010, through February 19, 2010. The winning experiment proposals will be announced on April 2, 2010. For more information about the challenge, including a scoring rubric, proposal requirements, and a list of materials available to the astronauts, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/nlab/experimentchallenge.html.

Questions about this challenge should be directed to jsc-iss-payloads-helpline@mail.nasa.gov.

Upcoming NASA Opportunities for College Students

Apply Online for 2010 Community College Aerospace Scholars Program
Community College Aerospace Scholars is an interactive, online learning experience. It is highlighted by an on-site experience where selected students are encouraged to study math, science, engineering, or computer science by interacting with engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The only cost to participants is a $30 registration fee. NASA covers travel, food, and lodging. Community College Aerospace Scholars is open to community college students across the nation. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have access to the Internet. Students in states other than Texas must apply by December 15, 2009. Applications and additional program information are available at http://aerospacescholars.jsc.nasa.gov/NCAS/. The application deadline for students in Texas is February 5, 2010. Applications and additional program information are available at http://aerospacescholars.jsc.nasa.gov/CAS/.
Questions about this opportunity should be directed to jsc-ae-cas@mail.nasa.gov.

NASA Seeks Student Payloads for High-Flying Research Balloon
NASA is accepting applications from students at U.S. colleges and universities who want to send experiments to the edge of space on a high-flying scientific balloon. The annual NASA project provides near-space access for 12 undergraduate and graduate student experiments to be carried by a NASA high-altitude research balloon. The flights typically last 15 to 20 hours and reach an altitude of 23 miles. Experiments may include compact satellites or prototypes. The experiments are flown aboard the High Altitude Student Platform, or HASP, a balloon-born instrument stack launched from the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility's remote site in Fort Sumner, NM. The goals of the project are to provide a space test platform to encourage student research and stimulate the development of student satellite payloads and other space-engineering products.

HASP seeks to enhance the technical skills and research abilities of students in critical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. The project is a joint effort between NASA and the Louisiana Space Grant Consortium. The deadline for applications is December 18, 2009. NASA is targeting fall 2010 for the next flight opportunity. NASA expects to make selections in January 2010.

Application materials and technical details are available in the Call for Proposals document at http://laspace.lsu.edu/hasp. Information about NASA's scientific balloon program is available at http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/code820.

Connect With the Ares Projects Office Through Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and TeacherTube

NASA's Ares Project is developing America's next generation of launch vehicles to replace the space shuttle and send people to explore the moon and beyond. Are you looking for the latest information on the Ares rockets that will return humans to the moon? Do you want to find videos of the successful Ares I-X test flight to show in your classroom? Find all of this and more on the Ares social media sites. Stay up to date on developments with the Ares rockets by checking the following sites:
Ares on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NASA.Ares
Ares TV on YouTube: www.youtube.com/AresTV
Ares on TeacherTube: www.teachertube.com/videoList.php?pg=videonew&cid=38
NASA Ares on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NASA_Ares

Apply Now for STS-131 In-flight Education Downlink Opportunity

NASA is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host a live, in-flight education downlink during STS-131, the flight of educator and Mission Specialist Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger. To maximize these downlink opportunities, NASA is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and make a large-scale impact on education. Educational themes for the STS-131 mission include robotics and attracting and retaining girls in STEM disciplines.

Members of the U.S. formal and informal education communities are eligible to host a downlink. Examples include museums and science centers, local school districts, national and regional education organizations, and local, state, and U.S. government agencies. NASA provides this opportunity at no cost to the host organization.

Process and Deadline
The deadline to submit a proposal for an STS-131 downlink is January 6, 2010. Proposals must be submitted electronically to Teaching From Space, or TFS, a NASA Education office. A committee will review all proposals and notify organizations of their status. TFS personnel will work with the host to plan the downlink.

Interested parties should contact TFS to obtain information related to program expectations, content, format, audience, application guidelines and forms by sending an email to JSC-TFS-STS-131@mail.nasa.gov.