Be an Advocate for Mars Exploration!

The Mars Society and the Space Exploration Alliance (SEA), a growing network of major space advocacy groups, including the Planetary Society, the National Space Society and Explore Mars, will be organizing and hosting the 2016 Legislative Blitz on February 21-23 in Washington, D.C.

The annual March-on-Capitol Hill event will bring dozens of volunteers, including Mars Society members, to our nation’s capital to help educate members of Congress and their staff on the importance of human and robotic space exploration, the need for increased funding to NASA and the goal of humans to Mars.

Last year’s SEA Legislative Blitz was the most successful in years, with volunteers holding 170 meetings with congressional representatives and aides to drive home the fact that there is strong constituent/bi-partisan support for an ambitious U.S. space program.

“The Mars Society has always been front and center when it comes to meeting with our local representatives and advocating a space exploration program that includes a human mission to the Red Planet. Our membership has been actively supporting the SEA and participating in our right to be heard since 2004,” said Mars Society Executive Director Lucinda Offer.

SEA staff members will hold an information-training session for registered participants on Sunday, February 21st (2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Scheduled meetings with congressional offices in the Capitol Hill area will take place on Monday, February 22nd and Tuesday, February 23rd.

The official registration page is online. Please join us this February in Washington, D.C. and help promote humanity’s future in space!

Here is some exciting information about the reinvention of the California Student Technology Showcase!

• Kids Talk Radio is looking to work with students.  We have created the materials for a Martian habitat and we need students to showcase them,  Contact Suprschool@aol.com

 
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Greetings,
 
As was recently announced at the CUE 2015 Fall Conference, CUE is reimagining and expanding the former California Student Technology Showcase to become the CUE Student-Powered Showcase. We, the co-chairs of the 2016 CUE Student-Powered Showcase Task Force and wanted to introduce ourselves to you.
 
We are working with California County Offices of Education and Nevada School Districts to encourage participation at the SPS and that’s where you come in! CUE affiliates cover nearly every corner of California and Nevada and your members are likely the ones behind the innovative projects and programs we are hoping to showcase. Help us find amazing projects/programs from within your affiliate!
 
With the introduction of the Common Core State Standards in Nevada and California and the focus on STEAM and the Maker Movement, CUE is re-framing the Showcase to reflect how students learn by doing. The 2016 CUE Student-Powered Showcase (SPS) will invite attendees to actively participate with students in creating, problem solving and learning. Attendees may collaborate with students on a robotics or 3D printing project, or they may get down on the floor to figure out how a Sphero works.  
 
The 2016 CUE Student-Powered Showcase will be held on Saturday, March 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Renaissance Hotel, adjacent to the Palm Springs Convention Center. Fourteen teams will be featured in person and several more will be featured on video kiosks around the convention center.
 
Other significant changes:
·         Students enrolled in private schools, home-schooled and independent study programs are now eligible to apply.
·         Nevada participants are now eligible to apply
·         Teams will be organized by the regional CUE Affiliate rather than a CTAP region
·         “Virtual” teams from multiple schools/regions may apply
What’s in it for students and teachers? The SPS provides a high profile opportunity to make new connections, to strengthen camaraderie between teachers and students, to increase self-esteem and speaking opportunities, to encourage deeper learning, and to receive much deserved acknowledgement from the education community. Each year, participating teachers tell us of the growth and pride they see in their students when they’ve been a part of the Showcase. Members that participate receive FREE registration to the conference ($270 value)!
Your affiliate is a key component to producing a successful SPS for 2016! Here’s how:
·         Help identify stellar student-powered Maker projects or STEAM programs in your community and encourage them to apply!
·         Although the SPS is free to participate and attend, there are travel and food costs along with teacher preparation costs to consider. This has sometimes been a barrier to participating in the past. Consider sponsoring some of the associated costs for teams to participate
·         Promote your region’s participating teams on your affiliate’s website, at local events and other appropriate venues
·         Help review and score submitted project/program proposals
·         Attend the SPS while at CUE 2016 to support students’ and teachers’ hard work
·         Acknowledge your affiliate’s participating teachers at your CUE affiliate meeting at the CUE Conference and perhaps ask your SPS teacher(s) to share what their students will be demonstrating at the SPS
·         If they cannot attend in person (or even if they can!), assist participating teams in developing a short video that will be played on kiosks throughout the CUE Conference
 
To view Participation Guidelines and the SPS application and rubric, please visit:http://www.cue.org/studentshowcase
Our goal is to encourage widespread participation – we are here to support you in that effort! Reply back if you’d like to join in the effort!
Thank you,
 
Vivian Goldschmidt & Stacy Deeble-Reynolds
CUE SPS Task Force Co-Chairs
cuespsinfo@ocde.us
 
2016 CUE Student-Powered Showcase Task Force
Stacy Deeble-Reynolds (co-chair) – Orange County Department of Education
Vivian Goldschmidt (co-chair) – Orange County Department of Education
Tim Downey – Riverside County Office of Education
Dennis Large – Riverside County Office of Education
Yma Maranon Davis – San Bernardino County Office of Education
Jenny Thomas – San Bernardino County Office of Education