1. Astrophysics Missions, Grants, and Forum Nuggets for September 2012

2. Individual participant outcomes and comments include: “I didn’t know anyone & now I have a set of individual networking plans with others.” “Very useful in terms of inspiring new ways of thinking about my own work.” “Efficient way to find common ground/new ideas.” “[I identified] partners to help recruit beta testers for [our] project.” “I am definitely pursuing starting a community of practice among my local public school district science teachers as a pilot model for sharing lessons learned.” “I always get a big boost from these retreats. This year was no exception. Thank you.” NASA Astrophysics E/PO Community Internal Meeting Sept. 27-28, 2012, Adler Planetarium, Chicago, IL Small group discussion outcomes include plans for: A community of practice for educators who have participated in Astrophysics professional development experiences. A partnership directory to help community members connect with organizations that reach diverse audiences. A progression of learning experiences using NASA Astrophysics real-data products tied to levels of science process skills and AAAS Benchmarks A community-led “EduBites” summary of educational research literature utilizing a reader’s digest format The 31 participants represented 14 Astrophysics missions, 4 data archives, 3 program offices, 16 EPOESS grants, the Astrophysics Forum, the SMD Astrophysics Division, and SMD E/PO. Thirty-one participants met to learn more about each other’s work, explore connections between projects, connect E/PO practice with educational research and audience needs, identify benefits of working together and lessons learned, explore progress in priority areas of E/PO, and outline next steps.

3. On July 21 - 26, STScI’s education team participated in the 2012 International Planetarium Society Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Over 700 professionals, representing 46 states and 44 countries, attended this biennial event. STScI hosted an exhibit booth that featured two STScI traveling exhibits available for loan to venues. STScI’s education team interacted with many formal and informal educators, planetarium directors and others in attendance, and shared information about education resources and partnership opportunities. In addition, the education team made a presentation to attendees that provided an overview of STScI’s education program. New collaborations were established with many Louisiana educators who will participate in STScI’s JWST STEM Innovation Project during the school year. International Planetarium Society Conference The International Planetarium Society is the global association of planetarium professionals. It is the largest organization of planetarium professionals in the world, with members from six continents and over 25 affiliate organizations associated. Its members represent schools, colleges and universities, museums, and public facilities of all sizes including – both fixed and portable planetariums.

4. On Saturday, July 10, STScI Outreach Assistant Jessica Harris provided an interactive presentation entitled “New Adventures with the James Webb Space Telescope” for students and staff participating in the UNESCO Center for Peace summer camp program. The presentation included a discussion of NASA’s next Great Observatory and featured a hands-on demonstration with an infrared camera. A total of 131 students and camp counselors traveled from Frederick County, Maryland to attend the presentation. This is the third year that STScI’s Office of Public Outreach has been asked to present to this group. JWST Outreach Presentation for the UNESCO Center for Peace The UNESCO Center for Peace promotes the ideals of UNESCO and has been building strong alliances in the Washington, DC metro area since 2004. Its Peace Summer Camp serves as a forum in which students from around the world can gather to discuss some of the major challenges facing the world today, as it relates to topics such as international peace, economic progress, human rights, and security.

5. 5 Science Fair at the Forbush School at Glyndon On Friday, August 10, STScI’s Outreach Assistant Jessica Harris participated as a guest science fair judge at the Forbush School at Glyndon in Reisterstown, Maryland. Science fair judges observed over 35 individual and group projects that emphasized key science investigation components such as hypothesis, procedure, graphs/diagrams, and conclusions. Projects were judged based on overall presentation and clear communication of project goals and results. Other judges included Dr. Vicki Almond, Second District Councilwoman and Dr. Duane Baysmore, Special Assistant to the Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. STScI support for Forbush’s science fair was provided as part of an ongoing collaboration with local area schools, and to support efforts in reaching and serving local communities. The Forbush School at Glyndon is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education as a Type I Special Education Nonpublic School to provide educational and therapeutic services for children and adolescents through 12th grade who have emotional and behavioral disabilities and autism.

6. STScI’s Amazing Space website is recommended by the Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies, located on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. Specifically, Amazing Space activities are used to support instructional programs for intellectually gifted students in grades pre-kindergarten through twelve. In describing Amazing Space, the center points out that “several of the topics explored such as ‘Comets’ and ‘Planet Impact’ have interactive Web applications that engage the student in discovering various aspects of each subject.” This recommendation has been endorsed by the Mississippi Association of Gifted Children (MAGC), an organization founded by parents and teachers in 1974. MAGC is a nonprofit organization that serves as a public advocate for gifted children and youth throughout the state of Mississippi. It is the only state-level organization specifically for the gifted. In 1988, MAGC initiated legislation that resulted in state-mandated gifted programs and their funding in all Mississippi public school districts. Amazing Space Recommended by the Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies The Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies was established in 1979 to further the education of gifted students and those with leadership abilities through teaching, research, and services. Emphasis is also placed on these areas for those interested in the gifted: teachers, parents, administrators, psychologists, counselors, and other concerned citizens.

7. Kepler EPO—August 2012 New on Kepler website: 4 news items about new planet discoveries, including:  41 planets found by transit timing variation (TTV) technique  3 circumbinary planets in 2 systems (Kepler-38 & 47) http://kepler.nasa.gov/news/nasakeplernews/