NASA's Glenn Research Center Invites Students to Celebrate 80th Anniversary

Spring/Summer Edition
2021-2022 Opportunities Offered by NASA Glenn’s
Office of STEM Engagement

NASA’s Glenn Research Center Invites Students to Celebrate 80th Anniversary

Eighty Hands-On Activities
Point of Contact: Catherine Graves, Ph.D.
Contact: GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov

NASA Glenn Research Center is celebrating 80 years of pushing boundaries and breaking barriers. In recognition of 80
years of STEM, Glenn’s Office of STEM Engagement launched a new webpage that features science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics student activities organized under three themes: aeronautics, space, and research and
engineering. Students can complete the STEM activities at home, or in classrooms or informal education settings. Activities
include designing a lunar habitat, programming a rover, making a pinwheel galaxy, and making and flying straw planes,
paper airplanes, and helicopters. New activities will be added monthly and announced through Twitter
(https://twitter.com/NASAGRC_Edu) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NASAGRCedu)

NASA's Glenn Research Center 80th Anniversary Student Essay Contest
Audience: Students in Grades 4-12
Entry Deadline: March 31
Point of Contact: Catherine Graves, Ph.D.
Contact: GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov

To celebrate 80 years of pushing boundaries and breaking barriers, NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is
hosting an essay contest. Students can learn about NASA Glenn’s missions and people, and then write an essay explaining
how Glenn’s explorations and discoveries inspire them and their career goals. Or, they may explain how NASA Glenn’s
current exploration and discoveries could change the way we live and work in the future. Essays will be judged in three
different age ranges, and winners will be invited to participate in a live, virtual recognition event with NASA scientists and
engineers. Visit the website for essay topics and contest rules.

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                                         2021/2022 Opportunities offered by the NASA Glenn Research Center Office of STEM Engagement
                                                                                                                Spring/Summer Edition

NASA’s Glenn Research Center K-12 Student Virtual Events

TECH Day
Audience: Students in Grades 6-8
Event Date: May 13 or 14 from 10 a.m. to noon
Registration Available: March 1 – April 2
Point of Contact: Catherine Graves, Ph.D.
Contact: GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov

TECH Day at NASA Glenn is designed to inspire middle school student interest in STEM fields. TECH Day at NASA Glenn will
be held virtually on May 13 and 14, 2021*. TECH stands for: Tours of NASA, Engineering challenge, Career exploration, and
Hands-on activity. This engaging event will include: virtual tours of NASA Glenn facilities, student engineering design
challenges, and a career exploration Q&A session with NASA subject matter experts. Prior to the event, students will select
and complete an engineering design challenge. During the event students will have an opportunity to display their
solutions to NASA.
*NOTE: In order to accommodate as many participants as possible, the same TECH Day content will be offered on two
consecutive days. Please only register for one day. This event will be limited to eighty (80) connections on each of the two
event days. Students may register individually or formal and informal educators may register a classroom or student
group.

Girls In STEM
Audience: Students in Grades 6-8
Event Date: July 16 from 10 a.m. to noon
Registration Available: April 2 – May 14
Point of Contact: Catherine Graves, Ph.D.
Contact: GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov

Girls In STEM is a virtual event designed to inspire middle school student interest in STEM fields. The event features
women working in STEM fields at NASA Glenn, a virtual tour of a NASA Glenn facility, an online presentation from a female
engineer, and a STEM activity that participants will do live during the event. Due to software limitations, the event will be
limited to the first 80 registrations received.

Aviation Day
Audience: Students in Grades 6-12
Event Date: August 26 from 10 a.m. to noon
Registration Available: May 3 – June 11
Point of Contact: Gerald Voltz
Contact: GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov

Celebrate the advancements in Aviation at the NASA Glenn Research Center Aviation Day. The event features a virtual tour
of a NASA Glenn facility, an online presentation from a NASA engineer, and a STEM activity that participants will do live
during the event. Due to software limitations, the event will be limited to 80 participants.

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                                        2021/2022 Opportunities offered by the NASA Glenn Research Center Office of STEM Engagement
                                                                                                               Spring/Summer Edition

Glenn Research Center Educator Professional Development Opportunities

NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative
Audience: Ohio K-12 School Educators
Event Dates: October 2020 – September 2021
Point of Contact: Gerald Voltz
Contact Phone: 216-433-8817
Contact Email: gerald.w.voltz@nasa.gov

NASA Glenn Research Center is interested in providing curriculum support to schools seeking an Ohio STEM designation.
Utilizing the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC), an EPDC Specialist will assist schools in
infusing inquiry-based hands on STEM Instruction throughout all content. The NASA STEM EPDC is a national educator
professional development system composed of and designed to serve STEM educators at all levels including K-12
educators, pre-service teachers, higher education faculty and informal educators. The EPDC provides professional learning
experiences and resources to thousands of educators per year using integrated delivery mechanisms for Online Educator
Professional Development and Community-Requested Educator Professional Development.

STEM Collaboration Opportunities – Summer Funding Solicitations
Audience: Educators and Facilitators of Ohio Youth Serving Organizations and Formal/Informal Education Institutions
serving students in grades 5-9
Application Opening Date: March 24, 2021
Application Closing Date: April 21, 2021
Selection Letters sent: May 19, 2021
Two-Day Virtual Workshops Offered: June 16 & 18, 2021
Implementation Dates: June 18 – August 31, 2021
Point of Contact: Gerald Voltz
Contact Phone: 216-433-8817
Contact Email: gerald.w.voltz@nasa.gov

NASA Glenn’s Office of STEM Engagement has an interest in engaging local Ohio audiences to achieve the Agency’s
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education goals. Goals include advancement of the STEM
education and workforce pipeline and increasing and enhancing STEM knowledge for students, particularly those currently
underrepresented and underserved in STEM education and/or fields. To that end, NASA Glenn is soliciting proposals from
youth serving organizations and formal/informal education institutions in Ohio to receive professional development and
implement NASA STEM Engineering Design Challenge and/or Make it NASA content during the winter, spring, and
summer.

Funding will be awarded through a competitive application process. NASA Glenn anticipates funding up to 15 awards each
for winter and summer solicitation. Each award will range between $200.00 and $2,000.00 per solicitation requirements.
Organizations not seeking funding may also apply to attend workshops based on availability.

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                                         2021/2022 Opportunities offered by the NASA Glenn Research Center Office of STEM Engagement
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Engineering Design Challenges
Audience: Educators and Facilitators of Ohio Youth Serving Organizations and Formal/Informal Education Institutions
serving students in grades 5-9
Workshops Offered: September 2021
Point of Contact: Gerald Voltz
Contact Phone: 216-433-8817
Contact Email: gerald.w.voltz@nasa.gov

Engineering Design Challenges (EDCs) are an integral part of educational content where students have the opportunity to
work on real-world challenges in a collaborative, team-based environment, applying the lessons learned to the technical
problems of the workplace. NASA Glenn Research Center EDCs will connect local Ohio students, at both in-school and out-
of-school settings, with the unique challenges faced by NASA scientists and engineers as they design the next generation
of aeronautic and space vehicles, habitats, and technology.

Engineering Design Challenges Include:

    A main challenge problem that the scientists and researchers at Glenn are currently studying.
    Supporting science investigations that go deeper into the content and align directly with the Next Generation
     Science Standards (NGSS).
    Live virtual connections to NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) where participants can discuss their challenge
     solutions and the SMEs' work at NASA.
    Opportunities for student teams to submit their solutions to the challenge problem to the NASA Glenn Office of
     STEM Engagement in the form of a slide presentation or video presentation.
    Virtual and in-person professional development for facilitators to learn how to conduct the challenges in their own
     settings.

NASA Glenn has developed the following EDCs:

    Spacecraft Safety - Design and build a model of a spacecraft that can safely transport two astronauts on a mission to
     the Moon, Mars, or other destinations in space.
    Powered and Pumped Up - Design and build a lightweight solar-powered pumping system that can move water as
     quickly as possible between two storage tanks.
    Let It Glide - Design and improve a glider made out of a shoebox that demonstrates the best glide properties when
     thrown.
    Gaining Traction on Mars - Design a set of wheels for a Martian rover that performs best on a simulated
     extraterrestrial soil bed.

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                                        2021/2022 Opportunities offered by the NASA Glenn Research Center Office of STEM Engagement
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Make it NASA
Audience: Educators and Facilitators of Ohio Youth Serving Organizations and Formal/Informal Education Institutions
serving students in grades 5-9
Workshops Offered: September 2021
Point of Contact: Gerald Voltz
Contact: Phone: 216-433-8817
Contact: Email: gerald.w.voltz@nasa.gov

NASA Glenn's Office of STEM Engagement recognizes the value of the maker movement, particularly with respect to its
relevance to K-12 education. The Make it NASA project seeks to engage youth serving organizations that support student
populations typically underrepresented in STEM fields through hands-on activities where students explore, learn, and
create products relevant to NASA's current missions and developing technologies. Make it NASA poses open-ended
questions through a structured inquiry-based approach that allows students to be creative in using their own ideas while
leveraging current and emerging technologies to formulate a product related to NASA Glenn's research and the work of
NASA as a whole.

Make it NASA Activities Include:

     A main question that NASA scientists and researchers are currently studying
     A step-by-step student journal to document student work
     Links to supporting NASA resources that extend the Make it NASA content
     Connections to NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) where participants can discuss their Make it NASA products and
      the SMEs' work at NASA
     Opportunities for student teams to present their finished Make it NASA products to the Office of STEM Engagement
      in the form of a live showcase event, slide presentation or video presentation
     In-person professional development for facilitators to learn how to conduct the Make it NASA activity in their own
      settings
     Support for connecting with local making spaces to enrich the Make it NASA project

NASA Glenn has developed the following Make it NASA Activities:

     Save Your Breath - Students build and test a data-collection system consisting of a sensor, microcontroller, and
      transmitter that could be used during lunar exploration.
     How Would You Measure the Moon? - Using the Design Thinking Process, students plan and conduct a scientific
      mission to take measurements on the lunar surface.
     What Would it Take to Live on Mars? - Using the Design Thinking Process, students design and build an element
      critical for astronauts to live and work on Mars.

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                                         2021/2022 Opportunities offered by the NASA Glenn Research Center Office of STEM Engagement
                                                                                                                Spring/Summer Edition

Glenn Research Center Higher Education Opportunities

NASA Post-Doctoral Program (NPP)
Audience: Confirmed Ph.D. Holder
Start Date: Flexible Start Dates
Application Opening Date: Current Cycle – July 2, 2021; Next Cycle – Nov. 2, 2021
Application Closing Date: Current Cycle - November 1, 2021, Next Cycle – March 1, 2022
Point of Contact: Dr. Mark D. Kankam
Contact Phone: 216-433-6143
Contact Email: mark.d.kankam@nasa.gov

The NPP offers unique research opportunities for individuals with a Ph.D. to engage in on-going NASA research programs.
The 1-year residential Fellowship appointments, renewable for up to 3 years, are designed to advance NASA’s missions in
Space Science, Earth science, Aeronautics, Space Operations/Technology, Exploration Systems and Astrobiology while
providing participants with authentic NASA research experience.

Glenn University Student Design Challenge (USDC)
Audience: University/College Snr./Jr. STEAM Students
Start Date: Fall Semester
Application Opening Date: Mid-July
Application Closing Date: Early September
Point of Contact: Dr. Mark D. Kankam
Contact Phone: 216-433-6143
Contact Email: mark.d.kankam@nasa.gov

GRC-offered USDC encourages teams of participating students to creatively solve specific engineering problems to benefit
NASA mission needs. Full-time junior-/senior-year undergraduate students who are enrolled in accredited U.S. academic
institutions and in multidisciplinary majors in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) disciplines
are eligible to participate in the USDC.

NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program (NGFFP)
Audience: US University/College STEM Faculty
Start Date: Early June
Application Opening Date: Mid August
Application Closing Date: Early December
Point of Contact: Dr. Mark D. Kankam
Contact Phone: 216-433-6143
Contact Email: mark.d.kankam@nasa.gov

GRC offers a 10-week summer residential NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program (NGFPP) for full-time tenured or tenure-
track STEM faculty at accredited US universities and colleges, starting in early June. Selected faculty members engage in
mutually beneficial and unique blend of aeronautics and space research opportunities aimed at stimulating technical
interchange among faculty and GRC researchers and engineers, while helping to advance in-house work packages in
support of NASA missions.

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                                         2021/2022 Opportunities offered by the NASA Glenn Research Center Office of STEM Engagement
                                                                                                                Spring/Summer Edition

NASA Internship Project (NIP) Fall Session/Spring Session
Audience: Undergraduate/Graduate Students
Application Closing Date: Fall Session - July 9, 2021
Fall Session: August 24, 2021 – December 10, 2021
Application Closing Date: Spring Session - November 5, 2021
Spring Session: January 18, 2022 – May 6, 2022
Point of Contact: Vanessa Webbs
Contact Phone: 216-433-3768
Contact Email: vanessa.r.webbs@nasa.gov

NIP is a center unique college internship program conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The program provides a
10-week paid summer internship for students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) and non-STEM majors that lend support to the NASA mission, as well as a 16-week fall and spring STEM-only
internship opportunity. Students spend their tenure learning and working at Glenn under the guidance of a mentor while
engaging in authentic NASA-related, mission-based R&D and career-related activities. The educational component allows
students to attend and participate in various planned activities such as Facility Tours, Speaker Series, and a Student Poster
Session. The program provides hands-on experiences that challenge, inspire, and promote practical application,
complementing and expanding upon students’ theoretical education. Please note that all internships are currently taking
place virtually due to the global pandemic. All registrants will be notified of any changes.

Glenn Research Center - Office of STEM Engagement

21000 Brookpark Road
Cleveland, OH 44135
(216) 433-6656
GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov

Visit us online: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/stem
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NASAGRC_Edu
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NASAGRCedu