The NASA/JPL Education Office is ringing in the New Year with some educational tips for students, educators and families. Our office provides free science and math resources and training to educators and students in kindergarten through 12th grade. We also manage a wide range of education programs at JPL for undergraduates, graduates, doctoral candidates and faculty. Some internship programs accept high school students ages 16 or older.
1. Build like an engineer
Everyone likes to make something fly. Try making this simple soda-straw rocket activity at home and see what it's like to be an engineer. You probably have all the required materials and the rocket takes less than 20 minutes to make. Besides having fun, you may just discover a budding engineer!
-- Soda-straw rocket instructions
2. Think like a scientist
Enroll in an after-school or summer camp science program. Visit local science museums and planetariums to learn more about the world -- and universe -- around us.
3. Educators: Get free NASA teaching materials
Visit a NASA Educator Resource Center (ERC) to receive free information and teaching materials for science and math lessons. JPL's ERC is located in Pomona, Calif. Also, check a state-by-state listing to find an ERC close to you.
-- For information about JPL's ERC, go to http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/erc.html .
-- A state-by-state listing of ERCs can be found here: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/ercn/home/ERCN_State_Listing.html .
4. Apply for internships
Internships are a great way to learn about different careers first hand. JPL and NASA offer a wide range of opportunities for students ages 16 and older. Depending on a student's level, they may be exposed to and involved in a wide range of space science activities. Interns also work with scientists and engineers and can ask them all about getting started in these fields.
-- Visit http://education.jpl.nasa.gov to find stundet opportunities at JPL.
-- To find all student opportunities offered by NASA, go to http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/current-opps-index.html .
5. Stay connected - with us!
We want to share our information, resources and cool opportunities with you.
-- Follow @NASAJPL_EDU on Twitter to get the latest on teacher resources, workshops, tips and more.
-- Become a fan of NASAJPL Students on Facebook to find out about student internship opportunities, profiles of JPL interns and other cool NASA happenings.