I'm reaching out to share this NASA student challenge with you in hopes you’ll share it with the computer science teachers in Puerto Rico since we are less than three weeks from the deadline. There was one school from Puerto Rico who won the challenge last year, ESCUELA SECUNDARIA DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE PUERTO RICO and, we would love to have participation from your area.
NASA and Future Engineers have teamed up again to launch the NASA TechRise Student Challenge 2022/23for middle and high school students, this time focused on designing experiments to be tested exclusively on high-altitude balloons. And now, 6th-12th graders can gain invaluable hands-on experience and contribute new ideas and approaches that could help drive the future of space technology research! How? By designing their own experiment, in teams, to be conducted on a NASA-sponsored high-altitude balloon flight test.
Last year’s NASA TechRise 2021/22 winners, are currently building experiments to test concepts including how methane reacts with other pollutants in the troposphere, and whether airline passengers should wear sunscreen. The sky is by no means the limit with what they could dream up and we want as many students as possible to get the chance to enter this challenge.
There will be 60 winning teams, each who will receive $1,500 to build their experiment and the rare opportunity to get an assigned spot on a NASA-sponsored high-altitude balloon flight! Experiment ideas must be submitted by October 24.
Resources available to educators include:
· Future Engineers, the contest administrator for the NASA TechRise Student Challenge, has a variety of resources on their website, including an Educator Guide with NGSS standards alignment for middle and high schools, lessons (imaging and sensing, climate, etc.) timeline, and worksheets for the contest.
· Educators can reach out with follow up questions or request promo materials/ promo support fromsupport@futureengineers.org
· Winning teams receive $1500 to build their experiment
· After a school applies, if selected, will get weekly guidance from NASA experts on building the experiment
NASA will announce the challenge winners in January 2023. Please see the outreach kit for more information and the challenge explainer video here.