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A Guest Post by Dr. Andrew Fraknoi (Chair, Astronomy Department, Foothill College) On Monday, August 21, 2017, there will be an eclipse of the Sun visible from all of North America. People in a narrow path from Oregon to South Carolina will see a spectacular total eclipse, with the Moon briefly covering the Sun, and day turning into night. Everyone else (an estimated 500 million people) will see a partial eclipse, where the Moon covers a good part of the Sun. Special glasses – or indirect techniques to view the Sun – are needed to look at the Sun safely during [...]

A Guest Post by Nicole Steele/Slover Library While “Astronaut Training” did wonderful things for us regarding Discover NASA partnerships, there was still one vital element missing. Here in Norfolk we are across the water from NASA Langley (a drive that can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on tunnel traffic!) and unfortunately we did not manage any NASA Langley representatives at “Astronaut Training.” As you many know, NASA is a large and busy operation and it was proving a little more difficult to make contact through more obvious methods like cold emailing or calling. I know that Paul [...]

A STAR_Net Blog Guest Post by Dennis Schatz and Andrew Fraknoi A number of libraries have written to inquire about how to be part of the Moore Foundation grant to get eclipse viewing glasses and information even though they are closed on Mondays, which means they won’t be open when the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse occurs.  The answer to whether they can still be involved is a definite YES. Programming in the weeks and months leading up to the eclipse is, in many ways, more important than what we do on the day of the eclipse. More than 300 million people [...]

This past winter break, Skokie Public Library experimented with offering a variety of 3-day camps for patrons grades K-5, all in some way connected to STEAM topics. One camp for grades K-2 focused on coding using Scratch Jr., a free iOS app that is an adaptation of the web-based, visual programming language Scratch intended for younger audiences. We chose Scratch Jr. for several reasons. The fact that the platform is free is a big one. We also looked at this camp as an opportunity to extend learning beyond the library’s walls into the youths’ homes--and thus the camp was a gateway [...]

Celebrate Science and Women’s History Month with NASA Science Education Partners Guest Post By Bonnie Meinke / Space Telescope Science Institute Help your community explore the wonders of NASA science, and celebrate the contribution of women to STEM! Libraries will have the opportunity to host events related to NASA's scientific explorations of the universe beginning in March for Women's History Month. NASA’s Universe of Learning astronomy education program is celebrating National Women’s History Month with the expanded Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA project (formerly the NASA Science4Girls and Their Families initiative).  Libraries are encouraged to partner with NASA's Universe of Learning science education program throughout [...]

By Dr. Annette Shtivelband, Founder / Principal Consultant, Research Evaluation Consulting, LLC Think of the students you help every day. These kids have dreams for the future – some want to become teachers, doctors, firefighters or astronauts – and when they are young, the options seem limitless. However, as students age, they may not receive the support and encouragement they need to reach their dreams. In some cases, they may have little interaction with the activities that spark their passions and motivate them to pursue their interests. In other cases, their families may lack the finances for after-school activities or programs. [...]

  By Jeannine Finton, Senior Manager of Pre-College Outreach, American Society of Civil Engineers This year’s Summer Reading Theme is “Build a Better World.” This is a great opportunity to introduce people to engineering, especially civil engineering. Civil engineers design, build, and maintain all the things that connect us and let us live in safe, healthy communities such as our roads and bridges, drinking water and energy systems, sea ports and airports, and the infrastructure for a cleaner environment, to name just a few. Think of a civil engineer when you: Turn on your tap to take a shower or drink clean water Flick [...]

A Guest Post by Nicole Steele/Slover Library After the initial euphoria of being selected to host Discover NASA: From Our Town to Outer Space had settled down a little bit, it was time to face facts. Now that we were going to get the exhibit, we had to actually flesh out not only the programming, but the partnerships that would allow us to provide that programming. We began where you might expect. We enlisted staff, current community partners, family and friends, to help develop a contact list of not only potential partners, but organizations and individuals in the community we thought [...]