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NASA Announces 2012 Summer of Innovation Project

NASA's third annual Summer of Innovation (SOI) project is underway. The project is providing hands-on learning opportunities for middle school students and educators through NASA-unique Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educational activities during the summer school break. SOI is a key component of the agency's broader education program to increase student interest in STEM courses, particularly among those in underserved sectors of the academic community.

For more information about the SOI project, visit: www.nasa.gov/soi

The National Space Grant Foundation is also working with the NASA Summer of Innovation Office to administer the awarding of approximately 200 mini-grants to community- and school-based organizations that inspire and engage middle school students in STEM disciplines during the summer or in after school programs. Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to: Boy Scout troops, Girl Scout troops, YMCA programs, science centers, museums, libraries, school clubs and any other community- or school-based organizations. The target audience is middle school students and/or teachers of middle school students especially those involved with underrepresented and underserved populations, and enable these previously overlooked organizations to present Summer of Innovation content and themes in an efficient and cost effective manner.

The mini-grants will be awarded at about $2,000 - $2,500 per grant. The awarded organizations will be expected to present 6 hours of NASA STEM content to middle school students or deliver an educator workshop (for certified teachers, pre-service teachers, or informal education community) featuring NASA Summer of Innovation content or themes. This can be done through modification of an existing event or through planning a new event. Awards will be made in as geographically diverse manner as possible. The time line for these activities is to be during the Summer or early Fall of 2012.

Complete details and the application for these grants are located at soi.spacegrant.org/about. There will be two rounds of awards made within the next two months. The first deadline for applications will be June 8, 2012; the second deadline is June 29, 2012.