April
Letter to the Community
15 April 2016
Hello Everyone,
Earth Day is just one week away. Here are a few quick reminders about what GLOBE has in store for you as we approach our 21st Anniversary.
The 2016 Data Entry Challenge begins on Monday 18 April and continues for the entire week up to, and including, Sunday 24 April. I'm hoping you will surpass last year's record number of data, by entering new data and old. The GLOBE Implementation Office will recognize:
- Schools entering the most data entered between 18-24 April 2016; as well as
- Schools entering the most data, using the mobile app, between 18-24 April 2016
All schools that enter will earn a participation badge that can be added to their GLOBE page. Don't be left out! You will find essential information about the 2016 Data Entry Challenge here.
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You've been asking -- we're now delivering: eTraining for teachers!
Teachers don't have to wait anymore for a face-to-face workshop to get their students to start collecting GLOBE data using a protocol. Here's an advance heads-up that the eTraining site will be officially launched on Earth Day, 22 April! This fills a need we have heard about for years, particularly in areas where GLOBE workshops are not locally available. The eTraining program will complement, not replace, the existing workshops.
Before the launch, you can take a peek at a sample of the atmosphere protocol eTraining modules here. But this is just a taste! The Earth Day launch will include 28 training slide sets and interactives!
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This year we received 105 student projects from 16 countries, for the GLOBE International Virtual Science Fair. This is twice as many projects as we received in the last science fair! All projects can be viewed here.
Learning about science is at the heart of any science fair. As we rely on science more and more every day, science fairs are a great way to learn about how the world works and what science and technology can do for us. The world needs more scientists and more engineers, more inventors, mathematicians, researchers and software designers; and all these STEM careers involve the kind of creative thinking and problem solving that GLOBE students employ in their project research and development.
The GLOBE International Virtual Science Fair is unique, as students had the opportunity to have their projects viewed and reviewed by a wide audience of teachers, scientists and their peers. Online, they can showcase their projects to the world! We congratulate all the GLOBE students who committed time and energy to researching a project, using GLOBE data to support their findings.
On Earth Day, 22 April 2016, I will conduct a drawing from among all qualified entries to award several stipends to both U.S. and International project teams, to attend the 20th GLOBE Annual Meeting and Student Learning Experience in Estes Park, Colorado, USA, in July 2016. (read about eligibility requirements here)
The drawing will take place at the end of the Google Hangout. All teams whose names are drawn will be notified by email following the drawing.
During the Google Hangout, I'll be talking to all of you, and sharing short presentations from all the Regional Coordination Offices.
Click here to view the Google Hangout on 22 April at 9:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) / 3:00 PM UTC or after that time to see the archived video.
Only four lucky teams will be awarded stipends but, as you know, EVERY team has gained a wealth of experience already, from lessons learned through teamwork, group planning and cooperation, as well as feedback provided by the scientists of the GISN.
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This Earth Day, April 22, NASA is inviting people around the world to share on social media what they are doing to celebrate and improve our home planet, while the space agency shares aspects of a "day in the life" of NASA Earth Science Research.
The Earth Day #24Seven campaign will give the world a glimpse at the various efforts NASA undertakes to protect and understand our home planet. NASA will post time-stamped snapshot "moments" throughout the day on numerous Earth-related social media accounts to collectively paint a picture of NASA Earth science.
NASA uses the vantage point of space to improve our understanding of the most complex planet we've seen yet. The agency's Earth-observing satellites, airborne research and field campaigns (many of which involve GLOBE students) are designed to observe our planet's dynamic systems - oceans, ice sheets, forests and atmosphere - and improve our ability to understand how our planet is changing and could change.
Click here for more information on the #24Seven project.
Another busy week ... and still more to happen in the months ahead!
Sincerely,
Dr. Tony Murphy
Director, GLOBE Implementation Office
tmurphy@ucar.edu
