Challenger's 30th Anniversary Celebration & Student Competition
Theme:
Reaching for Tomorrow: Inspiring the next generation of astronauts.
Students can create
any type of project that meets the theme of the event. Please refer to contest guidelines in our
Contest Flyer.
Projects Due:
4:00 PM MST on Thursday, January 7th, 2016
Winners announced: Thursday, January 14th, 2016
Student Divisions: one winner from Primary grades (K-2), one from Intermediate (3-5), and one from Secondary (6-12)
Winners, with one guest, are invited to attend the 30th Anniversary Dinner on January 28th, 2016 at the Antlers Hotel (6 PM) where they will receive an award. Winning projects will be displayed during the event. Winners will get to meet former astronauts who are in attendance!
Projects can be submitted to
[email protected], or dropped off at the Challenger Center between 8:00-4:00 Mon-Fri.
Challenger Center will be closed November 23-27 and December 21, 2015 - January 3, 2016.
For all the 30th Anniversary Contest guidelines and rules, please refer to our
Contest Flyer.
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Peak Area Leadership in Science is offering a teacher workshop presented by Dr. Ron Furstenau of the Chemistry Department at the US Air Force Academy. Join us for "Measurements Matter" and "Smelly Science" on January 30.
This event will be relevant for teachers of all grade levels. The workshop will provide participants the opportunity to conduct classroom experiments, and learn new techniques. Further details at available on the Workshop Flyer pdf.
You MUST RSVP for this workshop. Contact Tammy Johnnie or register on our website for this meeting. The AFA has tight security, so you will be asked to show a photo ID.
Remember, all of our workshops are free to area teachers, we provide teacher materials, and credit is available.
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This year, Challenger had a 3 fold increase the number of Lego grant requests, totaling over $41,000 worth of Legos!!! For us, it confirms that teachers are motivated to get the engineering design process into their classrooms.
It is extremely important to Challenger to support as many schools as possible, so we have decided to move the Lego Challenges back to February 2nd and 4th, 2016 in order to give schools more time to work with the students before the event.
The Lego Grant application deadline has passed. If you are interested in bringing Legos into your classroom please check in with us again next fall!
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Sea Perch Design Challenge
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hallenger and the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) are sponsoring a SeaPerch Design Challenge event for middle and high school students and are awarding grants to qualified teachers.
The SeaPerch Design Challenge event will be divided into two divisions, the Junior Division for grades 6 - 8 and the Senior Division for students in grades 9 - 12. The Design Challenge is comprised of two parts; the Obstacle Course and the Design Challenge.
The tentative date for the event is Saturday, February 27.
Grants are available for qualified teachers that include (up to) 4 SeaPerch kits, 1 SeaPerch toolkit, and teacher training/support from Challenger staff.
Teachers who participated in a past Design Challenge or have built SeaPerch in the past are eligible to receive two new SeaPerch kits. Please specify which grant you are applying for.
Please submit your Grant application packet to Ron Bush no later than 4:00 PM on Friday, December 11th, 2015.
10215 Lexington Drive, Suite 110
Colorado Springs, CO, 80920
[email protected]
If you have any questions regarding the SeaPerch Grant or the Design Challenge, please contact Ron Bush
[email protected].
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Calendar of Events for Teachers
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December 21 2015 - January 1 2016
Challenger will be closed for the Holidays.
See you in 2016!
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January 9 - New Teacher Training
Who: Teachers new to Challenger Missions
Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Challenger Learning Center of Colorado
This training is for educators new to our simulator missions (Return to the Moon, Rendezvous with a Comet, or Voyage to Mars). Teachers will be introduced to our Center by participating in a simulator mission. The purpose of this training is to introduce our new teachers to our simulator and provide them with the materials and training necessary to prepare their students. Lunch will be provided.
Call to register: (719)-598-9755
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January 13 - Returning Teacher Training
Who: Teachers who have participated in Challenger Missions
Time: 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Location: Challenger Learning Center of Colorado
Check out or remodeled Briefing Room! The purpose is to highlight any mission changes, answer questions, and provide educators a refresher of our Comet, Mars, or Moon missions. Dinner will be provided. Attending this training will count toward the Professional Development credit, offered by Challenger.
Call to register: (719)-598-9755
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January 28 - Challenger 30th Anniversary Celebration
Location: Antlers Hotel
Time: 6:00 PM
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February 2 - LEGO Simple Machines Design Challenge
Who: K-3rd Grade Students
Location: Library 21C
Time: 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Registration for this event is now closed.
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February 4 - LEGO WeDo Design Challenge
Who: 4th & 5th Grade Students
Location: Library 21C
Time: 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Registration for this event is now closed.
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(Tentative)
February 27 - Sea Perch Design Challenge
Who: 6th-12th Grade Students
Location: TBA
Time: All Day (exact times to be announced)
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Dec 13 & 14
Geminids Meteor Shower Peak
This is one of the best meteor showers of the year. Expect up to 120 meteors per hour, after midnight.
Dec 21 & 22
Ursid Meteor Shower Peak
This is a small meteor shower. Only expect 5-10 meteors per hour. The Moon will be bright enough to block out the minor meteors.
Saturn
In the last half of December, Saturn will be visible just before sunrise in the eastern sky.
Jupiter, Venus, Mars
The three planets will be clustered together in the eastern sky. They will be visible in the early morning until dawn.
See the International Space Station!
This website will calculate when and where you need to look to see the ISS in your city.
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Japanese Spacecraft Obits Venus
Japan's Akatsuki spacecraft has begun to orbit
Venus.
Akatsuki is the second interplanetary mission in Japan's history, and the first successful interplanetary mission!
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Featured Free Web Resource
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Watch the Geminids Live!
Watch the Geminids Meteor Shower through a live webcast from the Slooh Observatory.
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Dec 9
Russia
A Russian Soyuz 2-1v rocket will launch an Earth observation satellite.
Dec 10
Kazakhstan
A Russian Proton rocket will launch a communication satellite for the Russian military.
Dec 9
Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch communication satellites for Orbicomm Inc.
Dec 11
Kazakhstan
A Ukrainian Zenit rocket will launch a geostationary weather satellite for Russia.
Dec 15
Kazakhstan
A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the astronauts of the Expedition 45 crew to the ISS.
Dec 17
French Guiana
An Arianespace Soyuz rocket will launch two Galileo satellites for Europe.
Dec 21
Kazakhstan
A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch a cargo delivery to the ISS.
Dec 23
Kazakhstan
A Russian Proton rocket will launch a communications satellite, servicing Russia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Dec 29
Russia
A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch a navigation satellite.
Dec TBD
Russia
A Eurockot Rockot will launch an Earth observation satellite for the European Space Agency.
Dec TBD
Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a communication satellite that will service Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Dec TBD
China
A Chinese Long March 3B rocket will launch an Earth observation satellite for China.
Dec TBD
Russia
An ISC Kosmotras Dnepr rocket will launch a Earth observation satellite for Spain.
Dec TBD
India
An Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle will launch five Earth observation research satellites for Singapore
Dec TBD
China
A Chinese Long March 2D rocket will launch a Dark Matter Particle Explorer research satellite.
Jan 3
Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will deliver cargo to the ISS.
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