Astrolink

Astrolink is a team of high school students from Phillips Academy Andover in Andover, Massachusetts. Astrolink is also an innovative educational platform that offers free remote access to research-grade telescopes located in Yunnan, China—far from any city light pollution. The students’ mission is to make astronomy education hands-on and engaging by providing students with real-time access to advanced astronomical equipment during school hours, thanks to the 12-hour time difference with U.S. Eastern Standard Time. Through TeamViewer remote desktop control, educators and students can connect to a laptop at the telescope site using their local devices. Astrolink provides comprehensive guides on how to use the software available on the remote computer, including

• Stellarium. Control the telescope mount through a virtual planetarium for an immersive visual experience. 
• SharpCap. Enable live viewing through the camera.
• N.I.N.A. Facilitate imaging projects for more in-depth exploration.

The student team handles all setup and configuration to ensure a seamless experience, requiring no prior technical knowledge from educators or students. They are also open to accommodating additional software preferences to meet specific educational needs. The student team is currently in contact with 11 schools and clubs in the New England area, where educators and students have begun integrating Astrolink into their science curricula.

Quesst Mission Learning Module

This learning module presents a curated list of NASA activities and resources for formal and informal educators to engage K–12 audiences in exploring the science and engineering behind the X-59, the experimental aircraft and centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to solve a major barrier to supersonic flight over land by making sonic booms quieter. The module presents a broad range of activities—including science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) videos, activities, engineering design challenges, performance assessments, and more—that can be embedded in units about sound, energy, forces, or engineering. 

For example, elementary learners (K–4) can discover the ins and outs of X-59 aircraft and explore sound wavelengths through the activity book, NASA’s Junior Pilot Program: X-59, while middle level learners (grades 5–8) can explore soundwaves through Engineering Quiet: Chevrons, an engineering and design challenge in which students design a “chevron,” a device that changes sound waves and can reduce noise levels. High school learners (grades 9–12) can explore the Quesst mission through explorations investigating the speed of sound. In Noise: Speed of Sound, students conduct experiments to determine the speed of sound in air by using water, tuning forks, and other materials. Another notable resource from the module is the activity Make Your Own X-59 (grades 3–8), which provides a template for students to create a paper model of the aircraft.

Teaching Basic Coding With Legos

Try this hands-on activity from the online journal Education World to introduce elementary students (grades 3–5) to basic coding concepts without a computer! Students work in groups of three or four to build a structure with Lego bricks, then create a pseudocode, an instruction code not tied to any programming language, to describe their building process. Pseudocodes help students learn to break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable tasks, a fundamental concept of coding. 

After building their structures, groups record their steps taken on a provided pseudocode worksheet and share their worksheets with classmates. As each group shares their work, the teacher introduces coding concepts such as sequencing, loops, and conditionals, explaining how these functions could be useful in their pseudocodes to create a more streamlined code. Students then can revise their pseudocodes based on the new information they learned. 

The activity is designed to be completed within one to two 60-minute class periods. The complete activity lesson plan includes a sample pseudocode worksheet and ideas for assessment and differentiation.

National Geographic’s Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship 

The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship is a professional learning opportunity for pre-K–12 educators. National Geographic staff will select exemplary educators to host aboard Lindblad Expeditions’ voyages for a life-changing, field-based experience. Grosvenor Teacher Fellows will transfer their onboard experience into transformative ways to teach students, engage colleagues, and bring new geographic awareness into their learning environments and communities. 

Fellows are expected to be active and engaged members of the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship over the course of the expedition year and the year following. This includes participating in an in-person preparatory workshop, tentatively scheduled for April 9–13, 2025, in Washington, D.C., as well as periodic virtual meetups. Fellows are also expected to serve as ambassadors of the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship in all professional settings. 

Applications are now open for the 2025 cohort (deadline November 14). Full-time pre-K–12 classroom or informal educators who spend 50% or more of their time working directly with students are eligible. Educators must be residents of the 50 U.S. states, Canada, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico or U.S. citizens teaching at a U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity school.

National Geographic Slingshot Challenge

The National Geographic Slingshot Challenge encourages students ages 13–18 from across the globe to create one-minute videos describing their ideas for solving environmental issues for a chance to receive up to $10,000 in funding. Video submissions can be created by one person, or in teams of up to six members. The submission deadline is February 7, 2025. All participants who submit a solution video will receive a digital certificate and will be invited to a virtual announcement and recognition event.

Educator Information Sessions for formal and informal educators will be held virtually in October, November, and December. Separate sessions in English and Spanish are available. Students can download a challenge toolkit and attend Solution Design Labs to help them learn about the challenge, think about the root causes of environmental problems in their community, and brainstorm possible solution ideas; these sessions will be held through January. Educators and students can also take advantage of Office Hours, which provide an opportunity to meet with National Geographic Society Education Staff and an Explorer to receive individualized support for the Slingshot Challenge.

2025 USNCO Coaching Program
 
The U.S. Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) has a coaching program to help prepare students for the USNCO local and national exams. Coaching sessions will be hosted on Zoom and coordinated by the American Chemical Society on Fridays every other week in January and February 2025. The coaching sessions start with a 30-minute tutorial before a problem-solving session and group work. Students will submit an application to be considered for the coaching program. 

Coaches must be current or retired high school chemistry teachers, university professors, or industry professionals with teaching experience in chemistry, and may have private tutoring engagements. Coaches will receive an honorarium at the end of the program. If you are interested in becoming a coach, apply by October 30. More information about the program is available on https://www.acs.org/education/olympiad/prepare-for-exams/coaching-program.html.