STAR_Net News - July 2017
STAR_Net News - July 2017
July 31, 2017
Space Science at a National
Library Conference
Paul Dusenbery, Anne Holland, Keliann LaConte, and Brooks Mitchell brought interactive science and technology learning experiences to the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago, IL, June 23-26, 2017.
As members of the NASA booth in the exhibit hall, the NCIL team presented about science background and resources for the upcoming solar eclipse, showcased hands-on activities, and demonstrated the new SciGames app, Solar Vision. The NCIL team also presented two sessions, Daytime Astronomy at Your Library and -- in collaboration with leaders in the library and museum community and other NASA SMD-funded teams -- High-impact STEM Events to Foster Collaboration.
Attendance at the ALA Annual Conference can reach over 22,000 public, academic, and school library professionals and exhibitors, making this conference a key part of NCIL's efforts to support STEM learning in libraries.
JPL's Universe of Learning Program
The STAR_Net team is proud to partner with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Universe of Learning program to offer an innovative exhibit program to public libraries and their partners, starting in the summer of 2018.
Please help us make the exhibit a perfect fit for your library by completing this survey for the project team. Your responses are integral to creating a quality program for libraries and their communities. The survey will be open through August 15th. 
STAR_Net Webinar Series
Safe Eclipse Viewing
Date: Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017
Time:
3pm EDT / 2pm CDT / 1pm MDT / 12pm PT
Join NCIL Staff and Doug Duncan, Director of the Fiske Planetarium at UC Boulder, to learn about ways to safely view the 2017 Great American Eclipse.
Note: There are only a few opening left so reserve your space now! If you have already registered and are now not able to make the live webinar, please consider removing your registration so others can attend in your place. If you need assistance removing your registration, please contact Brooks at bmitchell@spacescience.org and he can make that happen for you. Thank you!
For those that are unable to attend the live webinar, we will have a recording posted on our website within a day or two after the live presentation.
Note: We are switching to a new webinar platform so
our registration process may be different than before.

Miss Past Webinars? Get Them Here!

ALA Expands Program to Help
Libraries get "Ready to Code"
ALA has announced a competitive grant program, sponsored by Google, that will fund a cohort of 25-50 school and public libraries to design computational thinking and computer science programs for and with youth, including under-represented youth. The grant application will open in late July.  If you’d like to get notification when the application is open, sign up via this online form
The $500,000 program is part of Phase III of Libraries Ready to Code, an ongoing collaboration between ALA and Google to ensure library staff are prepared to develop and deliver programming that promotes computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT) among youth, two skills that will be required for challenges and jobs of the future. YALSA is partnering with ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy, AASL, and ALSC to implement this program.
Facebook Page Hits Milestone
Over this past weekend we jumped past the 1,000 page likes milestone on our Facebook page! We want to thank our outstanding online community for following us and sharing our content and hope you are finding it informative and useful.
We are already looking forward to increasing our reach to the many addtional libraries and their staff who have an interest in implementing STEM programming within their communities.
Hands-on STEM: Dunking the Planets
With the end of NASA’s Cassini mission approaching, now is a good time to build interest and excitement about the planet that Cassini has spent so much time orbiting: Saturn! In this activity, participants dunk scale models of the planets, represented by fruits and other foods, in water to highlight the fact that density is different from mass. They will be surprised to learn that the second largest planet in our solar system isn’t very dense and could even float in water!
Check out the activity and make sure to leave a review! 
The STAR Library Education Network (STAR_Net) is a hands-on learning network for libraries and their communities across the country. STAR_Net focuses on helping library professionals build their STEM skills by providing “science-technology activities and resources” (STAR) and training to use those resources. Plus, engage public audiences nationwide in informal and lifelong learning with the excitement of exploration and discovery through new NASA@ My Library resources! 
STAR_Net is built upon a strong network of collaborators and partners, led by the Space Science Institute’s (SSI) National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL). Partners include the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Afterschool Alliance, Education Development Center, Datum Advisors, Cornerstones of Science, and the Pacific Science Center. Major funding is provided by the National Science Foundation, NASA Science Mission Directorate, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Latest Blogs

The Dirt on Soil

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Have a Cow, Man!

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Video: How Wolves Change Rivers

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Transportation at the Depot

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Taking the STEAM concept in a slightly different direction, last week we hosted a program at the Depot Park all about transportation.

Join the Rage! DIY Fidget Spinners

By Luna Kelondra 
I came across an interesting new type of toy online a few months ago - fidget spinners. 

Geology Rocks!

By Jennifer Beach
This week, as part of my Summer Reading Depot Days programs in the park series, we addressed geology; and it rocked!
View All Blogs
Programing Opportunities

Build A Better World

Summer, 2017

2017 Solar Eclipse
Aug. 21, 2017

Day of Saturn
Sept. 15, 2017

Int'l Observe the Moon Night
Oct. 28, 2017
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