Archives: May, 2008

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is looking for 30 rising 9th-11th graders to participate in Space Science Lab (SSL).

This year-round program begins with an intensive week during the summer on the PARI campus where students build a Radio Jove receiver (from scratch!) to record radio signals from the sun. The week also includes an intense study of solar physics so that students may use their Radio Jove antenna to conduct research during the school year on topics such as solar flares, sunspots and space weather. Periodic meetings give the students support and guidance on their projects and students receive stipends for the summer and school year meetings.

Past SSL scholars have won science fair awards, NASA competitions and much more as a result of participation in this program.

SSL is funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and while PARI would like to accept students from across the state, they are limiting participation to Western North Carolina.

The application deadline is June 15. Learn more and apply at the PARI website. If you have any questions, please email or call Christi Whitworth (828-877-6348).

We are pleased to share a new professional development resource for North Carolina educators. The North Carolina Professional Development Directory is a one-stop listing of organizations offering professional development to teachers, administrators, and staff in North Carolina public schools.

The directory includes resources not only from private organizations, but also from individual school districts. Districts ideally can develop partnerships that take advantage of each other’s resources to increase professional development quality and reduce costs. Many districts have added their resources already. Providers can add their profiles to the directory at no cost. Please don’t hesitate to submit information about your district’s or organization’s professional development offerings or to encourage other providers to do so.