Take Our Winter Bird Survival Challenge

European Starling by Evelyne Samson
© Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Dear Friend,
How do birds withstand wicked winter weather and other daily threats to survival, even in warmer climates? We have a new environmental challenge for you from the Celebrate Urban Birds project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. We invite you to show us how birds are surviving in your neighborhood this winter. It can be a photo, artwork, video, even a story or a poem describing how birds are finding the food, water, and shelter they need. You can take part no matter what your age or skill level. Groups such as schools, libraries, clubs, and businesses are also more than welcome. As you may know, Celebrate Urban Birds is a free, year-round citizen-science project focused on birds in neighborhood settings.

I find it unbelievable how even tiny birds can survive being outdoors 24/7 in places where winter is cold and snowy! Your entry for this challenge could show a crow huddling near a chimney to get warm, birds visiting feeders or raiding a berry bush for food, birds dabbling in a fountain for water, or maybe even one of the lucky birds soaking up the sun in a warm, southern state.

We have more great prizes including a pair of Eagle Optics binoculars, bird feeders, a birdsong calendar, books, posters, cards and more. The first 50 people who enter will receive a copy of the "Little Green Places" poster and selected images and videos will be posted on the Celebrate Urban Birds website.

Here's how to enter:
1. Email entries to urbanbirds@cornell.edu. If you submit a video, post it on YouTube and send us the link.
2. Write “Survival_yourfirstname yourlastname yourstate” in the subject line.
3. Include your mailing address in your email
4. Explain why you submitted your entry—describe your winter conditions and what you observe the birds doing during winter.
5. One entry per person, please.

Deadline for entries is February 14, 2011

Visit the Celebrate Urban Birds website for more information, to see entries for past challenges, and to read the terms of agreement for all entries. Then take the challenge--I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Sincerely,

Karen Purcell, Project Leader
Celebrate Urban Birds

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Cornell Lab’s web site at http://www.birds.cornell.edu.

The Department of Energy's Office of Science is funding an internship at most national labs, including the National Renewable Energy Lab located in Golden, CO. Applications will be online this week to come to NREL for three summers through the Academies Creating Teacher Scientists (ACTS)! Please forward this information to those qualified teachers you'd like to have this opportunity. For more information on this opportunity and how to apply, visit these websites and see below:

Applications open through January 31. NREL program starts June 14th:
http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/ACTS/about.htm
http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/ACTS/apply.htm

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary renewable energy and energy efficiency research laboratory. Researchers at NREL are committed to developing renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies that benefit the environment and the economy and provide solutions to future energy needs of the U.S. and the world. As a single purpose laboratory, NREL is recognized as one of the world's leaders in the research and development of renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency and uses the unique laboratory and personnel resources to provide teachers a once-in-a lifetime experience in renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.

The NREL program is an eight-week program over three summers that will allow teachers to work at NREL in a mentored research experience in collaboration with an NREL scientist. Potential research projects for ACTS teachers are in the following research areas: solar, wind, hydrogen fuel cells and production, bioenergy, transportation, alternative fuels, and energy efficiency technologies including new energy buildings. This program is designed for classroom teachers and faculty at Community Colleges who teach science, math or technology in grades 6-14.

The teacher professional development program focuses on teacher content knowledge, science classroom curriculum, and school leadership activities. NREL recognizes that teachers are the critical change agents to improve science, mathematics, and technology education policy and technical content in our schools. NREL's program is designed to create a cadre of outstanding science and math teachers with excellent content knowledge and scientific research experience to serve as leaders and agents of positive change in their national, regional, and local teaching communities. This three-year program taps into the mentoring talent at NREL to guide and enrich the teachers' understanding of the current scientific and technological world. Through the ACTS program, teachers establish long-term relationships with their mentor scientists, NREL education personnel and teaching colleagues will continue to support the education efforts of the teachers when they return to their classrooms. Selected teachers choose a research area with the intent of improving their current abilities and knowledge as a science teacher, helping them translate the experience into improved classroom instruction and student achievement.

Morgan Curley
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Education Programs
1617 Cole Blvd., MS 1713
Golden, CO 80401
Phone: 303 275-3080
Fax: 303 275-3076
morgan.curley@nrel.gov<mailto:morgan_curley@nrel.gov>
www.nrel.govhttp://www.nrel.gov/
 

Please see attached pdf file.

The POGIL Project is pleased to announce that the High School POGIL Initiative (HSPI) is underway.

Activity submissions will now be accepted for peer review.
Additionally, applications for classroom testers of reviewed activities will now be accepted.

Please visit the POGIL website at http/www.pogil.org/about for further information about HSPI, to view sample activities, and to download application forms.
 

Join us for an Interactive Workshop on Spatial Technologies for Career & Technical Education
Sponsored by the Colorado Community College System, Colorado Geographic Alliance, and ESRI
September 17, 2010 - Denver, CO or November 5, 2010 - Colorado Springs, CO

Background:
Spatial technology is incorporated into many aspects of our work and life. Geographic Information Science involves the use of various cutting-edge computer-aided technologies in areas that include manufacturing, medicine, communications, planning and agriculture. It represents a commercially viable area in which employers require a steady supply of well-qualified practitioners. However, demand for geospatial technicians in the United States is growing faster than the pool of qualified candidates. As a result, there is a growing need for two-year colleges to partner with high schools in designing spatial technology career pathways that lead students through well-planned secondary course sequences and into articulated two-year postsecondary programs. The creation of this secondary-to-postsecondary "pipeline" of students is critical to the success of producing enough qualified technicians to meet industry needs.

In an effort to support and promote the inclusion of geospatial applications in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in Colorado, the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), the Colorado Geographic Alliance (COGA) and the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) will be offering two free one-day Interactive Workshops on Spatial Technologies for Career and Technical Education. One will be held at the Colorado Community College System Lowry Campus in Denver and the second will be held at the Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs.

CCCS supports secondary and post-secondary CTE programs in the state of Colorado. COGA supports geography education in elementary and secondary schools and is funded by the National Geographic Education Foundation and the Colorado Geographic Education Fund. ESRI is the world leader in GIS, supporting those making daily decisions with GIS in education, business, government and other sectors.

Workshop Information:
Date: September 17, 2010, 8 am - 3 pm
Location: Colorado Community College System
AM Session: Lowry IT Building 758, Rooms 138-140
1059 Alton Way, Denver and
PM Session: Lowry Conference Center, Building 697
1061 Akron Way, Denver

Date: November 5, 2010, 8 am - 3 pm
Location: Pikes Peak Community College
Rampart Range Campus, Room E-116
11195 Highway 83, Colorado Springs

Purpose of the Workshop:
* To inform participants about career opportunities and the growing need for geospatial technicians.
* To demonstrate, through hands-on activities, interactive lessons that can be used in the classroom
* To frame opportunities to create new secondary-to-postsecondary programs in geospatial technologies and/or to infuse geospatial instruction into existing technical programs and STEM courses.
* To provide participants geospatial resources for planning and implementing geospatial education at their institutions.

Who Should Attend?
* Secondary/Postsecondary CTE Administrators and/or Instructors - learn how to create new secondary and post-secondary programs in spatial technologies or to infuse spatial technologies into existing IT, Communications, Health, Manufacturing and Agriculture programs!
* Secondary STEM Coordinators/Instructors - learn how to enhance existing science, technology, engineering and math courses!

Registration Instructions
To register online for one of these workshops, please visit: http://www.rsvpbook.com/event.php?436405

The registration deadlines are Sept. 3, 2010, for the Denver workshop and Oct. 22, 2010, for the Colorado Springs Workshop. Space is limited at each location, so register early. These workshops are provided free of charge. Participants are responsible for any travel and lodging. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided the day of the workshop. All registrants will receive a registration confirmation e-mail with an agenda, map, directions and hotel recommendations. Registrants will also be placed on a mailing list to receive additional workshop information and updates.

For More Information, Contact:
Pat Sagrillo
CTE Special Projects Coordinator
Colorado Community College System
303-595-1568
pat.sagrillo@cccs.edu

Albert Einstein Fellows bring to Congress and appropriate branches of the federal government the extensive knowledge and experience of classroom teachers. They provide practical insights and "real world" perspectives to policy makers and program managers developing or managing educational programs. During the Fellowship, each Einstein Fellow receives a monthly stipend of $6000.00 plus a $1000.00 monthly cost of living allowance. In addition, there is a moving/relocation allowance as well as a professional travel allowance.