ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Dear  ASTC members,

We’re  organizing a conference call on Wednesday,  May 14, 2008  at 3pm  EST  
to tell you about the Kids’ Science  Challenge, a program funded by the 
National Science Foundation that you  might like to integrate with your own 
activities at your museum or science  center.  
The  Idea in a Nutshell:  Imagine being 3rd to 6th graders and being able to 
suggest designs  for a new skateboard, or participate with SETI astronomers in 
the search for  extraterrestrial intelligence, or test your water quality and 
compare it with  kids around the world, or design a new flavor of candy. This 
is the opportunity  that the Kids’ Science Challenge (KSC) is offering. 
KSC  (_www.kidssciencechallenge.com_ (http://www.kidssciencechallenge.com/) ) 
 is a new  National Science Foundation-funded, 4-year initiative that will 
dynamically  propel kids to participate in science in a creative, new way. The 
Challenge will center on a nationwide  competition for 3rd to 6th grade kids, 
including  underserved groups and girls, beginning in fall, 2008, with kids 
submitting  their own problems and experiments to scientists and engineers who 
are specially  recruited for this project. These professionals will then 
investigate,  experiment, and answer their questions. Competition winners will visit 
with and  engage the professionals in their research settings. Other kids, 
their parents,  and teachers will pursue these inquiries via radio and new media. 
 There are opportunities for kids to  enter the competition on their own, or 
as groups. 
The  conference call will  tell you more about how the competition will work 
and how you might be able to  partner with us for your youthful clients. We 
can use help getting the word out  about the program, and you might be able to 
use our program to further enrich  your own activities, especially after-school 
programs. We are particularly  seeking centers that already have programming 
in the areas of science we are  working with this first year: water, flavors 
and smells, extraterrestrials, and  skateboards (though this piece could be 
done by anyone). Please send an email  to: [log in to unmask] to receive 
details on phoning in to the conference  call. If you are interested but can not 
make the time of the call, write to this  same address and we will arrange an 
alternative time for another call, or call  you directly. 
We  will look forward to speaking with you. 

Thank  you.
Jim Metzner Pulse  of the Planet’s Kids’ Science Challenge





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