For attention of Heads of Sixth Forms, Heads of Science and all Science and Maths Teachers

Dear Colleagues

I am emailing to let you know about a competition being run by NESTA for A-Level or Scottish Higher science students (or those taking equivalent qualifications). We hope you will pass this email onto the relevant teachers in your school or directly to students themselves. We are very keen to widen the number of schools and students who take part in the competition so please do act on this email.

As part of our education programme NESTA is offering two A-level students the opportunity to take part in a research trip to NASA and the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA, joining NASA to look for life at the edge of space from the 14th - 27th July.

Three scientists from the NESTA Crucible programme have been working to discover what kinds of life exist at the extreme edge of the atmosphere. NESTA are sponsoring them to travel to NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, to work with a NASA astrobiology team and the two A-level students will have the opportunity to join the team as they launch their device 30 kilometres into the stratosphere on a powerful rocket.

Details of the competition challenge and how to enter can be found on NESTAs website at:

http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/public_services_lab/education/nasa

We do have a tight deadline due to the amount of time it takes to get security clearance to enter the NASA base and so need entries back by midnight 24 May 2010.

Please do not delay in passing on this information or speaking directly to your students to encourage them to enter. Due to the short time we have to publicise the event it is likely that applications will be lower than they might, so please do urge your students to apply as they may have a greater chance of success than they think!

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to email me directly (rachel.brazil@nesta.org.uk) or to email the competition address (nasacompetition@nesta.org.uk)

 

Best wishes

Dr Rachel Brazil

Development Manager
National Endowment of Science Technology and the Arts

NESTA
1 Plough Place
London
EC4A 1DE

Switchboard: 020 7438 2500

Website: http://www.nesta.org.uk