NESST is the Network for Emergent Socio-Scientific Thinking. Housed at Smithsonian Science Education Center, it is a global network comprised of youth, educational innovators, business leaders, STEM professionals, organizations, and communities interested in transforming STEM education for sustainable development. Committed to thinking differently through the lens of emergence and complexity, NESST reimagines education for life on a sustainable planet. NESST seeks to engage a collaborative, enthusiastic group of educators to join the Teacher Ambassador Program. 

Program with our friends in the DAF K-12 STEM Office:

How many Halloween costumes in your classroom match Air Force uniforms? We bet there’s more than you think! Join Katie Mauro and Jordan Rader for a fun filled themed bingo game as we guess and explore the various “costumes” in the Air Force. Don’t forget to download and make your bingo boards so you’re to play! Costumes are encouraged!

Students will guess the job as the hosts reveal tools used by each profession. 

An event with our friends at the DAF K-12 STEM Office and the US Air Force Academy:

Does all visible light come from the sun? No – it can be created in many ways and many forms! In celebration of National Chemistry Week, the U.S. Air Force presents a special virtual program exploring the science of chemiluminescence – visible light from a chemical reaction. Join us as chemist Stacey Lazzelle walks us through five exciting experiments!

Join Air & Space STEM Outreach for World AI Week and as they introduce students and classrooms to the exciting world of artificial intelligence (AI) in the U.S. Air Force. In addition to learning about AI’s role in the Air Force, students will also get a clear overview of what AI really is—and what it isn’t! We’ll debunk common myths and misconceptions about AI.   

Event with our partner, the National Air and Space Museum!

The U.S. military began training women as pilots and other aviators in 1973. But they didn’t achieve full equality until 1993, when they gained the right to fly combat aircraft. Join Beverly Weintraub, author of Wings of Gold: The Story of the First Women Naval Aviators, and Eileen Bjorkman (U.S. Air Force, ret.), author of Fly Girls Revolt: The Story of the Women Who Kicked Open the Door to Fly in Combat, as they discuss the challenges faced by America's pioneering women military aviators and their fight to open doors for future generations. 

Learn how to collaborate with your students can take action for healthy ocean systems!

Join the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) to learn how to support young people to build their systems-thinking skills and knowledge around healthy ocean systems! Take part in a virtual professional development academy on the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals community research guide, Ocean! How can we create a sustainable future for the ocean?

See over 50 unique aircraft, flown in for one day only, at this annual event outside at the Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Explore the engineering and design innovations that have taken place during the last century of flight. Talk with pilots of vintage and modern aircraft, on display outside the Museum for one day only.

Tickets are required.

It’s National Paper Airplane Day! Celebrate by learning the basics of flight from the US Air Force. Learn about the forces that allow your airplane to fly with maximum performance. Whose airplane can fly fastest and furthest?

In this lecture, Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx primary investigator and professor at the University of Arizona, will discuss the findings from the first set of data from analysis of the Bennu samples.

This program will be presented in-person in Planetarium at the National Air and Space Museum in DC and will be streamed live on YouTube.

This session will highlight the life cycle of an aircraft, from the engineers who build, to the pilots who fly and the technicians who maintain them. Hear from each member of the team to explore their role in an aircraft’s production.

Did you know there are a variety of careers in the Air Force beyond aviation? In this session we will explore a variety of jobs you may not think of when discussing the Air Force. There will be several Air Force members in this panel talking about their role in the Air Force. We will explore their careers, education, training, and day to day activities.

The 2024 Dream with Us design challenge is NOW OPEN! For students ages 13-18, this team-based challenge gives students a chance to share their vision for the future of aviation with NASA experts. This year’s theme is focused on natural disasters--students are developing new and improved ways aviation can help with natural disaster response.

Challenge submissions will be accepted March 1 – April 30, 2024. Learn more about the challenge and NASA’s ACERO project on the Dream with Us Design Challenge webpage.

Let’s celebrate Earth Day with the Air Force! What’s the difference between meteorology and climatology? The Air and Space STEM Office will be joined by a member of the US Air Force at Altus Air Force Base to learn the difference. Changes made across the global are leading to elevated levels of warming. We’ll discuss how monitoring weather and climate impact the Air Force today and in the future.

Attention students in grades 7 through 12: You have an opportunity to design DNA experiments that address a challenge in space exploration!

Life on Earth has evolved under the effects of our gravity and the protection of our atmosphere. Human space exploration opens up amazing new opportunities for life, and serious challenges too. The Genes in Space Challenge is a great way to expand upon life science!

April 14th is World Quantum Day. Let’s celebrate with the US Air Force! Students will be introduced to the concept of quantum science with Dr. Michael Senatore, expert on quantum computing from Rome Labs in Rome, New York. Students will learn about quantum science and how it relates to every-day things, and solving real life problems. Dr. Senatore will describe his work in the quantum lab and share a day in the life of an Air Force scientist.

In celebration of “Find Your Place in Space” Week (April 6-13, 2024), join the Air and Space Forces STEM Office for a virtual panel with members of the U.S. Space Force who will share their space career journeys and how they found “their place in space”.

Celebrate and observe the solar eclipse that will be visible all across North America on Monday, April 8! The National Air and Space Museum, in collaboration with other Smithsonian museums, NASA, NOAA, and the National Science Foundation, presents an outdoor festival with activities for all ages.The eclipse will be visible in the Washington, DC area between 2:04 pm and 4:32 pm. Maximum eclipse will be at 3:20 pm, with the Sun 89% covered by the Moon.

Visitors should bring their own eclipse glasses to the event. Please check the resources listed NASM’s solar eclipse deep dive for information on how to obtain safe eclipse glasses or solar viewers.

Learn how to inspire and motivate young innovators at the USPTO National Summer Teacher Institute! Participants will learn the principles of intellectual property and innovation from patents, trademarks, innovation, and entrepreneurship experts. Educators will also learn how to use USTPO's educational materials and resources in the classroom to create lesson plans that engage students in problem-based learning and STEM achievement.

S.H.E. Can is a free camp from the National Air and Space Museum with two sessions at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. S.H.E. Can explores aviation careers and topics with middle schoolers, targeting girls and other underrepresented identities in grades 6-8.

The National Summer Teacher Institute (NSTI) is a multi-day professional development training opportunity designed to support elementary, middle, and high school teachers as they increase their knowledge of concepts of making, inventing, and intellectual property (IP) creation and protection.

The NIST Summer Institute is a two-week workshop for middle school science teachers. As a participant, you’ll gain new knowledge of science, a network of NIST researchers to consult with, and materials you can implement in your curriculum.

Students will learn all about space weather - what it is, how it's formed, and how it impacts life here on Earth, such as in the form of Northern Lights and especially eclipses. We will focus on how to best engage with the upcoming totality eclipse in April. They'll also dive into ideas for current and future STEM careers we will need to better protect ourselves from solar weather and engage with the resulting phenomenon.

This event brings DC families, schools, and organizations together to showcase student problem-solving skills and innovative designs. Students from DC public schools, public charter schools, private and parochial schools, and home schools may participate (participants must register by March 4). The competition takes place at Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C.

Calling all STEM enthusiasts! Are you looking to make an impact on student's lives by encouraging them to continue to explore the world of STEM? Volunteer to be an eCYBERMISSION Virtual Judge, where you will review, comment and score eCYBERMISSION Mission Folders! Registration closes on March 12.