NASA Wants Students to Share Their Ideas for Space Exploration

WASHINGTON - NASA’s commitment to promoting science and technology has the agency looking to students to share their thoughts on how NASA technology impacts their lives. NASA’s 50th anniversary essay competition for middle and junior high school students during the 2007-2008 school year will close in early January 2008.

The agency will use the essay contest to inspire and encourage students to continue their studies in science, technology, engineering and math. Through hands-on, interactive educational activities, NASA is engaging students, educators, families and the general public to increase America’s science and technology literacy.

The competition consists of two topics with each essay limited to 500 words. The first topic challenges students to describe benefits in their everyday lives from technologies built by NASA during the last 50 years. The second topic challenges students to imagine how their everyday lives 50 years from now may benefit from NASA’s future technologies.

U.S. students enrolled in an accredited middle school, junior high school or home school are eligible to enter the competition for prizes. Non-U.S. citizens and students in international locations also may enter. NASA will award trophies and certificates to each winner, regardless of citizenship. A teacher, parent, guardian or other adult mentor associated with the student’s education must sponsor each entry.