In celebration of Pennsylvania’s Space
Satellite and Technology Week, NOAA
will feature state-of-the-art technology and world-class presenters
at the Satellites and Education Conference, March 7 – 9, at West Chester University, Pennsylvania,
the commerce department agency
announced today.

Gregory Withee, NOAA assistant administrator
for satellite and information services, will present the opening
session on "Learning Opportunities and Educational Activities."
He will describe various learning opportunities and ongoing
educational activities available from NOAA’s
National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service.
This service operates the nation’s geostationary and polar-orbiting
environmental satellites. Images of clouds from NOAA’s satellites
are well-known to television viewers; the images are shown daily
on weather forecasts.

"NOAA is proud to co-sponsor this
conference, which is focused on introducing educators to a wide
range of learning opportunities available through satellites,"
Withee said. "Today’s students are tomorrow’s scientists
and engineers — hopefully satellite engineers."

A featured luncheon speaker on the first
day of the conference is Louis Uccellini, director of NOAA’s
National Centers for Environmental Prediction. He is also
considered the National Weather
Service expert on winter snow storms. At his presentation
on "East Coast Winter Snowstorms," Uccellini will address
the forecasts and science issues related to recent snowstorms
that have affected the eastern United States.

At the conference, educators and science
and technology professionals share classroom applications of
satellite data and advanced technologies. The focus this year
is introducing educators to the range of learning opportunities
available through satellite technology. Workshop sessions also
provide teaching materials and ideas for elementary through university
classrooms. Exhibitors include ground station equipment vendors,
and representatives of federal agencies, educational projects
and commercial entities.

The conference will feature accredited,
hands-on user demonstrations on environmental and communication
satellites in classrooms. Presentations will include satellites
in search and rescue, three-dimensional virtual earth systems,
what’s new in geostationary environmental satellites, real-time
weather data and lesson plans for the classroom, and other topics
of interest to science teachers and students.

The event will also feature Global Learning
and Observations to Benefit the Environment Day, in which GLOBE-certified
teachers will present workshops designed to find ways to turn
K-12 students into scientists. Presentations will be made by
representatives of NOAA, NASA,
various schools, and the private sector, including a briefing
on "Harry, the 250 Million Year Old Bacterium."

In addition, a motivational session and
book signing will be presented on March 8, by Pat Croce, president
of the Philadelphia 76ers, and author of "I Feel Great and
You Will Too." This session is open to the general public.

The conference is sponsored by NOAA, NASA,
several private companies, and various educational concerns.
For more information, contact: Nancy McIntyre, West Chester University,
189 Schmucker Hall, West Chester, PA 19383; telephone: (610)
436-2393; e-mail: nmcintyre@wcupa.edu.
Visit the Web site: http://www.sated.org/eceos/ttsc.htm