NSTA Named Official Education Advisor to the Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards Program Arlington, VA & San Francisco, CA – June 1, 2009
The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, and the Conrad Foundation today announced an agreement to collaborate on the Foundation’s Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards, a program focused on combining science and technology education with innovation and entrepreneurship to solve modern-day problems in four categories: space, oceans, energy and the environment. Through this partnership, NSTA will serve as the official education advisor to the program, providing guidance on the development of educational resources, long-term goals and vision for the program.
“The Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards program not only encourages students to be both creative and scientific, but requires them to think critically while pursuing real solutions to real-world challenges,” said Dr. Francis Eberle, Executive Director, NSTA. “Today’s students represent the future. We are excited to be partnering with the Conrad Foundation to provide quality science-learning opportunities and experiences that help promote imaginative thinking among students.”
The Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards is an annual competition that challenges teams of high school students to create innovative products for use in various fields of science and technology, including lunar exploration, personal spaceflight and renewable energy. Teams vie for more than $100,000 in prize money and the opportunity to commercialize their products for general market use. “The Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards is a celebration of the talent and ingenuity of our youth, and a chance for them to solve real-world problems with the guidance of our esteemed group of entrepreneurs and advisors,” said Nancy Conrad, Founder of the Conrad Foundation. “The NSTA will play a key role in assisting us as we challenge these students and create the pathway for the workforce of the future.”
For more information about the Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards, visit: http://www.conradawards.org/
About NSTA
The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), www.nsta.org, is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA’s current membership includes more than 60,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.
About The Conrad Foundation
The Conrad Foundation is a non-profit organization built upon astronaut Charles “Pete” Conrad’s history of innovation and entrepreneurship. Pete’s legacy continues through the Foundation’s rich programs that combine education and entrepreneurship in a revolutionary model of competition. By providing students with the tools, resources and opportunities to innovate in science and technology, we connect the most creative students with real-world entrepreneurial ventures. The Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award challenges students to create product concepts in specific fields of interest that can be taken to the commercial marketplace. For more information, visit www.conradawards.org.
Kate Meyer, NSTA
(703) 312-9211
kmeyer@nsta.org
Ben Karl, TriplePoint (Conrad Foundation)
(415) 425-4339
benjamin@triplepointpr.com
