National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Ignite Learning Using the RWIW NASA Engineering Design Challenge

This Web Seminar took place on October 6, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The presenters were Sharon Bowers and Todd Toth. In this Seminar, Ms. Bowers and Mr. Toth gave an overview of the James Webb Telescope mission. They also talked about how schools can compete in the NASA Engineering Design Challenge—an opportunity for high school students to work cooperatively as engineers and scientists to solve problems related to the James Webb telescope.

The PowerPoint, related resources from the NSTA Learning Center, and web links from the presentation are now contained in the above resource collection. Clicking on the collection link will place it in your Learning Center, My Library, neatly organized under the My Resource Collections tab.


This Web Seminar informed educators about the chance to compete in the NASA Engineering Design Challenge, which focuses on the James Webb telescope. Mr. Toth described the mechanical construction of the telescope and explained what scientists hoped to find once the mission launched. Ms. Bowers talked specifically about the competition and gave details on how to enter high school students. In addition, she demonstrated the In World platform, an interactive tool available to schools interested in the competition.


Twenty-seven (27) participants were present at the live Web Seminar in addition to the presenter and NSTA staff. Participating educators represented the states of Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. In addition, one participant attended the Web Seminar from a country outside the United States: Turkey.


Seminar participants received one of the NSTA SciGuides. A certificate of attendance was deposited into participants My PD Record and Certificates area in the NSTA Learning Center for completing the evaluation form at the end of the program.


Here are some comments provided by the participants at the end of the Web Seminar:

  • “I have students who are interested in the challenge and I wanted to learn more about so I can assist them.”
  • “It helps to prepare me with the information to equip my students with the info necessary to participate in this challenge.”
  • “This design challenge provides a very interesting hands-on activity for my students.”
  • “In relating real world applications of the science of space that we study. Living so close to JSC I feel like the information is exciting to my students knowing the research is that close!”

Thanks to the participants and the presenter for the learning opportunity, the interactions, and a job well done!





For more information contact webseminars@nsta.org


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