The Office of Space Science Education at the Space Science and Engineering Center is pleased to announce its 1998 educational and teacher professional development opportunities. In addition to our highly successful Summer Workshop on Atmospheric, Earth and Space Sciences, we have added three new and innovative programs to our roster for teachers and students that we would like to introduce to you in this letter. A detailed announcement for each program with registration and application information and/or forms are enclosed in this mailing. This information is also available at our world wide website http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/outreach/wise.htm. Please post the enclosed announcements in your classroom or on your department bulletin board and share these opportunities with your colleagues and students.

· Workshop on Atmospheric, Earth, and Space Sciences: This program for high school students and physical science teachers is in its 7^th year and will be held on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus from August 2-6, 1998. For students, the workshop will focus on key research topics in the atmospheric and earth science professions, and demonstrate modern tools and techniques used in scientific research. For teachers, we provide a valuable learning experience that will generate new concepts and ideas to enhance classroom activities. To assure a "hands-on" environment, workshop size is limited to 25 participants. One credit is available for teachers through the UW-Madison Office of Continuing Studies. A registration fee of $50 is required. Please contact our office on behalf of any deserving student who would like to attend but may not have the financial means, and we will make every effort to provide assistance.

· Project WISE: A Summer Workshop for Middle School Science Teachers: The Wisconsin Initiative for Space Education is pleased to announce a new summer workshop designed to address the unique needs and interests of Middle School teachers. In cooperation with the John Muir Academy, this workshop will be held in Williams Bay, WI from June 22-26, 1998. Topics will cover current space missions including a simulation of the recent Mars Pathfinder Mission (Red Rover, Red Rover), Astronomical Observations from schools, EarthKAM during which students control a digital camera on the space shuttle to take pictures of earth, and a web based journal of Space Projects By Kids (SPARK). Three Academic credits are available through the UW-Madison School of Education.

· The Verner E. Suomi Scholarship Award for Graduating High School Seniors: In honor of Professor Suomi’s lifelong commitment to the e ducation of undergraduate students, we are pleased to announce three $1000 scholarships for three graduating high school seniors who plan to attend a University of Wisconsin System undergraduate program in the physical sciences. Students planning to major in meteorology, earth science, oceanography, physics, science or math education, environmental science and engineering are especially encouraged to apply. This scholarship program is sponsored by the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

· The 30^th Annual Meeting of the Division of Planetary Sciences: An exhibition and educational program for schools and the general public will be held during the 30^th Annual Meeting of the Division of Planetary Sciences to be held at the Monona Terrace Convention Center from October 11-16, 1998. The exhibition will include displays from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Industries and other NASA centers on most of the current solar system missions, including the Cassini/Huygens Mission to Saturn/Titan, the Galileo Jupiter/Europa Mission, the NEAR Asteroid Mission, the Stardust Mission to a comet and more. Highlights will include live Martian images from the Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter spacecraft and replicas of the Mars Rovers. A lecture series for the general public is also planned. In addition to the one page flyer in this package, an additional mailing to teachers is planned for early September of 1998.

We hope these programs will meet the professional development needs and interests of you and your colleagues and that you will encourage your most interested students to apply for the Summer Workshop opportunity and the Suomi Scholarship Award. We strongly encourage applications from women and historical ly underrepresented minorities. Programs offered through the Office of Space Science Education are funded though the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Wisconsin Space Grant Program (NASA), the Evjue Foundation, the Eisenhower Foundation and NASA. If you have questions regarding any of these programs please do not hesitate to contact our Education and Outreach Coordinator, Rosalyn Pertzborn at (608)265-4160 or rosep@ssec.wisc.edu.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert J. Fox

Executive Director

Space Science and Engineering Center