FACT 1: Our nation’s economic future is increasingly threatened by so few American students choosing careers in science or technology.
FACT 2: As educators, we must WORK TOGETHER to reverse this by getting our students EXCITED ABOUT SCIENCE and science education!
FACT 3: San Diego’s 50 top scientists, the NIFTY FIFTY, have volunteered to personally visit ONE school each next spring with an exciting science presentation guaranteed to stimulate your students as part of the new San Diego Science Festival. These 50 come from all areas and include famous cancer researchers, astrophysicists, oceanographers, seismic engineers, bio-medical researchers, vulcanologists, bioengineers, nanotechnologists, aeronautical engineers, and molecular biologists.
FACT 4: With so many middle & high schools in SD and so few NIFTY FIFTY members, the sooner your campus makes its reservation . . . the better your chance of being included.
WHAT TO DO NEXT! If you want a NIFTY FIFTY scientist to visit with your students and get them really excited about science, schedule NOW. We understand it is early to project an exact date so we ask you only to identify a specific week during March, 2009 for your school’s NIFTY FIFTY scientist visit.
Applications will be accepted Tuesday, July 29th thru September 15th . For more information, pleaes visit http://www.sdsciencefestival.com/htmls/2009festival/nifty.htm, the new San Diego Science Festival Web site, where you will find a complete listing and photos of the NIFTY FIFTY and can make tentative choices concerning desirable individuals and topics. (Click on each photo for a biography.)
SELECTION CRITERIA: Schools will be selected based on the following criteria
- Applications submitted before September 15th
- School’s plan for student selection, including projected # of students and teachers who will be involved
- Plan to prepare students for visit & welcome your scientist
CONDITIONS: Due to the limited number of possible visits, we need to ensure each is as productive as possible for the students, teachers, and Nifty Fifty scientist. The following conditions must be met by each participating school:
- One science teacher to be designated as the point-of-contact to coordinate with the San Diego Science Festival team;
- The site principal will be present to greet and introduce the scientist;
- At least 100 interested students will participate;
- The school will design a plan concerning how to best prepare students for their scientist visitor (by October 15, 2008);
- The school will identify a final visit date and time (by October 15, 2008).
