NASA STEM Engagement

Make a STEM Connection: Black Hole Friday

Instead of hunting for shopping deals, put a STEM twist on the day after Thanksgiving by celebrating Black Hole Friday. Join the fun by learning about these mysterious objects, exploring extraordinary facts, checking out cool images and videos, reading about the latest black hole discoveries, and more! 

What Is a Black Hole? Student Article for Grades K-4

What Is a Black Hole? Student Article for Grades 5-8

NASA's Guide to Black Hole Safety

Have you ever thought about visiting a black hole? Before you blast off, learn more about them and how to stay safe.

Black Hole Basics

Black holes are among the most mysterious cosmic objects, much studied but not fully understood. Get the basics.

NASA Roman Space Observer Game

Go on an 8-bit adventure with NASA’s Roman Space Telescope to hunt for black holes, galaxies, and more.

For even more, dive into black hole resources in the NASA STEM Search.

Virtual Learning Opportunities

Surprisingly STEM Career Exploration: Memory Metal Engineer

Audience: Educators of grades 6-12

Registration Deadline: Thursday, Dec. 5

Webinar Date:

Thursday, Dec. 12, at 4 p.m. EST

Contact: hq-virtual-engagements@mail.nasa.gov

Surprisingly STEM is a video series that highlights exciting and unexpected careers at NASA. Join us for a monthly live session with Q&A focused on a specific episode and related activity.

This month, bring your STEM questions for Dr. Othmane Benafan, a shape memory metal engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center. Learn about Dr. Benafan’s journey from a coastal city in Morocco to an engineering job at NASA, how he creates alloys that can change shape when heat is applied, and how this technology is used on NASA missions.

Take a Virtual Journey With NASA STEM Kids: Artemis Missions to the Moon

Audience: Parents and caregivers of students in grades K-4

Registration Deadline: Monday, Dec. 9

Event Date: Saturday, Dec. 14, from

10-11:30 a.m. EST

Contact: GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov

Join the Office of STEM Engagement at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio for a virtual journey to the Moon. Young explorers will learn about NASA’s Artemis missions, engage in conversations with NASA experts, take a virtual tour of the Simulated Lunar Operations Laboratory, and design and test their own crew modules.

Visit the site for registration guidelines and additional information.

LunaSustain Online Experience

Audience: Middle school students

Contact: Lunasustain@nianet.org

Take students on an interactive online journey from Earth to the Moon and beyond to learn about sustainability. LunaSustain encourages students to become “solutionaries” by using critical and creative thinking skills to look at sustainability in new ways.

LunaSustain activities include calculating your carbon footprint and making a reusable t-shirt bag, learning about plastic pollution and limiting waste, making air breathable on the International Space Station, and conserving energy to live and work on the Moon. Through other destinations, students learn about water conservation and design a device to reduce their water usage. They also learn about the use of renewable energy and energy storage on Gateway, NASA’s lunar-orbiting station, and create a homemade battery from coins.

Students who complete LunaSustain can sign their own “My Sustainability Pledge.”

Higher Education Opportunities

NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program

Audience: Full-time faculty at U.S. accredited academic institutions

Application Deadline: Jan. 12, 2025

Contact: GRC-NGFFP@mail.nasa.gov

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio is seeking applicants for a 10-week summer faculty fellowship opportunity. This program aims to enhance faculty professional knowledge and enrich the research and teaching at U.S. academic institutions by infusing NASA mission-related research and technology content into classroom instruction. Participants help to advance NASA’s mission by contributing to research, technology, and engineering work.

Visit the site for application guidelines and additional information.

2025 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC)

Audience: Undergraduate and graduate students attending accredited U.S.-based community colleges, colleges, and universities

Entry Proposal and Video Submission Deadline: March 3, 2025

Contact: hulc@nianet.org

In-space propulsion systems utilizing cryogenic liquids as propellants are necessary to achieve NASA’s exploration missions to the Moon and Mars. In today's human scale, in-space propulsion vehicles, cryogenic liquids can be stored for several hours. For the planned Human Landing System mission architecture, cryogenic liquids must be stored on-orbit for several months.

NASA’s 2025 HuLC Competition asks student teams to develop innovative, systems-level solutions to potential problems, and mature advanced cryogenic fluid technologies that can be implemented within three to five years. Based on a review of proposal package submissions, up to 12 teams will be selected to receive a monetary award to further develop their concept and facilitate full participation in the HuLC Forum, held in Huntsville, Alabama, in June 2025.

Opportunities With Our Partners

Call for Feedback: White House Office of Management and Budget 

Deadline: Friday, Nov. 29

NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest

Entry Deadline:

Friday, Dec. 13

ViewSpace: Explore the Universe With Interactives and Videos

Available Now

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Are you looking for NASA STEM materials to support your curriculum? Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/search.

Check out the ‘Science for Everyone’ website! Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Visit https://science.nasa.gov/for-everyone. To view the site in Spanish, visit https://ciencia.nasa.gov.

NASA Office of STEM Engagement

We’re launching STEM Engagement to new heights with learning resources that connect teachers, students, parents and caregivers to the inspiring work at NASA.

Visit stem.nasa.gov



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As explorers, pioneers, and innovators, we boldly expand frontiers in air and space to inspire and serve America and to benefit the quality of life on Earth.

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