Video Gallery
Space Academy: Mission Moon – May 3, 2013
More than 100 Maryland middle school students got an inside look at lunar exploration when they visited APL for "Space Academy: Mission Moon" on May 3, 2013.
The event focused on NASA's recent robotic missions to the moon, including the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and its Mini-RF radar, which has detected signs of water ice on the lunar surface.
The day included a student press conference with Mini-RF scientists and engineers, as well as hands-on demonstrations of how APL tests instruments and materials for the harsh environment of outer space.
Girl Power 2013 at APL
APL hosted the sixth annual "Girl Power" event on March 17, 2013, and attracted more than 1,100 middle and high school girls and their family members to the Kossiakoff Center for a free introduction to STEM careers. APL staff and other community volunteers in STEM-related fields led the girls through hands-on activities and talked with them about their careers in aerospace, computer science, electrical engineering, information technology, mechanical engineering, space science, and more.
2012 Maryland Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) Day Competition
The 2012 Statewide Maryland MESA Day Competition was held at APL on May 7, 2012. Murray Hill Middle School and Atholton High School in Howard County were overall winners, along with Mount Harmony Elementary School in Calvert County. Atholton also won the Wind Energy Challenge, along with Lake Elkhorn Middle School in Howard County. The two schools advanced to the national competition in Seattle, held June 21–24, where Lake Elkhorn placed second overall in the MESA USA National Wind Energy Engineering Design Challenge.
2012 Space Academy: Mysteries of the Unknown Moon
More than 100 Maryland middle school students got an inside look at lunar exploration when they visited APL on Friday, April 27, 2012, for "Space Academy: Mysteries of the Unknown Moon."
STEM Outreach and APL
Sparking students' interests in STEM at an early age has been a part of APL's mission for decades. At APL, staff members on their own time teach, mentor, judge science fairs, and serve as role models for students who want careers in science and technology. The first speaker is APL Director Ralph Semmel.
Girl Power 2012 at APL
On Sunday, March 11, 2012, APL hosted a free introduction to STEM careers for middle and high school girls. "Girl Power: Reach for the Sky" is a partnership between APL, the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, and the Maryland Space Business Roundtable. This was the fourth annual Girl Power event, and nearly 1,000 participants attended.
2012 FIRST LEGO League Qualifier
On January 7, 2012, APL hosted a Maryland FIRST LEGO League Qualifier event for middle school students. The winners of that event will head to regional competitions held in March. FIRST LEGO League provides students ages 9–14 with a hands-on, interactive robotics program in a sports-like atmosphere. Teams of up to 10 players focus on team building, problem solving, creativity, and analytical thinking to develop solutions to a problem.
2011 Space Academy: RBSP Mission and the Extremes of Space Weather
How's the weather in space? On Friday, April 16, 2011, students from three Maryland middle schools found out when they attend "Space Academy" at APL. The Space Academy series, sponsored by APL and Discovery Education, takes students behind the scenes of space missions and introduces them to the people who conduct some of NASA's most exciting projects. This Space Academy focused on the Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission, which in 2012 will launch two identical spacecraft into Earth's radiation belts to uncover the mysteries of space weather.
2011 CyberWatch Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC)
The CyberWatch Mid-Atlantic Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC), held March 10-12, 2011, at APL, pitted eight Blue Teams of students from regional colleges and universities against a Red Team of "hackers" trying to disrupt their defense of smart grids, the new digital electrical infrastructure networks that many states are now adopting. The event, hosted by APL and run by CyberWatch—an Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Center funded by the National Science Foundation—is designed to give students the chance to apply classroom theory and skills to real cyber attacks, led by professional penetration testers.
2010 FIRST LEGO League Competition at APL
APL, the Baltimore Chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) jointly sponsored a qualifying robotics competition for 9-14 year olds on January 9, 2010. The competition, known as FIRST LEGO League, gave teams LEGO Mindstorm robotics kits and asked them to design, build, and program robots; apply real-world math and science concepts; research challenges facing today's scientists; learn critical thinking, team-building, and presentation skills; and participate in tournaments and celebrations.