2012 Thacher Environmental Research Contest - Institute For Global ...

2012 Thacher Environmental Research Contest
Entries Must Be Received by April 16, 2012
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The above five images are
frames taken from a data
visualization that shows
global temperature differences
from 1880 to 2007.
Dark red shows the greatest
warming and dark blue
the greatest cooling.
NASA Goddard Institute for
Space Studies, Scientific
Visualization Studio
The Institute for Global Environmental
Strategies (IGES) announces the 2012
Thacher Environmental Research
Contest. This national competition
for high school students was founded
in honor of IGES board member
Peter Thacher, who died in 1999.
Peter Thacher was former deputy
executive director of the United
Nations Environment Program, an
advisor to NASA, and, at the time of
his death, president of the Earth
Council Foundation/U.S. He was a
leader in promoting the use of
satellite remote sensing.
The 2012 Thacher awards will be
given to secondary school students
(grades 9–12) demonstrating
the best use of satellites and other
geospatial technologies or data to
study Earth. Eligible tools and data
include satellite remote sensing, aerial
photography, geographic information
systems (GIS), and Global Positioning
System (GPS). The main focus of the
project must be on the application
of the geospatial tool(s) or data to
study a problem related to Earth’s
environment.
Geospatial technologies and
data have numerous uses in
science research, ranging
from climate prediction to archaeology.
They can be used to improve our
understanding of the Earth system,
including interactions among the
atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere
and hydrosphere. They can also be
used to improve the quality of our lives
by supporting weather prediction, natural
hazards monitoring, agriculture,
land-use planning, coastal management,
transportation, public health,
and emergency response.
AWARDS
Teacher Recognition
In addition to prizes for the winning
students, the teachers of the 1st-, 2ndand
3rd-place students/teams will receive
a $200 Amazon.com gift card. If the
student’s participation is part of an afterschool
club or other activity independent of
school, the student can identify on his or
her entry form an adult “coach” who would
be eligible for this award (e.g., a parent,
club leader, etc.). Only one teacher or coach
recognition award will be provided for each
winning entry.
ELIGIBILITY
1Any student who is enrolled in and
attending high school (grades 9–12:
public, private, parochial, Native American
reservation, or home school) in the
United States or U.S. territories; or—
2Any student who is a United States
citizen and enrolled in a high school
(grades 9–12) attending a:
•Department of Defense Dependents’
Overseas School or an accredited
overseas American or International
School; or
•Foreign school as an exchange
student; or
•Foreign school because his/her
parent(s) are temporarily working and
living abroad.
3Entries can be submitted by individuals
or teams. In the case of team entries,
the cash award will be split equally
among the winning team members.
All team members must meet eligibility
requirements.
www.strategies.org/ThacherContest
DEADLINE Entries must be received by April 16, 2012.
IGES will announce the winning entries around May 23, 2012.
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