CLEVELAND - NASA's Glenn Research Center is partnering with the Cleveland Public Library to support the Library's 2012 Summer Reading Club, "Feed Your Mind, Read!" The reading program will be held from June 11 through Aug. 4 and is designed to keep children's minds active over the summer break. Glenn is supporting the Library's efforts by providing outreach and engagement events focused around science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.

Events at two Library branches will kick off the 2012 campaign: the Rockport Branch will host an event Saturday, June 2, 6-8 p.m., and the Woodland Branch celebration will be on Friday, June 8, also 6-8 p.m. Families attending the event will be able to participate in hands-on educational activities and demonstrations and talk with Glenn employees about NASA's missions and educational opportunities.

Activities include demonstrations about comets and deep-space communications, outdoor physical challenges, online games and building your own Hubble telescope, foam rocket and edible Mars Curiosity Rover. Also available will be the popular "Picture Yourself in Space" photo booth, where children and adults can receive a free souvenir photo taken as an astronaut.

NASA subject matter experts and members of Glenn's Speakers Bureau are also getting in on the adventure and will share information about NASA during visits to local library branches from 1 to 2 p.m., on Wednesdays from June 13 until Aug. 1.

NASA topics and speakers include:

June 13 - Langston Hughes Branch Extreme Green: Growing Biofuels - Dr. Bilal Bomani, Biomedical Researcher Find out how NASA scientists are turning a common wild plant into a clean and renewable food and energy source.

June 20 - Fulton Branch Career Development: Careers at NASA - Danny Rodriguez, Contract Specialist Learn how diversity plays a key role in enhancing the NASA workforce and how you may have "the right stuff" to work at NASA.

June 27 - Eastman Branch NASA Sustainability: Sustainability and Recycling - Michelle Kenzig, Environmental Protection Specialist Discover ways Glenn reduces and eliminates impacts on the environment and what you can do to help.

July 11 - Fleet Branch Food Technology: Eating in Space, Astronaut Greg H. Johnson Learn what it takes to feed astronauts, and see samples of authentic NASA foods that are packaged and ready for space travel.

July 18 - Rice Branch Gardening in Space: Christopher Hartenstine, Informal Education Project Coordinator Explore the challenges that come with food planning on long-term space exploration missions. Create a solution for solving those challenges and do some "space gardening" of your own.

Originally posted here:

NASA Glenn Partners with Cleveland Public Library to Inspire the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers