Using science fiction to promote science learning

[Nick Arnett]

>From my friend David Brin, the science fiction author (who welcomes copying of
this information to other relevant lists and such):

A session will be held at LOSCON, at the Burbank Airport Hilton, on 
Saturday November 28th (Thanksgiving weekend). There will be general 
discussions of ways to connect science fiction to the needs of teachers, 
students, and academics.
We will also launch a program in the Los Angeles area to hold 
reading/writing/art contests for kids, leading to prizes that will be 
awarded at NASFIC next August. This follows the example that was set last 
year in Baltimore. Volunteers are desperately needed. We especially need 
the names of school teachers and librarians in the LA and Orange County 
areas who are friendly to science fiction and might want to get involved. 
Please attend the meeting if you possibly can, and recruit or drag along 
some teachers and librarians for this valuable effort.
For further information about LOSCON and NASFIC please see the following 
websites.
www.99.nasfic.org 
www.lasfs.org/loscon25
If you are member of a fan organization and it doesn't have an 
outreach/literacy/schools/recruitment-oriented program... why the hell 
not????
=============
(2) I am contemplating the idea of establishing an annual cash prize for 
the best web-based site aimed at connecting science fiction literature to 
the needs of a school curriculum. For an example of how this has been done 
in the past, with great effectiveness, see the following site based on The 
Postman:
http://postman.cosmic.org
The same author (himself a High School teacher) created another site 
centered on The Martian Chronicles.
It may be late to announce this contest/prize in time for people to 
complete their sites by NASFIC however I hope to be able to award something 
at that convention and follow it up in subsequent years. The cash amount 
is yet to be determined but it should be a nice little sum to encourage a 
vigorous contest. Discussion of the details will take place at LOSCON. 
Your ideas are welcome.