Earth Day 2014 is today, Tuesday, April 22. When Earth Day began in 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson’s goal was to pay tribute to the environment in which we live. Since then, Earth Day has become recognized around the world as an opportunity to celebrate the environment and educate our youth about the importance of conservation and protection efforts. Educating and engaging students about the issues affecting the Earth and climate can inspire future generations to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related careers.

In keeping with the President’s goal to promote STEM education experiences, the third annual USA Science and Engineering Festival will be held later this week at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington DC from April 24 through April 27, 2014. This free public event is designed to promote STEM education and encourage the next generation of scientists and engineers. If you’re in the DC area, be sure to check out the festival website for the schedule of activities.

As a proponent of STEM education, the ARM Facility has proudly participated in these activities in the past. One goal of ARM Educational Outreach is to provide supplemental educational materials to support STEM education, with an emphasis on environmental science and climate change, for K-12 students. The Facility’s latest contributions include four new lesson plans and the recently developed ARM Cloud Memory game. We also want to remind everyone that last year’s offering, the incredibly popular Cloud Twist game, in available on our website!

For these, and other education materials, visit us on education.arm.gov.