MEDIA ADVISORY
April 21, 2008
CONTACT:
Jaime Napoli or
Deanna Wilke
Griffin Integrated Marketing
(281) 335-0200
jaime@griffinmktg.com
deanna@griffinmktg.com
WHAT:
The NASA Means Business Student Competition challenges college students to tell NASA’s story to the public through a communications plan that will inform, educate and inspire Americans to understand and support the nation’s space program. Members of the finalist teams receive a trip to Johnson Space Center in February and a trip for two to Kennedy Space Center in May. The winning team also receives a $10,000 cash prize and a trip to NASA headquarters in Washington D.C. to present its work.
Each year’s competition centers on a different theme. The theme for the 2008-2009 competition will be announced in the fall.
WHO:
Graduate or undergraduate students studying business, science, engineering, advertising, marketing, Internet solution design, public relations, graphic arts and animation or similar disciplines are encouraged to participate.
HOW:
Students form teams to design and prepare a NASA Spaceflight Promotion Plan - a strategy, and accompanying Internet-centered implementation tools - to help effectively increase the number of people who recognize the nation’s investment in spaceflight as a valuable source of research and commercial opportunity.
WHEN:
NMB milestones coincide with the academic calendar, with two rounds - one in the Fall 2008 semester and the second in the Spring 2009 semester:
Round 1: Fall Semester
Step 1 - Submit Letter of Intent to Propose (early November)
Step 2 - Submit Proposal (late November)
Step 3 - Selection and Announcement of Finalist Teams (December)
Round 2: Spring Semester
Step 4 - Finalist Teams’ Competition (January-April)
NASA Orientation Seminar at Johnson Space Center (February)
Midpoint Videoconferences (March)
Step 5 - 11th Annual NASA Customer Engagement Conference at Kennedy Space Center (May)
Step 6 - NMB Wrap Up (June)
WHERE:
At a college campus near you. Finalist teams for 2008 were from Bentley College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide, Miami International University of Art and Design and the University of Wisconsin.
MORE INFO:
To learn more about NMB, visit the official Web site (http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/nmb/), YouTube (http://youtube.com/user/NASAMeansBusiness) or join our Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12520856125).
For questions, contact Burke Fort, program director, at fort@csr.utexas.edu or (512) 471-7225.
NASA Means Business is sponsored by the Coalition for Space Exploration (http://www.spacecoalition.com/) and NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/) and is directed by the Texas Space Grant Consortium (http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/index.html).
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