NOAA's new survey
vessel will directly support one of the primary goals of NOAA: to
support the safe, secure, efficient and seamless movement of goods
and people in the U.S. transportation system. This is the first
hydrographic survey vessel built for NOAA and will operate off the
East Coast of the United States discovering what lies beneath the
ocean's surface.
The ship naming
competition begins in February 2007, and it is anticipated that
the winning team will be announced in May 2007. Teachers and student
advisors are encouraged to think about how to bring this program
into the curriculum and to collect the materials needed to help
their students participate in the competition.
Students are
urged to use NOAA Web sites for their research. Information about
NOAA can be found at www.noaa.gov.
To learn more about NOAA hydrographic vessels and research, visit
www.chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov.
To learn more about NOAA's history and the history of hydrographic
surveying visit www.history.noaa.gov
and www.celebrating200years.noaa.gov.
To learn about NOAA's fleet visit www.moc.noaa.gov.
Eligibility
All students in grades 6-12 are eligible to participate in this
contest. Qualifying schools include all public and private schools
in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island
and Vermont. Schools, including home schools, must be state-recognized
and in compliance with federal and state civil rights and nondiscrimination
statutes.
Rules
1. Student teams will be comprised of 4-8 students.
Teams can be made up of students from more than one grade level.
An individual student must be on only one team.
2. Each team must produce an essay of no more than
1,000 words written by students on the team, about the proposed
name: why it is appropriate for a NOAA research vessel, how it captures
the spirit of NOAA's hydrographic research and what they have learned
about the ocean. This essay should be typed on 1-2 pages with one-inch
margins in a 12 point font. On a separate sheet, students should
include a bibliography or list of resources used to research the
proposed name.
3. Each team must have a single Team Coordinator
for guidance and assistance and this coordinator must be a member
of the school faculty. The Team Coordinator will be responsible
for overseeing the team's work and submitting the entry proposal.
A Team Coordinator may serve more than one team.
Name
Conventions
This new ship will be engaged in hydrographic surveying on the East
coast of the U.S., and the proposed name should reflect the naming
tradition of NOAA ships.
Ships can be
named for geographic land or ocean features from New England or
former decommissioned hydrographic survey vessels crewed by NOAA
personnel or predecessors. Additionally, a ship may be given a name
relating to the history of the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey,
including significant scientists and surveyors or historical figures
that were particularly influential in the 200-year history of the
U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey.
Ships cannot
be named for living people, and an individual should be deceased
for at least five years before having his or her name put forward.
A list of NOAA's current fleet can be found at www.moc.noaa.gov.
Entry
Procedures
Team Coordinators will submit the team's name and essay no later
than March 30, 2007, to the NOAA Office of Education by email to
ship.name@noaa.gov. Only
if e-mail is not available, the entry may also be submitted by fax
at (301) 713-1211. NOAA will acknowledge receipt of each entry packet
by e-mail or telephone to the coordinator.
Each
Team's Entry Packet will consist of:
1. A cover page listing in this order
