# Mars Society Education
> Education outreach website for The Mars Society, targeting K-12 teachers, students, and educators.

## About
The Mars Society Education program, led by Director of Education Nicole Willett, brings Mars science and engineering into K-12 classrooms worldwide through standards-aligned curriculum, an annual engineering design competition, and curated educational resources.

## Pages
- /: Home — competition hero, book feature, quick links, video shorts
- /about-mars/: Learn about Mars — geology, atmosphere, water, life, and settlement
- /curriculum/: K-12 Mars curriculum aligned to NGSS standards (K-6, middle school, high school)
- /competition/: 5th Annual Mission to Mars Engineering Design Competition 2026
- /competition/register/: Competition registration ($99, ages 13-19)
- /blog/: Education blog — articles about Mars science and exploration
- /resources/: Curated educational resources — reading, videos, tools, organizations
- /contact/: Contact the education team
- /ask-a-martian/: Ask a Martian — submit Mars science questions to our experts

## Competition
5th Annual Mission to Mars Engineering Design Competition 2026
- Dates: June 8 – July 10, 2026 (5 weeks, Mon–Fri)
- Eligibility: Students aged 13–19, worldwide
- Registration: $99 (scholarships available)
- Challenge: Design an 18-month Mars surface mission (30 metric ton limit, 8m max habitat diameter)
- Deliverables: 25-page design report + 3 presentation/defense rounds
- Contact: Nicole Willett, education@marssociety.org

## Curriculum
K-12 Mars curriculum developed by Nicole Willett, covering:
- Elementary (K-6): Grade-specific Mars science lessons
- Middle School (7-8): Mars geology, atmosphere, and exploration
- High School (9-12): Engineering design, STEM integration, lab activities

## Book
"Students to Mars: High School Innovation in Human Mars Mission Design" — published by The Mars Society, showcasing winning designs from previous competition years.

## Contact
- Email: education@marssociety.org
- Director of Education: Nicole Willett
- Organization: The Mars Society (https://www.marssociety.org)