Category — Get Involved

You must RSVP to Gail Williams (gail.s.williams@nasa.gov) by Oct 1 to attend!

The Mission to Launch Forum is a replication of a series of “simulated” meetings by a variety of teams who are all dedicated to launching a shuttle for NASA. Before the simulation, and at various points throughout the day, you will receive tools and guidelines for planning, facilitating, and reviewing powerful meetings. The simulation reflects several of the key lessons learned from the Columbia Shuttle accident.

The Achievement Counts Program is a chance to be a positive influence in the life of a Maryland student! The program is sponsored by the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education. Check out their website for more information.

Come to the next IT Matters session by Emma Antunes on Wednesday September 24 from 10 to noon in location to see the exciting new web site for Goddard employees.  Ms. Antunes has been collaborating with the Public Affairs Office and Code 100 to develop this vibrant new site thatwill give updates about the goings-on at NASA and GSFC, serve as a collaboration tool where employees can exchange ideas, and help get their work and missions successfully accomplished.

Don’t forget about this!  Email Gerry (Gerard.J.Daelemans@nasa.gov) if you’re planning to come to give him an idea of how many to expect!

Doug Fisher, President of Mission Control Productivity, will be at GSFC on Sept 25th, 10 to 11:30 am, in location to provide a 90 minute introduction to the Mission Control Workshop.  Below is an overview of what you can expect from the introduction.

The traditional model for dealing with time, scheduling and today’s overwhelming workload is bankrupt. During this introduction session you will learn about the 21st century model for productive working and, for that matter, living. Studies over the last ten years have shown that making a to-do list and assigning an A, B or C priority may not help you in a world where your time is under assault.

The Mission Control Workshop introduction on Sept 25th will provide an overview of the new 21st Century Model, new practices and most importantly work-habits that allow you to maintain focus on those items which are of greatest importance to you and your organization. You will get an introduction to new specific tools to reduce interruptions and distractions, resulting in you finding yourself naturally working on those issues that provide a sense of achievement and accomplishment.

Please come to this introduction and see how to operate at work with power, freedom, and peace of mind!

7/22 Noon: OpenGoddard Rountable
7/22 COB: Deadline for Goddard Ambassadors applications
7/24 5.30p: Happy Hour at Ruby Tuesday’s across the street from the main gate

See below for details…

OpenGoddard ROUNDTABLE
Every Tuesday at Noon (email rivers.lamb@nasa.gov for location)

Inspired by the famous Algonquin Roundtable of the 1920s, the OpenGoddard Roundtable is a place where you can indulge in the luxury of participating in enlightened conversation about Goddard and other space related topics. Over lunch, we’ll discuss news, developments, and ideas within the realm of space exploration! Bring a topic or just come to participate in an intellectually stimulating conversation!

GODDARD AMBASSADORS
There’s still time to apply for the Goddard Ambassador Program.

Over the next year, Goddard will either lead or play a major role in the launch of nearly a dozen incredible science missions, an unprecedented period in the Center’s history. With these missions, Goddard’s Launchfest 2008, and with the NASA and Goddard 50th anniversaries upon us, we expect huge numbers of visitors. The Goddard Ambassadors Program is a newly formed program designed to provide us with a trained cadre of experts who will engage with the public in new ways.

To meet Goddard’s strategic goal to inspire, engage and educate people everywhere, this new program is designed to utilize members of Goddard’s workforce to serve as official ambassadors for the Center. Ambassadors will speak to students and interns, give Center tours, be on television, have their profile on the Center’s home page, in the Goddard View newsletter, or even on vodcasts and podcasts around the world. These activities could range from a lunchtime chat with 20 Goddard employees, to a community event with 50,000 visitors, to a TV interview that reaches millions. We are looking for employees from all walks of life on Center to participate in this exciting program.

Apply via the GOBBS website: http://diversity.gsfc.nasa.gov/programs_GOBBS.cfm

Candidates should respond to this advertisement with a written statement of objectives, statement of qualifications and Center employment background. Please also include what unique experiences and talents you as an individual Goddard Ambassador might bring to the community.

Applications will be accepted through Tuesday, July 22nd.

Goddard Ambassadors will be provided with knowledge about our programs and people, allowing them to be the experts in their own field while also having a broad knowledge of Goddard. The program will also provide participants the tools they need to give presentations, interviews, tours and more. The program will offer participants a half-day orientation, after which participants will spend between 4 and 12 hours per month, on average, participating in ambassador activities. This program will be a complement to the Toastmasters Club, which boosts public speaking skills, and the Speakers’ Bureau, which responds to official requests for NASA speakers at public events.

HAPPY HOUR
Thursday, July 24th at 5:30 at Ruby Tuesday (across the street from the main gate!)

Come out and mingle with fellow Goddard folks after work! Connect with new people from across Center or just catch up with familiar faces in a casual environment! Now happening every other week!

The current list of future events is posted below. We’re really interested in hearing what types of events you’re interested in having, so please use the comments link below, and tell us what you’d like to do!

In addition, we now also have a Facebook page! Look for the OpenGoddard group on Facebook!

WORKSHOP ON TRANSFORMING COMMUNICATION
Friday, June 6th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Would you like to transform the way you communicate with the folks in your life? What if you knew exactly how to get people to hear your message or how to hear what the people around you say? Lois Yoon of Vanto Group, Inc will be at GSFC to present a ‘mini’ 2 hour introduction/workshop on the “power of communications to increase performance and create breakthrough results”. The workshop is Q&A based and designed to support the participant in ‘seeing’ something about their own communications that is presently ‘invisible’ , and provide a path forward in resolving a particular issue or ‘stop’ in communication. So please bring with you a communication ‘issue’ you have been struggling with, or seek to improve upon. The ‘technology’ of communication she will introduce will be a tremendous help in creating innovation, collaboration, and inspiration at Goddard. This event is a ‘toe in the water’ of what is possible in expanding our understanding of how communication shapes the world we live in, and what is possible for us in that world. If interested, contact Rivers Lamb (Rivers.Lamb@nasa.gov) - there may still be space left!

AWESOME OUTDOOR GAMES with REFRESHMENTS
Tuesday, June 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Long before the digital social blur of Facebook and Friendster et al (2003), people spent enchanted outdoor afternoons focusing their collective attention on brightly colored balls, rings, and shoes. These people were playing Lawn Games, an ancient form of social networking technology.

Now. Someone who plays a Lawn Game ‘to win’ has yet to uncover the Finer Purpose of Lawn Games, namely:
* To stand in a sunny field (or sit nearby)
* To be distracted from social anxiety by arcane rules, inane goals, and oddly-shaped moving objects
* To effortlessly and almost accidentally enhance the density and richness of connections to people and place.

The Lawn Game is thus a means; enriched sense of belonging and camaraderie is an inevitable outcome. Come participate in the ancient wisdom on Tuesday, June 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 at the Pavilion near Building 19. There will be Croquet, Bocce, Badminton, Ring Toss, Frisbee, Hacky-sack — and someone promised to bring a Boomerang! Please bring yourself and your favorite Frisbee or football or kite and spend some time outside the cubicle. Light refreshments will be provided.

This Event is Subject to the Discretion of the Weather. Event hosted by Thomas Clay Templeton (X61082) and OpenGoddard. Thanks to our Sponsors: GSFC Flight Projects Directorate, GSFC Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, GSFC Management Operations Directorate, and GSFC Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate. Management n.b.: Lawn Games can be played in a suit.

HAPPY HOUR
June 26th @ 5:00 pm at Pitchers at the Greenbelt Marriott
Come out and mingle with fellow Goddard folks after work! Connect with new people from across Center or just catch up with familiar faces in a casual environment!

OpenGoddard Kickoff Tuesday, May 20, 12 - 1 pm
Shape Goddard’s future and connect with other innovators at the OpenGoddard kickoff. Inspired by last month’s Yuri’s Night, OpenGoddard is an energized group of civil servants and contractors dedicated to creating the future of Goddard by enabling innovation, collaboration, and inspiration. Enjoy FREE pizza and ice cream (while supplies last) at OpenGoddard’s kickoff on Tuesday, May 20 from 12 pm – 1 pm. Come and meet some new folks and learn who they are and what they are up to at Goddard. Space Generation Advisory Council will sponsor the event.

Collaboration Discussion with Ames Research Center
May 20th at 1:30 pm; hosted by Rivers Lamb
Representatives from the Ames Strategic Leadership Bootcamp Team are in town to investigate strategies to infuse innovation and collaboration into NASA. This discussion is a chance to share our ideas on how we can be innovative and collaborative at Goddard!