More than 250 Chicago-area students, grades kindergarten through 12, will participate in an interactive Space Day program from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. May 2 at DePaul University, in the Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Room 120.

The science fair at DePaul marks a national celebration of Space Day and will feature 100 student science projects on display. Students will have the opportunity to judge their peers’ science projects and interact with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists, astronauts and engineers from around the country via the Internet.

A webcast from Washington, D.C., will allow science fair participants to witness the deliver of a congratulatory card containing the signatures of 1,500 students to former astronaut and Ohio Sen. John Glenn. Chicago students constructed and signed the card to acknowledge Glenn’s career contribution to space exploration. The webcast, in which Glenn is expected to thank students for the message, will take place at 11 a.m. CDT.

Additional Space Day activities for students include participation in a “Signatures in Space” and “Send Your Name to Mars” programs; learning to navigate NASA Web sites; and online science games, puzzles and educational activities.

Space Day at DePaul is sponsored by the university’s NASA Space Science Center for Education and Public Outreach, Project Discover.com and the NASA/Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) Solar System Ambassador program.

For more information about Space Day, please contact Karen Cullen, NASA Space Science Center at DePaul, 773-325-4516 or kcullen@depaul.edu; or Julie Corbett-Steineke, JPL Solar System Ambassador Program, Julie_Skyeyes@msn.com.