BELLINGHAM, Wash., Oct. 3 -- The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) and the Optical Society of America (OSA), along with Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), have been awarded a $1.7 million grant from the National Science Foundation to implement a national middle-school science education program, Hands-On Optics: Making an Impact with Light (HOO). 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