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NASA Opportunities for Educators and Students

NASA Podcast

A podcast connecting high school and college students with learning opportunities inside America's space agency. Visit www.nasa.gov/nso for info.

Click on the brochure image to the right to view the entire PDF file...

A Guide to NASA Education Programs

Aerospace Education Services Program (AESP)...AESP is NASA's longest running K-12 educational project. AESP connects America's space agency with K-12 education throughout the United States. Penn State's Center for Science and the Schools is NASA's lead higher education partner for AESP.

AESP education specialists are experienced educators who are broadly knowledgeable about NASA's missions, programs, and educational resources. Education specialists visit schools to deliver teacher professional development and in-class programming in subjects relevant to NASA's missions. AESP is unique as a STEM education project that works "on the ground" in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

To request a school visit or other custom program by an AESP specialist from one of NASA's ten centers, complete this online form. Please note that if you are a teacher, you'll need to obtain approval from an appropriate school administrator first. If you would like to check on the status of a request or make a change in a request, please contact the Project Assistant in your region. Alternatively, you may call the Penn State Center for Science and the Schools (814-863-5237), 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Eastern and we will assist you.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)...Is a program that offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crew members of the International Space Station.

Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (EarthKAM) - Is a spectacular collection of digital images of Earth taken from the International Space Station and the shuttle. Using the World Wide Web, select middle schools request images based upon their classroom investigations. The image collection and accompanying learning guides and activities support classes in Earth science, space science, geography, social studies, mathematics, communications, and even art.

The NASA Engineering Design Challenges connect students with the challenges of NASA engineers as they design the next generation of aerospace vehicles. With simple and inexpensive materials, students engage in related design challenges in their classrooms by designing, building, and testing models that meet specified criteria.

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment - GLOBE: GLOBE is a worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment. This program is an excellent opportunity for teachers to integrate computers and the World Wide Web into classroom activities. K-12 students in the GLOBE Program make environmental measurements daily, weekly, and seasonally with the guidance of their teachers. Students send their data, via the Internet, to the GLOBE Student Data Archive.

Imagine Mars - Is a Web-based initiative that provides educators and project leaders with lesson plans, Mars facts and other resources to lead student project teams. The goal is to encourage students to explore their own community, to interact with scientists, engineers, artists, architects and community leaders, and to understand the different planetary environment on Mars.

Learning Technologies Project - LTP: NASA's Learning Technologies Project conducts and facilitates educational projects at all levels of the American educational system. The project funds activities that use the Internet and other technologies to foster reform and restructuring in math, science, computing, engineering, and technical education. The LTP Web site provides an overview of all of NASA's educational technology activities.

MATHCOUNTS: MATHCOUNTS is an annual math competition for 7th and 8th grade students which brings NASA and other organizations together to promote math education. Teams are selected in local schools and advance to regional,state, and national competitions. MATHCOUNTS is the national math coaching and competition program for 7th and 8th grade students. On their website you will find the problem of the week, problem solving, a math challenge, rules and procedures, and information for participating in the competition.

Meet NASA People - Online at NASA Quest you can meet scientists, engineers, technicians and other diverse NASA professionals. Read their biographies and join in the chats to learn more about careers at NASA.

Mission Geography is curriculum support material that links the content, skills, and perspectives of Geography for Life: National Geography Standards with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's missions and results. Mission Geography's goal is to excite and educate learners about geography, NASA's research and missions, and the world in which they live. This educational product uses existing NASA data and images to engage students in active, hands-on inquiry, modeling the scientific method and developing students' understandings of environment-society relations and Earth Science.

NASA's Classroom of the Future (COTF) - The Web site for NASA's Classroom of the Future highlights technology activities such as workshops, news and events, CD-ROMs, 21st Century Teacher Initiative, the Challenger Learning Center, and related NASA technology programs.

NASA Explorer Schools - Become a NASA Explorer School and partner with NASA to bring exciting and unique opportunities to educators, administrators, students, and families. Stipends and grants are available to participants.

NASA Quest - Invites students and teachers to communicate with NASA scientists and researchers through frequent live, interactive events that allow participants to come and go as dictated by their own individual and classroom needs. These projects are open to anyone, without cost. Supporting resources include Web-based profiles of NASA experts, lesson plans, activities, background information, and other Internet educational services.

Become a NASA Teacher-Mentor! - NASA Ames Research Center seeks motivated and creative educators of grades 3-8 to apply to become an elite member of a NASA peer-mentoring network, the Airspace Systems Education Cohort (ASEC). Educators selected for this opportunity will attend a 3-day institute at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA in August 2005. This institute will engage participants in scientific inquiry at the leading edge of education and technology and prepare the educators to share their experiences with their students and colleagues.