This poster was presented at the 2014 AISL PI Meeting in Washington, DC. STAR Library Education Network (STAR_Net) is a national program led by the Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL). STAR stands for Science-Technology Activities and Resources (www.starnetlibraries.org). Core partners include the American Library Association, Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the National Girls Collaborative Project. Other partners include the National Academy of Engineering, Engineers Without Borders-USA, IEEE-USA, the National Renewable Energy Lab, American Geophysical
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TEAM MEMBERS:
SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE/National Center for Interactive LearningPaul Dusenbery
Stennis Space Center (SSC) Office of Education and Visitors Center provided relevant education activities and experiences for teachers, students, and the general public. Activities included partnerships with INFINITY Science Center, 4-H of Mississippi, the Boys & Girls Club of America, development and delivery of educator professional development workshops that meet national curriculum standards; inquiry-based activities that emphasized the International Space Station, robotics, aeronautics, and propulsion testing; and development and installation of an interactive exhibit at the Infinity Science Center. The opening of the Infinity Science Center at Stennis Space Center in April 2012 allowed a new opportunity for SSC to partner and expand NASA’s outreach. A commercial-grade playground was professionally installed at the Infinity Science Center, along with OSHA-approved safety matting. The goal of the project was to utilize a commercially available playground and add graphics and quiz-based activities modifications enabling young visitors to INFINITY at NASA Stennis Space Center, the official visitor center for Stennis Space Center, to have an interactive, yet educational, experience.
STEMtastic: NASA in Our Community is a two-year project designed to educate and inspire teachers, students and life-long learners to embrace NASA STEM content. The project will increase awareness of NASA activities, while educating and inspiring students to train for careers that are critical to future economic growth of the country in general, and NASA’s future missions in particular. The Virginia Air & Space Center (VASC) will partner with the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. to accomplish this project. VASC will deliver NASA STEM content through (1) STEMtastic Teacher Institutes and Education Modules: (a) a series of two five-day professional development institutes for educators which will result in the (b) development and dissemination of new education modules for grades 4-9; and (2) STEMtastic Exhibits and Demonstrations: new interactive exhibits to used for live demonstrations at VASC; those demonstrations will also be delivered to traditionally underserved schools in the region. All classroom and teaching materials—educator institutes, education modules, exhibit software and demonstration modules—will be developed using NASA content and shared with other institutions to promote the expansion of knowledge about best practices in providing STEM education in both formal and informal education settings. STEMevals, a robust evaluation plan, will be implemented to assess success in each project area. Adjustments will be made along the pipeline to increase effectiveness in reaching the target audience. The project has the potential to reach countless educators, students and museum visitors throughout the U.S."
Pipeline for Remote Sensing Education and Application (PRSEA), will increase awareness, knowledge and understanding of remote sensing technologies and associated disciplines, and their relevance to NASA, through a combination of activities that build a “pipeline” to STEM and remote sensing careers, for a continuum of audiences from third grade through adulthood. This program will be led by Pacific Science Center. The first objective is to engage 50 teens from groups underrepresented in STEM fields in a four-year career ladder program; participants will increase knowledge and understanding of remote sensing as well as educational pathways that lead to careers in remote sensing fields at NASA and other relevant organizations. The second objective is to serve 2,000 children in grades 3-5, in a remote sensing-based out-of school time outreach program that will increase the participant’s content knowledge of remote sensing concepts and applications and awareness and interest in remote sensing disciplines. PRSEA’s third objective is to engage 180 youth, grades 6-8, in remote sensing-themed summer intensive programs through which youth will increase knowledge of remote sensing concepts and applications and increase awareness and interest in educational and career pathways associated with remote sensing and NASA’s role in this field. The final objective is to engage 10,000 visitors of all ages with a remote sensing-themed Discovery Cart on Pacific Science Center’s exhibit floor. By engaging in cart activities, we anticipate visitors will increase their level of awareness and interest in the topic of remote sensing and NASA’s role in contributing to this field.
The NASA Science Research Mentoring Program (NASA SRMP) is an established mentoring program that presents the wonders of space exploration and planetary sciences to underserved high school students from New York City through cutting-edge, research-based courses and authentic research opportunities, using the rich resources of the American Museum of Natural History. NASA SRMP consists of a year of Earth and Planetary Science (EPS) and Astrophysics electives offered through the Museum’s After School Program, year-long mentorship placements with Museum research scientists, and summer programming through our education partners at City College of New York and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The primary goals of the project are: 1) to motivate and prepare high school students, especially those underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, to pursue STEM careers related to EPS and astrophysics; 2) to develop a model and strategies that can enrich the informal education field; and 3) to engage research scientists in education and outreach programs. The program features five in-depth elective courses, offered twice per year (for a total of 250 student slots per year). Students pursue these preparatory courses during the 10th or 11th grade, and a select number of those who successfully complete three of the courses are chosen the next year to conduct research with a Museum scientist. In addition to providing courses and mentoring placements, the program has produced curricula for the elective courses, an interactive student and instructor website for each course, and teacher and mentor training outlines.
The NASA Saturday in the Pee Dee, an underserved region of South Carolina, is a three year project led by ScienceSouth, partnering with The Dooley Planetarium at Francis Marion University, to deliver hands on programming, astronomical viewing sessions, and planetarium programs to increase public awareness of NASA and its on-going missions, and to generate an interest in the areas of STEM education and the pursuit of careers in these fields. The audience is the residents in a ten-county region of South Carolina known as the Pee Dee, with Florence, South Carolina as the economic hub of the region. The Pee Dee has a very high percentage of minority residents, people living at or below the poverty level, and poor performance on standardized test especially in the STEM related topics. There will be a total of ten hands-on programs directly related to on-going NASA missions, including astrobiology, near earth objects, robotics, rocketry, geocaching, deep space, weather systems on Earth, the sun and distant stars, telescopes, and planetary objects. These programs will be held at the ScienceSouth Pavilion or Dooley Planetarium. The programs will be complemented initially with eight observation sessions the first year, with the number expanding in the following years to include more rural areas in the Pee Dee. The Florence County Library system and Florence School District One have agreed to assist in increasing public awareness of programs and provide additional resources for further information about related topics.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Stephen WelchJeannette MyersNathan FlowersAnthony Martinez
Beginning in 2010, Thanksgiving Point Institute leveraged its one-of-a-kind assets to deliver NASA and space-related programming. Informally referred to as NASA BLAST (Bringing Light and Space Together), the program included three exhibitions and a multitude of informal learning opportunities including field trips, camps, classes, and family programming. During the two-year program, Thanksgiving Point achieved its goal of increase the public’s knowledge and awareness of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Thanksgiving Point incorporated unique space-related messages in each of its venues and provided educational lessons to 554,873 guests. Thanksgiving Point did this through three exhibitions: a light exhibition at the Museum of Ancient Life featuring exhibitions from San Francisco’s Exploratorium, a space garden at Farm Country, and walk able version of the solar system at Thanksgiving Point Gardens. In addition, Thanksgiving Point hosted a number of youth programs, day camps, and field trips centered on these exhibitions.
NASA Now: Using Current Data, Planetarium Technology and Youth Career Development to Connect People to the Universe uses live interpretation and new planetarium technology to increase awareness, knowledge and understanding of NASA missions and STEM careers among schoolchildren, teens and the general public. Pacific Science Center seeks to achieve two primary goals through this project. The first goal is to create and deliver live planetarium shows both on- and off-site to schoolchildren and the general public that showcase NASA missions and data, as well as careers in physics, astronomy, aerospace engineering and related fields. The second goal is to engage underrepresented high school students through a long-term youth development program focused on Earth and space science that provides first-hand knowledge of science and careers within the NASA enterprise along with corresponding educational pathways. Over the course of this project Pacific Science Center will develop four new live planetarium shows that will be modified for use in an outreach setting. All of these shows (for both on- and off-site delivery) will be evaluated to determine the impact of the program on various audiences. In addition, the project will provide an understanding of the impact that an in-depth youth development program can have on high school students.
Montana’s Big Sky Space Education: NASA ExplorationSpace at ExplorationWorks CP4SMP grant goal was to stimulate youth and adult interest in human space exploration and STEM careers in communities across Montana, through exhibits, field trips, STEM classes, and public presentations by ethnically diverse NASA women scientists and engineers.
Project partners included Dr. Dava Newman, MIT Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Gui Trotti, Trotti and Associates; Dr. Angela DesJardins of the MT Space Grant Consortium at MT State University; the Montana Girl’s STEM Collaborative; the Montana Women’s Foundation ; Boeing; and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
The grant’s objectives were:
stimulating general public interest in NASA’s human exploration of Space, facilitated through exhibits about space exploration and space careers, and
supporting STEM education, especially in robotics, computer science, and electro-mechanical inventions in elementary through high school students.
Outcomes included public awareness of this NASA mission, increased awareness of the role of the ISS, and increased interest of elementary girls in technology classes. This grant also led to the procurement/development of space-themed exhibits, including the national touring Black Holes exhibit, and exhibits on the ISS and the Mars rovers created by ExplorationWorks.
Four exhibits were produced: the Knowledge Station, MarsWalker, NASA Women in Aerospace (including Newman’s Biosuit) and “Women in Space,” a national touring exhibition showcasing Dr. Dava Newman’s prototype Mars BioSuit and NASA’s ethnically-diverse women scientists and engineers.
NASA CP4SMP grant support also opened the door to:
a Boeing Corporation investment in robotics systems appropriate for 1st through 8th graders,
expansion of our after-school Girl Tech for low-income girls,
the introduction of after-school and summer Sci Girls for 4th through 6th grade girls,
an annual Girl’s STEM Round-up STEM career immersion day for 5th through 12th grade girls, showcasing young Montana STEM career women as mentors
challenges in accommodating all the children and youth who wish to enroll in our year-round robotics classes.
the introduction of Girl Scout robotics-focused (“Bots and Bling”) Overnights at ExplorationWorks. Families travel 4 to 6 hours to participate in the Overnights, made possible by an ancillary grant from the Montana Women’s Foundation.
Mission to Mars engages 6th-8th grade students in the science, engineering and careers related to Mars exploration. The program is led by the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, and includes as partners Challenger Learning Centers in Woodstock, IL, Normal IL and three NASA Centers (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Marshall Space Flight Center, and Johnson Space Center). The project aims to:
Link, via videoconference, urban and rural middle school students from low income communities in an exploration of space science
Develop and launch programs that showcase NASA Center research
Enrich middle school curricula and promote learning about NASA’s space missions with experiences that inspire youth to pursue in NASA-related STEM careers.
Programs and products produced include:
3 videoconference program scenarios that highlight research being conducted at NASA Centers
Pre- and post-event curriculum materials designed for middle school classrooms
Teacher professional development workshops
Communication support for NASA professionals
iPad apps utilized during the program
Since the program launched five years ago, Mission to Mars has served 7,676 students. MSI seeks to provide opportunities for all learners, and works to remove barriers to participation in high-quality science learning experiences. Mission to Mars allows MSI to engage more Chicago Public Schools (where 86% of students are economically disadvantaged) in real and relevant science experiences that may lead to STEM careers.
As MSI’s CP4SMP grant comes to an end, the Museum has committed to continued delivery of the program through 2 Mission to Mars Learning Labs, offered to 6-8th grade school groups visiting on field trips. Live videoconferencing with JPL and Johnson will occur during roughly half of the sessions. Our Challenger Learning Center partners will integrate Mission to Mars activities, materials and iPad apps into their own Mars-themed programs. Together these efforts extend the transformative hands-on science experiences developed under the Mission to Mars grant to a whole new audience of middle school students and teachers.
NASA‘s Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Space Center Houston (SCH) will build upon the successes of NASA‘s Summer of Innovation initiative and SCH‘s highly successful Exploration Academy by developing, planning and implementing a newly defined STEM experiential program – Spaceflight Explorers. This program will not only be sustainable for the future, but will also be able to be replicated throughout the nation‘s network of museums and science centers. The Spaceflight Explorers program will: - Provide customizable STEM education content (up to 40 contact hours) to support the implementation of STEM learning programming with an emphasis on Human Spaceflight (content to include experiential STEM experiences) - Engage underrepresented and underserved middle school students in STEM learning by utilizing NASA material - Provide professional development to educators patterned after our 18 years of experience with SEEC (Space Exploration Educators Conference) our highly successful Educators Conference held here for over 500 teachers from around the country. - Create a network of visitor centers, museums, and science centers that have an interest in promoting and sharing the excitement of human spaceflight with students, educators, and the general public. Upon receiving these resources, each museum or science center will be expected to offer summer STEM learning experiences, as outlined in the Spaceflight Explorers curriculum, at their facilities targeting underserved/under-represented populations of middle school students. By adopting and utilizing The Exploration Academy concept at their facility museums and science centers are making a commitment to support current and future NASA Human Space Flight endeavors and increase student and visitor awareness of Human Spaceflight.
Journey to Space: Space Station will expand a large-scale traveling exhibition on crewed exploration of space partially funded by NASA and others and will establish a consulting partnership with six NASA visitor centers focused on human space flight and with three additional institutions who have received Space Shuttle Orbiters. SMM will share its experiences developing Journey to Space with Space Center Houston, US Space & Rocket Center, Virginia Air & Space Center, Infinity Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center, Kennedy Space Center, and with the California Science Center, the Intrepid Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum. SMM will make its IP and plans for exhibit components available to the centers for replication and explore with the centers options for creating a smaller version of Journey to Space that is suitable for the centers’ smaller spaces. Requested funds will support two meetings of the group in Saint Paul, one in fall 2013 and the second after Journey to Space opens in 2015. Additional funds will support prototyping exhibit components of specific interest to the centers and completion of the summative evaluation of the exhibition with the centers’ needs in mind.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Eric JollyPaul MartinJ. Shipley Newlin