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NASA Funds Target 13 K-12 STEM Education Programs

Thirteen K-12 STEM education initiatives will receive an infusion of more than $12 million through NASA's Nspires program.

The grants will be used to develop resources to help "enhance secondary students' academic experiences and improve educators' abilities to engage and stimulate their students" in STEM subjects. All of the proposed programs focus particularly on NASA-themed content.

The programs to be funded incorporate a range of technologies, from online social networking to virtual learning to digital media, including materials focused on teacher professional development. A total of $12.1 million will be awarded to 13 individual projects that have been proposed by non-profit organizations, universities, and education agencies. Funding for individual programs will range from $350,000 to about $1.2 million.

Specific programs to be funded include:

NASA/NC-MSEN Students Preparing to Advance into Careers in Engineering (SPACE). Developed by the University of North Carolina and the North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network, this program will combine online resources, STEM professional development, and after-school activities to enhance preparation for aerospace-related majors and careers.

New Frontiers: Journeying to Mars with Interactive Technologies. Through a partnership with Polyhedron Learning, the Total Learning Research Institute will develop interactive curriculum materials focused on future NASA missions to Mars. The program will incorporate online social networking activities.

NASA Triad: A Triangulated Program to Promote NASA STEM Education Nationwide. The American Geological Institute will partner with Arizona State University to develop secondary Earth sciences curricula and an online STEM handbook for teachers.

Climate Change High School Teacher Institute. Led by the Chabot Space and Science Center Foundation, CCHSTI is a professional development program that will cover biology, physics, chemistry, geology and environmental and physical sciences, with a particular emphasis on climate change.

Inspiring STEM Educators: The NASA Physics and Engineering Collection on VITAL/Teachers' Domain. WNET.org, the WGBH, and the Education Development Center will create digital media resources and professional development modules focused on engineering, robotics, and rocketry and propulsion systems engineering.

Real-World/In-World NASA Engineering Design Challenge. Proposed by the National Institute Of Aerospace Associates, the Engineering Design Challenge will bring high school students together with university mentors "to solve authentic NASA-inspired, design-based engineering problems using highly engaging, 21st-century technology tools and skills."

The Global Microscope: Integrating NASA Data into Learning and Teaching. Liberty Science Center will develop materials to help train teachers to develop lessons and activities using NASA materials.

Challenger Center Missions for High School. The Challenger Center for Space Science Education, TERC, NASA's Teaching from Space Program, the Lunar Science Institute, the Lunar Quest Program out of the Marshall Space Flight Center, My NASA Data, and NASA's Earth Observatory will partner to create simulations of NASA missions and related online activities.

SEEDS Scholars. The Latino College Preparatory Academy and the National Hispanic University will produce a teacher training program to improve STEM outcomes for "low-income, English learner Hispanic students."

Idaho STEM Aerospace Scholars. The state of Idaho's program will combine virtual and traditional learning to support secondary STEM education and teacher preparation.

Enhancing Earth System Science and Stem Education in High Schools. Guilford County Schools will partner with North Carolina A&T State University to "provide targeted professional development and a research experience" for local STEM teachers.

Investigating Climate Change and Remote Sensing. Developed by the Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency, Eastern Michigan University, the Institute for Geospatial Research and Education, and the Wayne County Mathematics and Science Center, ICCARS will allow students to investigate climate change using sensors and other data sources.

Engaging Teachers and Students in the Rio Grande Valley in Astronomy and Earth and Space Science. This program will train teachers to be knowledgeable in STEM subjects and to help them develop techniques for engaging students.

Comments

Wed, Jan 6, 2010

Another tragically misinformed person. Spending public money to help educate students is perhaps the best use of our money in terms of investment and importance. Propaganda? Really? Like the importance of mathematics, learning engineering skills, thinking scientifically, exploring? If this is propaganda, I hope both of my kids get plenty. Unfortunately, special interests have been driving the sale of poor quality text books for years (look into TX, CA, FL, IL just to name a few) and there is little to no competition between them as they strive to deliver dumbed down newer versions of last years text book with more pictures and less content. This is of course not their fault as they are trying to give the schools what they are asking for. But to trash what are some of the most successful educational programs in the country out of ignorance is unnecessary. Don't believe me, have a look at HAS, INSPIREE, SPRINTT, NES, TFS, SPACE, or any of the terrific programs listed in the article. They consistently meet or exceed their targets and are hugely inspirational to students, families, and teachers alike. They are excellent programs meeting a vital need to educate our children and hopefully encourage some of them to pursue STEM higher ed and careers. Let us not forget how rapidly we are falling behind other countries in STEM related fields (see The World is Flat among others). As an educator, researcher, and scientist I implore you to look more closely at how much NASA does with so little before passing judgment.

Thu, Dec 24, 2009

Tragic! That the government continues to spend public money we don't have to put together programs that really have as their main objective to enrich special interests and pump federal propaganda into schools instead of truly serving our students. In a democracy like we have (use to have) independent minded publishers compete to provide educational materials that are far superior and cost a fraction of what these programs cost. Instead of dumping whatever into the classroom, it use to be that publishers had to provide what teachers wanted and could use to make a sale (compete). Now the competition is about getting the federal money and producing whatever, just get the paperwork right! Welcome to the Soviet States of America!

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