Volume 11, Number 3 • Fall 2003 • Aerospace Technology Development

Astronauts Inspiring the Next Generation

NASA is impacting education as never before with the kick-off of the Educator Astronaut Program.

NASA is selecting K–12 educators to join NASA’s Astronaut Corps. The Agency hopes the selected educators will become a direct connection to classrooms by sharing with their fellow educators and students the talents and disciplines necessary to make history, to break barriers and to explore frontiers. The Educator Astronaut Program is expected to generate renewed interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and cultivate a new generation of scientists and engineers.

NASA used criteria developed by a Blue Ribbon Panel to identify the candidates qualified to proceed to the next phase of the selection process at NASA Johnson Space Center. The panel was comprised of a diverse group of educators from the K–12 education community. The Space Foundation, one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations supporting space activities and education, won a competitive bid to convene the Blue Ribbon Panel. The nine-member Blue Ribbon Panel met at the Space Foundation headquarters for an intensive five-week effort before submitting final criteria to NASA. The panel’s goal was to establish an efficient and effective mechanism for selecting applicants, reviewing existing Educator Astronaut evaluative data, researching the literature on quality teachers and identifying selection criteria.

An Educator Astronaut is a fully qualified member of NASA’s Astronaut Corps who has expertise in K–12 education. Educator Astronauts will perform the same activities that the current astronauts categorized as Mission Specialists perform on any space shuttle crew. Educator Astronauts will help coordinate space shuttle crew activity planning and operations, assist with science experiments, participate in International Space Station assembly and operations, and perform other assigned Mission Specialists’ duties. Mission Specialists perform extravehicular activities (EVAs, or spacewalks), operate the remote shuttle and/or space station manipulator arm, and are responsible for payloads and specific experiment operations.

NASA’s objective is to build upon the selected Educator Astronauts and expand the education activities of previous missions. As educators, they have developed the skills necessary to communicate in the classroom the challenging concepts associated with the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The merger of these two great American teams, our Nation’s educators and astronauts, yields unparalleled opportunity for our nation, the education community and NASA to reach and inspire the very young people who will extend America’s accomplishments and leadership far beyond our imagination.

Educator Astronauts will experience something unique every day that they can use to engage students and inspire them to consider a career associated with the nation’s space program. NASA, as well as our numerous education partners, will work with each of the selected Educator Astronauts to make that connection in multiple and inspirational ways “to inspire the next generation of explorers . . . as only NASA can.” *

For more information, please visit http://edspace.nasa.gov. For information about other NASA Education programs on the Internet, visio http://education.nasa.gov

NASA Official: Jonathan Root • Web Design: Printing & Design Office, NASA Headquarters • Credits