Volume 9, Number 4 • July/August 2001 • Welcome

NASA Education

By Frank C. Owens
Director, Education Division
NASA Headquarters

Since the inception of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1958, NASA and our nation’s education program have traveled parallel paths. We share the same goal—that of exploration, discovery and the pursuit of new knowledge and achievements.

In testimony before Congress, NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin declared, “NASA’s success depends on the educational system to produce the highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce that is necessary to perform this cutting-edge work. Likewise, the nation’s educational system looks to NASA for inspiration and to exemplify doing things that once were only imaginable—feats that motivate and encourage our students to study science, mathematics, technology and engineering. Future leaders of America, even if not astronauts, scientists or engineers, must have a fundamental understanding of science, mathematics and technology to reap the rewards of NASA’s discoveries.”

As outlined in the NASA Implementation Plan for Education 1999–2003, NASA seeks to involve the educational community in our endeavors to inspire America’s students, create learning opportunities and enlighten inquisitive minds. Our goal is to capitalize on NASA’s unique assets—its mission, people and facilities—to support local, state, regional and national mathematics, science, technology and geography education reform efforts through collaboration with other organizations in high-impact reform activities.

The fundamental component of any NASA education activity is the content or knowledge derived from the NASA mission. At the Agency level, this knowledge is the outcome of the NASA mission as defined by the five Strategic Enterprises: Aerospace Technology, Human Exploration and Development of Space, Earth Science, Space Science and Biological and Physical Research. NASA’s Education Program translates this content to meet our customers’ needs at precollege and higher education levels.

To accomplish our goal, our national Education Program comprises initiatives that are designed to address individual state needs and to support each state’s effort to improve the achievement of all students in the system. This state-based methodology allows for greater customer focus, increased diversity and widespread and unique collaborations; and it facilitates an evaluation of our efforts at the local level. Our programs are designed to serve students and educators from kindergarten through the post-graduate level. The intention is to keep students in the pipeline as they participate in a variety of programs and, ultimately, meet the future workforce needs of NASA, the university or one of our aerospace industry partners.

NASA’s national Education Program is comprised of 50 state programs. The NASA network in each state consists of NASA Field Center personnel, contractors and Principal Investigators. All states have the opportunity to be involved with their Space Grant Consortium and to have access to our NASA Aerospace Education Specialists, NASA Educator Resource Centers and NASA Field Centers.

Under contract with NASA, the Alabama Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Coalition (NASSMC) played a significant role in the development of the Alabama Mathematics, Science and Technology Initiative. The Coalition for Improving Math and Science Education in Florida is a major player in the design and oversight of a statewide professional development program funded at $2.5 million for 2001. The Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition participated in and strongly influenced the development and adoption of Virginia’s Mathematics, Science and Technology Standards of Learning and its requirements for teacher licensure. For each of these successes, as well as many others, NASA has served as a facilitator to “align the vectors” of NASA resources to affect positive change for the state.

The future of NASA depends highly on a scientifically and technologically astute workforce and population. Ideally, a kindergarten student could begin to participate in a program such as GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) or local science/engineering fairs, and continue to participate beyond high school at the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels.

Students and educators nationwide have the opportunity to participate in NASA missions through the Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP), Graduate Student Research Program (GSRP), Co-Op Program, Summer Faculty Fellowship Program and Resident Research Assistantships. In addition, there are numerous opportunities for students, teachers and faculty to participate in programs with NASA Field Centers and the NASA Enterprises. Q

To learn more about NASA’s Education Programs, visit http://www.education.nasa.gov

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