On January 13, NASA and the U.S. Department of Education marked the
successful completion of a pilot program designed to engage more
students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.
Attendees at the half-day event, held at NASA Headquarters in
Washington, included senior officials from both agencies as well as
invited guests. The group reviewed the pilot activity and associated
evaluation approach, identified best practices, and discussed potential
follow-on efforts. The highlight of the event was the presentation of
successful student entries from the design competition.
In July 2013, the two agencies signed a Space Act Agreement to launch
the collaborative pilot education initiative, which began in the fall.
It infused NASA content into the Department of Education’s 21st
Century Community Learning Centers. The 21CCLCs provide academic
enrichment opportunities during non-school hours or expanded learning
time for students and their families, particularly students who attend
schools in under-resourced communities.
In support of the pilot initiative, NASA provided online STEM
challenges and associated curriculum materials to 21CCLCs in three
states: Colorado, Michigan and Virginia. The pilot leveraged resources
between NASA and the Department of Education to address the national
need for a STEM-educated workforce and to create and evaluate STEM
resources for 21CCLC grantees' future use.
The pilot featured three NASA student design challenges: a simulated
parachute drop onto the surface of Mars, a radiation protection system
for astronauts and flight hardware, and a recreational activity that
astronauts could perform in the microgravity environment aboard the
International Space Station.
Student teams worked with mentors to develop their products. They
then submitted 3- to 5-minute videos of their design entries for
evaluation. A team of NASA education professionals and technical staff
reviewed the submissions and selected four submissions to showcase based
upon creativity, use of the engineering design process, and student
data collection and analysis. The highlight of Monday's event was the
video presentation from each of these teams:
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