Gretchen Cook-Anderson<br />Headquarters, Washington June 25, 2003<br />(Phone: 202/358-0836)<br /><br /><br />RELEASE: 03-215<br /><br /><br />NASA SENDS SCIENCE AND MATH TEACHERS "BACK TO SCHOOL"<br /><br /><br /> NASA is launching a major new education initiative. The <br />NASA Explorer Schools Program premieres Monday, June 30 at <br />11:30 a.m. EDT at the Washington State Convention & Trade <br />Center, Seattle.<br /><br /><br />The multimedia event kicks off the innovative program to <br />send science and mathematics teachers "back to school" at <br />NASA field centers. NASA experts and resources will be <br />available during the summer to help educators acquire new <br />teaching resources and technology tools to make learning <br />science, mathematics and technology more appealing to <br />students. <br /><br /><br />As part of the annual National Educational Computing <br />Conference (NECC), hosted by the International Society for <br />Technology in Education (ISTE), NASA Associate Administrator <br />for Education Dr. Adena Williams Loston, joined by astronaut <br />Don Pettit, will announce the first 50 competitively <br />selected NASA Explorer Schools before an expected audience <br />of approximately 1,000 science and technology educators. <br /><br /><br />In a creative school-like setting, Loston will address a <br />"classroom" of NASA officials and partners. Classmates <br />include Pettit, NASA's International Space Station science <br />officer on Expedition 6; NASA Explorer Schools Program <br />architects Peggy L. Steffen and Dr. Shelley Canright; NASA <br />Deputy Associate Administrator for Education Programs Dr. <br />Cliff Houston; and representatives from the National Science <br />Teachers Association (NSTA), the U.S. Department of <br />Education and the U.S. National Guard Bureau. <br /><br /><br />The new initiative, sponsored by NASA's Education <br />Enterprise, in collaboration with NSTA, will establish a <br />three-year partnership between the agency and 50 Explorer <br />Schools' teams, consisting of teachers and education <br />administrators from diverse communities across the country. <br />During the commitment period, NASA will invite teams to <br />field centers in an effort to spark innovative science and <br />mathematics instruction directed specifically at students in <br />grades five through eight.<br /><br /><br />Following the announcement, the audience will participate in <br />a technology demonstration. The demonstration will focus on <br />using technology in the classroom to stimulate student <br />interest. Pettit will moderate an International Space <br />Station downlink with the Expedition 7 crew (11:53 a.m. - <br />12:13 p.m. EDT) for the audience and approximately a dozen <br />student groups via teleconference.<br /><br /><br />"At NASA, we feel compelled to act, to implement proactive <br />and innovative approaches, such as the NASA Explorer Schools <br />Program, to help stem the decline in the number of young <br />people pursuing study of science, technology, engineering <br />and math disciplines," Loston said. "If we can help, in ways <br />unique to NASA's mission, to hold students' interest in math <br />and science through the middle school years, we would <br />anticipate a marked increase in students entering related <br />careers. The Nation's continued leadership in science and <br />technology depends on the efforts of NASA and others," she <br />said.<br /><br /><br />ISTE, based in Eugene, Ore., is a nonprofit professional <br />organization with a worldwide membership of leaders and <br />potential leaders in educational technology. ISTE's mission <br />is to provide leadership and service to improve teaching and <br />learning by advancing the effective use of technology in K-<br />12 education and teacher education. NECC annually attracts <br />more than 15,000 educators.<br /><br /><br />For information about NASA on the Internet, visit:<br /><br /><br />
http://www.nasa.gov<br /><br /><br />For information about the NASA Explorer Schools Program, <br />visit:<br /><br /><br />
http://explorerschools.nasa.gov<br /><br /><br />For information about the NASA Education Enterprise and <br />programs, visit:<br /><br /><br />
http://education.nasa.gov<br /><br /><br />For information about ISTE and NECC, visit:<br /><br /><br />
www.iste.org
