Space Station Crew Brings Science Down To Earth

Gretchen Cook-Anderson
Headquarters, Washington July 29, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-0836)

Jonas Dino
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
(Phone: 650/604-5612/9000)

RELEASE: 03-252

SPACE STATION CREW BRINGS SCIENCE DOWN TO EARTH

The crew of the International Space Station will give
educators a boost during a professional development workshop
for the NASA Explorer Schools program.

A conversation with the Space Station crew is one of the
highlights for 25 teachers and administrators from five NASA
Explorer Schools Thursday, July 31 from 2:50 to 3:10 p.m.
EDT. NASA astronaut Ed Lu and Russian cosmonaut Yuri
Malenchenko will chat with educators at the Ames Research
Center (ARC), Moffett Field, Calif. Educators are
participating in a five-day Explorer Schools workshop
focusing on how NASA can work with institutions to develop
unique and compelling material to use in the classroom.

"We are extremely excited to introduce the agency's finest
engineers and scientists to the NASA Explorer Schools. It is
our intention these competitively selected schools become
examples of how education may be empowered throughout the
United States," said Mark Leon, Deputy Director of Education
at ARC.

The five schools participating in the ARC session a
Chapman School, Sheridan, Ore.; Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle
School, Lihue, Hawaii; Jim Bridger Middle School, Las Vegas;
Poplar Middle School, Poplar, Mont., and Waimea Middle
School, Kamuela, Hawaii. They are among the 50 middle
schools selected in the program's pilot year. Explorer
Schools teams attending the workshop at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. also
submitted questions for the Station crew and will view the
downlink remotely.

The goal of the NASA Explorer Schools program is to address
the nation's needs in mathematics, science and technology
for grades four through nine. During a three-year
partnership, NASA will work with each school to incorporate
the agency's cutting-edge research and unique missions to
inspire students.

Teachers and administrators will have access to additional
professional development, grants, NASA researchers and
scientists. In addition, aerospace education specialists
will periodically visit each NASA Explorer Schools team to
give inspirational talks and demonstrations.

"As NASA Aerospace Education Specialists we are able to
bring math and science to students and teachers on a
personal level. Our reward is seeing their smiles and
watching their eyes light up with understanding," said
Thomas Gates, NASA Aerospace Education Specialist. The NASA
Aerospace Education Specialist program has helped inspire
the next generation of explorers for more than 40 years.

The NASA Explorer Schools program is sponsored and
implemented by NASA through a cooperative agreement with the
National Science Teachers Association, Arlington, Va. NASA
begins recruiting for the 2004 NASA Explorer Schools Program
on September 1.

The International Space Station event, provided via NASA
downlink, is one in a series for education organizations
across the country and abroad. The events are integral
components of NASA's Teaching From Space Program. The
Teaching From Space Program, managed from the Johnson Space
Center in Houston, enables educational opportunities using
the unique environment of human space flight.

The downlink will be carried live on NASA TV, which is
available on AMC-9, transponder 9C, C-Band, located at 85
degrees west longitude. Polarization is vertical. The
frequency is 3880.0 MHz, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.

For information about NASA on the Internet, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

For information about NASA education programs visit:

http://education.nasa.gov

For information about the NASA Explorer Schools Program
visit:

http://explorerschools.nasa.gov

For information about NASA's Teaching From Space Program
visit:

http://education.jsc.nasa.gov/Educators/tfsp.htm


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