NASA and Honeywell Win Top Award for Science Education Initiative(Forwarded)

Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington March 20, 2006
(202) 358-1761

Jim O'Leary
Honeywell International, Morris Township, N.J.
(973) 455-6684

RELEASE: 06-102

NASA AND HONEYWELL WIN TOP AWARD FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION INITIATIVE

NASA and Honeywell's joint science education effort "FMA Live!" was
recognized as the top community outreach program in the United States
during the recent Promotional Marketing Association's 2006 Reggie
Awards.

The association awards annually identify and honor the best integrated
U.S. marketing programs. The FMA Live! program received a Gold Reggie
Award in the Cause/Community Outreach category.

The program is part of a national partnership between NASA and
Honeywell Hometown Solutions. The effort engages middle-school
students in the wonders of science, technology and math through
innovative programs and by highlighting the relevance of natural
sciences encountered during daily lives.

"Right now, tomorrow's space explorers are seated in America's
classrooms -- asking questions, solving problems and conducting
experiments," said Jim Stofan, NASA's acting deputy assistant
administrator for education programs. "Initiatives like our
partnership with Honeywell help the agency foster learning
environments that will inspire young people to set their sights on
venturing to the moon, Mars and beyond."

FMA Live! was named for Sir Isaac Newton's second law of motion
(force=mass x acceleration). The program uses interactive science
demonstrations, professional actors, original songs and music videos
to teach middle school students Newton's three laws of motion and the
universal law of gravity.

This interactive program addresses critical curriculum objectives to
help students understand the Newtonian concepts and to improve their
performance in the sciences. Created in 2004, the program has
traveled 23,000 miles, visiting 153 schools in 32 states, reaching
more than 73,000 students. The program's Web site provides classroom
lesson plans and other educational material for math and science
studies.

During each performance, students, teachers and administrators
interact with three professional actors on stage in front of a live
audience to experience Newton's laws firsthand. A large Velcro wall
is used to demonstrate inertia; go-carts driven across the stage
illustrate action and reaction; and wrestling and a huge soccer ball
show force is determined by mass multiplied by acceleration. All
three of Newton's laws are demonstrated when a futuristic hover chair
collides with a gigantic cream pie.

For information about FMA Live! on the Web, visit:

http://www.fmalive.com/

For information about NASA education programs on the Web, visit:

http://education.nasa.gov

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/home