| *** JANUARY 2009 *** |
| ASTRONAUTS CALL LAKEBAY WASHINGTON STUDENTS FROM SPACE STATION |
| ...Reporters are invited to witness students from Key Peninsula Middle School of Lakebay, Wash., while they chat with NASA Expedition 18 astronauts Mike Fincke and Sandra Magnus, who are aboard the International Space Station... Joining the students at the event will be Bonnie Dunbar, a former NASA astronaut and CEO of the Museum of Flight in Seattle, and General John Shalikasvili, a former chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs. Key Peninsula students have been preparing for the downlink by studying the history and mission of the space station, how rockets are made, astronaut selection and training, and mission control and station operations. The school is an alumnus of the NASA Explorer Schools project which provides opportunities for students to engage in science, math, engineering, and technology related critical thinking projects. The NASA Explorer School project offers a three-year partnership between NASA and school teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities across the country. Focusing on underserved populations, the program is designed for education communities at the fourth to ninth grade levels to help middle schools improve teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and math education. The downlink event is one in a series with educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad. It is an integral component of NASA's Teaching from Space Program. The program promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of human spaceflight. |
| NASA ASTRONAUT CONNECTS WITH UTAH STUDENTS FROM SPACE |
| ...Media are invited to witness a chat between students from Utah's only NASA Explorer School and Expedition 18 astronaut Sandra Magnus, who is aboard the International Space Station. This live call from low Earth orbit will take place on Jan. 15, from 9:50 a.m. to 10:10 a.m. PST, at the Wendover High School, 110 Wildcat Blvd., in Wendover, Utah... Wendover High School will become the first school in Utah to receive a live educational downlink from the crew of the space station. Students in grades 7-12, along with faculty and staff, will be given an opportunity to learn more about what life is like in space and how gravity affects our lives on Earth. Wendover High is an alumnus of the NASA Explorer Schools Program. The program offers a three-year partnership between NASA and school teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities across the country. Focusing on underserved populations, the program is designed to help middle schools from the fourth to ninth grade levels improve teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and math education. The downlink event is one in a series with educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad. It is an integral component of NASA's Teaching from Space Program. The program promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of human spaceflight... |