NASA has a new education initiative to bring exciting learning opportunities
to educators, students and their families.

The NASA Explorer School Program (NES) will provide a unique relationship
between schools and the agency designed to provide customized, extended
professional development for educators.

Fifty NES teams will be chosen from around the country. The teams will have
an expense-paid week of intensive training in July at one of NASA’s 10
Centers. Each team will consist of three or four science, mathematics, or
technology educators and an administrator. The teams will develop and
implement action plans to address local needs in science, mathematics or
technology education for the following three years. The 2003 pilot year
focus will be for grades five to eight. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center,
Edwards, Calif., will host five California or Arizona NES teams July 14 –
18.

Selected teams will work with NASA specialists to integrate agency science
content into their mathematics and science curricula through problem-solving
activities.

Each NASA Explorer School Team may be eligible for a $10,000 grant. The
grant is designed to assist with the purchase of science and technology
tools to support the team’s implementation plan to bring cutting edge
technology to the classroom.

The NASA Explorer School Program application deadline is April 4. Interested
applicants may apply to the program by accessing the NES Web site:
http://explorerschools.nasa.gov

Information about Dryden’s workshop is available from Michelle Davis
(661/276-2445) or Miriam Roden-Naveira (661/276-3647).