Being an astronaut takes teamwork, resiliency, a strong awareness of self and others, and perseverance – skills that also are necessary to succeed in life. So, NASA and 4-H are teaming up to help students develop these life skills.
Expeditionary Skills For Life will feature lessons and content built around these important skills. 4-H is a federal program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Peggy Whitson, a 4-H alum and NASA astronaut currently serving aboard the International Space Station, kicked off the program with a video highlighting her experience with 4-H.
“If anything shows students how important developing life skills can be, it’s astronauts sharing their experiences, learning to work with many diverse people in stressful situations,” said Donald James, associate administrator for NASA’s Office of Education. “Peggy’s mission is an excellent opportunity to capture students’ attention and set them on a course to become the next generation of explorers.”
The collaboration will feature different areas of focus each month with Self Care/Team Care in January, Cultural Competency in February, Leadership/Followership in March, and Teamwork in April.
“4-H is NIFA’s flagship, positive youth development and education program, in partnership with the Cooperative Extension System at our land-grant universities and the National 4-H Council,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “We are proud to partner with NASA and 4-H alumna Peggy Whitson to develop science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education resources that introduce youth both in and out of school to science-based activities and career paths.”
For more info about the Expeditionary Skills For Life curriculum, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education/4H
For more NASA education materials related to the International Space Station, visit:
