Continuing a tradition of “firsts,” NASA’s Marshall Space Flight
Center in Huntsville, Ala., is part of a NASA team receiving a
national-level honor for developing “Spacelink” – a Web site connecting
America’s educators and students to NASA-related information and educational
resources. The team will receive the National Aeronautic Association Frank
G. Brewer Trophy for aerospace education. It’s the first time in 21 years
that the award will be given to a team instead of to an individual.

The Brewer Trophy recognizes Spacelink’s contributions to the
educational community for pioneering quick and easy electronic access to
NASA information and educational materials. Spacelink also provides
educators and students with one of the most exhaustive and comprehensive
search engines within NASA, indexing more than 300,000 Web pages. The
Marshall Center operates Spacelink for the NASA Education Division.

In February 1988, before the World Wide Web existed, Spacelink
became NASA’s first electronic bulletin board designed for the public. The
Spacelink virtual library houses NASA-developed educator guides, education
briefs, lithographs, and other materials cross-referenced with NASA
aeronautics and aerospace activities.

The Marshall Center developed Spacelink as a direct way to provide
education resources to the public. Since its creation, the site has
attracted more than 7.5 million visitors who have accessed approximately 193
million items of information.

“The flow of information goes far beyond the number of Web site
contacts,” said Don Koranda, president of the Arlington, Va., based National
Aeronautic Association. “Teachers who tap the information in turn pass it on
to unknown numbers of students in their classes.”

Koranda will present the Brewer Trophy on March 15 during the
National Congress on Aviation and Space Education in Minneapolis.

“We’re honored that the National Aeronautic Association has selected
the NASA Spacelink team to receive this year’s Brewer Trophy,” said Frank C.
Owens, Education Division Director in the Office of Human Resources and
Education of NASA’s Headquarters in Washington, DC. “Spacelink is a key
element in NASA’s education program and we appreciate this prestigious
recognition of its entire community.”

The NASA Spacelink team includes: Jeff Ehmen of the Marshall
Center’s Education Programs Department; Dr. Shelley Canright, educational
technology program manager in the Education Division at NASA Headquarters;
and Jeff Cobb, Charmein Johnson, Kathy Forsythe, Heather Deiss and Alan
Cunningham – all of Computer Sciences Corp. in Huntsville.

Frank G. Brewer established the annual award in 1943 in honor of his
two sons and to commemorate his lifelong interest in aviation, youth, and
education. Brewer was a successful Alabama businessman who believed aviation
and space exploration would have a dramatic impact on our world. Since the
award’s inception, it has been administered by the National Aeronautic
Association. Individuals, groups or organizations may be nominated and a
committee selects the recipient based on significant contributions of
enduring value to aerospace education in the United States.

NASA Spacelink can be accessed at: http://spacelink.nasa.gov