NASA’s Marshall Center Sets ‘Take Children to Work Day’ June 20; Members of Local Media Invited

Angela Storey Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034 angela.storey@nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-081

NASA’S MARSHALL CENTER SETS ‘TAKE CHILDREN TO WORK DAY’ JUNE 20; MEMBERS OF LOCAL MEDIA INVITED

What: NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., will hold its annual “Take Our Children to Work Day” June 20 — offering children in grades 3-12 a variety of hands-on learning activities and participatory events.

Participating children will learn about a variety of NASA science, engineering and space exploration projects and programs underway at the Marshall Center. They’ll take part in hands-on science experiments; craft their own mini-rockets and Mars rovers; and learn about conserving electricity, managing money, preventing bullying and practicing summertime water safety. Along the way, they’ll gain a deeper understanding of NASA’s mission and learn about long-term career opportunities in the “STEM” fields — science, technology, engineering and math — that underpin their parents’ and grandparents’ work at the center.

The yearly event is organized by Marshall’s Office of Diversity & Equal Opportunity and includes participation by Marshall organizations and teams across the center. Huntsville-area contributors include the Boeing Company, Dynetics Corp., Huntsville Utilities, the North Alabama Coast Guard Auxiliary, Redstone Federal Credit Union, Sci-Quest and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

When: Thursday, June 20, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (To ensure adequate security processing and badging time, members of the media are encouraged to arrive at Gate 9 at least 45 minutes before the event they seek to cover.)

— Kickoff: Marshall Center Deputy Director Teresa Vanhooser and NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer, now a payload operations director in Marshall’s International Space Station Payload Operations Center, will welcome participants at 8 a.m. CDT in Morris Auditorium in Building 4200. — Site tours, demonstrations and activities will be conducted starting at 8:30 a.m. at various Marshall facilities (see schedule at http://eo.msfc.nasa.gov/c2w/). — Astronaut T.J. Creamer autographs: Creamer — who lived and worked on the International Space Station for more than five months during Expeditions 22 and 23 in 2009-10 — will sign pictures in Activities Building 4316 from 9-10 a.m.

To attend: News media interested in attending the event should contact Angela Storey in the Marshall Center’s Public & Employee Communications Office at 256-544-0034 no later than 4 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, June 19. Media must report to the Redstone Arsenal Joint Visitor Control Center at Gate 9, Interstate 565 interchange at Rideout Road/Research Park Boulevard. Vehicles are subject to a security search at the gate. News media will need two photo identifications and proof of car insurance. Visitor parking is available in front of Building 4200 on the southwest side, and in front of Building 4316, where key activities will be held throughout the event.