CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
The primary focus for this Curriculum Development program is to establish new and/or revised courses and materials that infuse NASA-related content within NSHE institutional curricula. We plan to support projects that include development of interdisciplinary classes utilizing or implementing NASA mission directorate content as well as senior design courses and senior research projects. The goal is to provide college students with NASA science and engineering course content that they would not otherwise receive, which will lead to improved opportunities for careers with NASA. Curricula development projects should have a clear progression from initiation, to classes/content being offered on an ad hoc basis, to becoming part of the institution’s curricula. The NVSGC will place emphasis on those courses and curricula that target topics within space/planetary exploration, aeronautical engineering, off-grid habitation and utilization of NASA-specific assets (e.g., satellite data) for climate change evaluation and adaption topics. Proposals may include the development of teams to compete in science and engineering challenges relevant to NASA.
Credits: 2013 Astronaut Candidates STEM Education Event/NASA
HANDS ON TRAINING
The primary focus of this HOT program is to firmly establish new STEM hands-on-training activities that utilize NASA related interdisciplinary content within higher education curricula. Proposals should include authentic, hands-on-student activities in NASA-related STEM disciplines. Examples of courses and curricula that are being targeted include but are not limited to: space/planetary exploration, aeronautical engineering, off-grid habitation and utilization of NASA-specific assets (e.g., satellite data) for climate change evaluation and adaption topics and other NASA relevant topics.
INFORMAL EDUCATION
The purpose of the Informal Education program is to expand past/current successful precollege informal education projects and partner with other education-based organizations to provide enhanced STEM training to the broadest possible student population in Nevada. We want to promote the development of materials and programs that provide pre-college students with hands-on science or engineering activities including the development of teams to compete in science and engineering challenges relevant to NASA. Student participation in these types of extracurricular activities will increase the likelihood of students enrolling in college within STEM curricula. Informal education experiences should demonstrate that science is fun, providing activities that create a sense of excitement for students during critical middle school years.
PRE-COLLEGE
The primary focus of this program is to train teachers and infuse NASA-related content into K-12 schools. NVSGC is particularly interested in training teachers to provide pre-college students with hands- on science or engineering activities including the development of teams to compete in science and engineering challenges relevant to NASA. NVSGC will also support the inclusion of STEM activities in the curricula of education courses at Nevada K-12 schools. In addition, NVSGC is seeking to support training opportunities to teachers so that they may enhance their knowledge in specific STEM topics that will attract students to STEM disciplines.
NVSGC is particularly interested in enhancement activities associated with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields using NASA-related content on the study of earth as a planet and the exploration and habitation of space. Specific areas of emphases include earth systems science and the utilization of NASA resources for studies of climate change, systems engineering and ongoing interests in planetary geology and geophysics, astrophysics and astrobiology. Other innovative activities and strategies that will substantially contribute to the overarching programmatic goal also will be considered.