Cooperative Agreement NNX14AD17A

UTILIZING NASA S EDUCATION LINES OF BUSINESS (1) INSTITUTIONAL ENGAGEMENT, (2) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, (3) STEM ENGAGEMENT THE EXCITES LEARNING PROJECT WILL SERVE AS A CONDUIT TO EXPAND AND INCREASE ONGOING NASA INSPIRED STEM INFORMAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES IN SUPPORT OF INQUIRY-BASED INSTRUCTION. EACH OF THE EXCITE LEARNING ACTIVITIES DIRECTLY CORRELATE AND ARE RELEVANT TO NASA S MISSIONS, MISSION DIRECTORATE PROGRAMS AND OFFICES OF EDUCATION. INSTITUTIONAL ENGAGEMENT: THE CRITICAL LINK BETWEEN EACH OF THE THREE LINES OF BUSINESS SERVES AS THE CORNERSTONE AND MODEL OF ENGAGEMENT FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT THE AERO INSTITUTE S EXCITE LEARNING PROJECT WILL IMPACT. THE AERO INSTITUTE WILL LEVERAGE EXISTING COLLABORATIONS TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF EACH PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION TO DELIVER HIGH QUALITY NASA STEM CONTENT. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE VENTURA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION (VCOE) THE AERO INSTITUTE WILL PROVIDE SYSTEMATIC PROCESS TO INTEGRATE HIGH-QUALITY NASA STEM ACTIVITIES IN ITS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT KERN, VENTURA, SANTA BARBARA AND SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES UTILIZING THE EXCITE LEARNING PROJECT. INFUSING NASA STEM CONTENT (NASA S BEST) ACROSS THE FOUR COUNTY SERVICE-AREA WILL BROADEN THE SCOPE OF IMPACT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY INCREASING THE ABILITY OF THE AFTER-SCHOOL REGION TO PARTICIPATE IN NASA THEMED STEM ACTIVITIES. THE LIBRARY INITIATIVE FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, OR LIFTS COMPONENT OF THE EXCITE LEARNING PROJECT WILL BROADEN THE SCOPE AND IMPACT OF THE INFUSION OF NASA S EDUCATION MATERIALS AND OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN LOCAL COMMUNITIES. LEVERAGING THE EXISTING COMMUNITY RESOURCES OF LIBRARIES WILL ENABLES EDUCATORS TO EXPLORE A MULTITUDE OF NASA EDUCATION RESOURCES PREPARED FOR INTERACTION WITH EDUCATORS. THE EXCITE LEARNING PROJECT THROUGH IT LIFTS COMPONENT WILL FOSTER COMMUNITY INTEREST, WHILE PROVIDING A REMOTE ACCESS SITE FOR EDUCATORS TO RECEIVE NASA EDUCATION CURRICULUM AND MATERIALS. LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT S (LAUSD) BEYOND THE BELL PROGRAM WILL INCREASE THE INFUSION OF NASA STEM CONTENT INTO THEIR AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING. NASA EDUCATION MATERIALS ARE BEING USED TO DELIVER DYNAMIC, HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES INQUIRY BASED ENGINEERING DESIGN CHALLENGES FOR K-8 STUDENTS, AND INCREASE BOTH INTEREST AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL INSTRUCTION TIME IN CORE STEM ACADEMICS EDUCATOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: UTILIZING AERO STAFF TO TRAIN-THE-TRAINERS AT THE COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS PROVIDES A CONDUIT FOR ON-GOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT IS ITSELF HANDS-ON INQUIRY BASED USING NASA CURRICULA. EQUIPPING THAT STAFF WITH NASA CURRICULUM, METHODOLOGIES, TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES WILL ENABLE AND EMPOWER THEM TO WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH THE STUDENT POPULATIONS THAT THEY SERVE. STEM ENGAGEMENT: USING THE ABOVE DEVELOPMENT AND NASA CURRICULA, THE EDUCATORS WILL BE BETTER EQUIPPED AND ENABLED TO INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC AND STUDENTS THROUGH NASA UNIQUE/THEMED STEM PUBLIC EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND NASA-RELATED STEM DESIGN CHALLENGES THAT ENHANCE INNOVATION, CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS. EDUCATION SPECIALISTS WILL DEVELOP, TEST AND IMPLEMENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS BASED ON THE FIELD TRIPS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN AT THE AERO INSTITUTES EXPEDITION LEARNING CENTER (ELC), BUT MODIFIED TO BE CONDUCTED AT THE REMOTE SITE. THE SITE-BASED FIELD TRIPS MAY BE CONDUCTED BY INFORMAL EDUCATION SPECIALISTS, OR BY OTHER NON-NASA FORMAL AND INFORMAL EDUCATORS THAT HAVE RECEIVED APPROPRIATE TRAINING. TRAINING WILL INCLUDE LEARNING OBJECTIVES, HOW TO SET-UP AND USE THE MATERIALS PROVIDED TO CONDUCT THE FIELD TRIPS, AND HOW TO RE-PACK THE DEMONSTRATION CRATES FOR RETURN SHIPMENT. REMOTE TRAINING MAY BE CONDUCTED BY HAVING AN EDUCATION SPECIALIST TRAVEL TO REMOTE SITES, OR BY USING ELECTRONIC METHODS.